Mission & Bio

TOUR HISTORY

The Extreme Tour started as a grassroots project of "The Extreme", a cultural outreach project started by Ted Bruun and a small group of other Idaho (of all places) residents in 1994. The purpose of the Extreme Tour was to use Extreme Sports and Music Events, held in communities across Idaho (which then became around the United States, and soon to be around the world), to reach at-risk and counter culture youth with services and resources that would assist them in making positive and healthy decisions for a successful and victorious life.

Most importantly, the Extreme Tour works to both Demonstrate and to Declare the Good News of the Gospel of Christ.

The Extreme Cultural Project in Idaho was a faith based effort, as is the Extreme Tour. However, then, just as it is now, the Extreme Tour events are NOT religious events aimed at a religious market. Rather, the Extreme Tour events are Extreme Sports and Music Events aimed at a mainstream market, and held in mainstream venues and settings.

Over the past 15 years, the Extreme Tour has grown exponentially, moving far beyond the rural Idaho communities that gave birth to this music and sports movement. The Extreme Tour is now, in terms of the number of communities visited in a year, the largest and longest running Extreme Sports and Music tour in the world. We currently visit a little over 100 communities each year, and we expect this number to go up dramatically as the tour reaches out internationally starting in 2010.

Many of today's top recording artists have participated in Extreme Tour Events over the past 14 years. Grammy nominees and winners, MTV regulars, and best selling artists representing most of the top Music Groups (including Sony, Capitol, Epic, Warner, and Tooth and Nail) have all "cut their teeth" on the road with our teams and at our events.

A complete list of alumni would be exhaustive and take more space and time than you want to read, but as an extremely limited example, past family friendly artists at these family friendly events have included (in no particular order):

Kutless, Falling Up, KJ-52, Fireflight, Sean McDonald, Stutterfly, House of Heroes, Spoken, the Huntintons, One 21, LA Symphony, Pigeon John, Dizmas, Braille, Allan Aguirre of Scattered Few and many others.

Many of our alumni, now headlining tours of their own, still stop in to say hello and perform at various events during our schedule

Mission Statement

The Extreme Tour, a ministry of Extreme Youth Ministries, exists to provide Artists and Athletes with the opportunity to develop their efforts and ability to first DEMONSTRATE, and then to DECLARE, God's Love, and the Good News of the Gospel of Jesus, through the mediums of Extreme Sports and Music, to the Counter Culture across the United States.

* Extreme Youth Ministries is a ministry of New Hope Community Church in Canyon Lake, California.

ADMINISTRATIVE STAFF

Ted Bruun

Ted's story really begins in a Doctor's office about 20 years ago. Having fallen over 70 feet (seven stories) from a coastal precipice, landing headfirst on the sharp jagged rocks below, and still surviving, Ted listened as the Doctor told him that he had "no explanation" for how Ted had not been killed by the fall.

It was in that moment that Ted, (an insecure and "at risk" youth who had been raised by a single mother who had put him in private school and forced him to go to church) remembers knowing 2 things for sure: 1- that he was alive because a very REAL God had saved him, and 2- if this God wanted Ted's life that bad, He could have it. From that point on, Ted says that he has tried to live his life according to the Calling that he believes God placed on His life.

In the almost 20 years that have passed since the life changing epiphany that came with his fall from a cliff, Ted has felt God develop a passion in him for the counter culture, the people that would never normally be reached by traditional outreach methods. As the Founder and Executive Director of Extreme Youth Ministries, the parent ministry for The Extreme Tour, Stitch's Cultural Project, and The Objective, Ted has worked with his team to develop effective, creative, and cutting edge strategies for outreach in this new millennium.

Ted now has an accomplished resume in Christian Television and Radio, Concert and Event Promotion, as a Venue founder and owner in several different states, and as an in-demand speaker at numerous conferences and in churches across the country. He and his team continue to work to establish and consult on various Counter Culture outreach projects in communities around the United States.

Paul Krueger

Paul is a 35-year-old Youth Pastor with over 16 years of experience in ministry to at-risk youth. Paul has a degree in Human Communication from USC San Bernardino, and is a California Licensed Mediator.

Paul serves as the Tour Pastor, as well as serving as Chairman of the Board over Extreme Youth Ministries.

Elizabeth Marsh

Elizabeth is 25 years old, and is a graduate of South Eastern University. As a Pastor's Daughter, raised in the church, Beth has been involved in ministry for most of her life. Beth has served as a Missions Team Leader with South Eastern University, A Youth Pastor with the Assemblies of God, A Worship Leader (also with A of G), and also as touring recording artist, herself.

Beth has joined our staff this year as the Booking Manager for this year's East Coast leg of the tour. Beth volunteers full time at the Salem, Oregon headquarters of the Extreme Tour.

Rosie Brown

Rosie is 25 years old, and brings her experience in the corporate world with her as she serves on the Extreme Tour Staff for her first year. Rosie is the Booking Manager for the West Coast leg of this year's Extreme Tour.

ROAD TEAM

Angelo Gonzales

Angelo is a nationally known hip-hop recording artist who has toured and performed with some of the brightest new stars in hip hop, Angelo has been a featured artist on the last 5 Extreme Tours as well as performing at major events like ShoutFest, CMJ, SXSW, and others.

Despite having started his professional career at only eight years old, touring and performing with Christian Hip Hop Legend, D-Boy, Angelo spent his teen years running from God, and running from his Calling. After almost destroying himself with a reckless lifestyle running the streets and hitting the clubs as a teen performer and (some would say) "thug", Angelo realized he had hit bottom, and in a desperate desire to return to the faith of his youth, Angelo recommited his heart to Christ.

It wasn't long before Angelo realized that his heart was filled with a desperate desire for his friends to know the God of Love he had returned to. With that in mind, Angelo started a ministry of his own to reach the hip hop and skater friends he had been hanging with throughout his youth.

God blessed Angelo's ministry, and Angelo was soon invited to be the Director of Club 4:19, a,Skate Ministry for Lakepoint in Dallas, TX. After just a year of ministry, Angelo was already at "the top" in many people's minds. He had a full time paid position, doing the ministry he loved, at one of the largest churches, in one of the most affluent communities in America. a skate church in the Dallas, TX area. It was at this moment that Angelo feels God came to him with a completely separate Calling than he had expected.

It was at this point, that Angelo felt God's Calling to leave his well paying, highly respected ministry job, and join the Extreme Tour Team, like everyone else on the staff, serving as a volunteer. Despite many people feeling like Angelo was perhaps making a mistake, Angelo dove into the tour headfirst, bringing with him his huge heart, his amazing passion, and a motlet crew of friends and family who followed him into the role of supporting the artist and athletes on the road with the Extreme Tour.

Over the last five years, God, through Angelo, has had a tremendous impact on the Extreme Tour team effort, and God has used the Extreme Tour to have a tremendous impact on Angelo. Angelo has served as a popular Extreme Tour performing artist, as the Director of the Extreme Tour Skate Team, and as a Tour Team Leader.

This year, he joins the tour, serving as the Director of Innovative Evangelism on the East Coast Extreme Tour Leg.
Jim Shepard

Jim is the Founder and Director for “Uncle Jim’s Sound”, the company that has provided transportation and production for the past two years of the Extreme Tour. Jim has been the Production Director for several national tours for nationally known recording artists. Beyond just Production, Jim also serves as an Artist Mentor and Tour Chaplain.

Jim will serve as the Director of the East Coast leg of this year's Extreme Tour.

ICRIS

ICRIS (short for i Christian) is a nationally known recording artist, born in Muskegon, MI. Before responding to God's Call on his life, Icris survived 2 drownings, 2 suicide attempts, several overdoses, 2 car accidents, being thrown from a motorcycle head first into the concrete parking block with no helmet, a near fatal parachuting accident and being stabbed in the heart and lung losing 2/3rds of all the blood in my body. He was a drug dealer, a thief and had pulled guns on people with the intent on taking life.

Icris was diagnosed severe bipolar with personality disorder. For quite awhile, in order to escape the confusion of his life without Christ, Icriswas living to get high.. He had a serious problem with drugs. It was on one fateful weekend that Icris cleared out his bank account and went on a cocaine and alcohol bender where he was soon waving a shotgun around and cutting both his wrists.

After a stint in rehab, with the help of his wife, and the staff at Res. Life church Ionia, God helped Icris get his life back on track. Icris says that, while it's not perfect by any means, it is better with GOD than it ever was before.

Icris had been doing music for years. He started out doing hip hop with all the cussing drugs and abusing women he could fit into his lyrics. He soon grew tired of living the hip hop lifestyle. After being set free and giving his life back to the Lord, the passion for music was revived inside him. But now, Icris uses his music to seek first the Kingdom of God, instead of seeking money, fame, or popularity.

This is Icris's first year on the Extreme Tour Staff as a volunteer leader and artist. Icris will be traveling with the East Coast Extreme Tour Team, serving as the Logistics Manager for the extreme Tour Artists and Athletes.

Scott Lack

Music has always been a part of the Lack family. Scott and Paula were playing at coffee houses, churches, youth groups and other venues while their daughters were singing as loud as they could from the front row. Naturally, the girls started picking up different instruments, and when the chance came to fill in for a gig they were more than ready. They’ve been performing now for over seven years. Classic rock, rock and alternative music influenced the flavor of their songs which is why their style doesn't fit the traditional “Family Band” sound. the Lacks are: Scott(guitar/voc), Paula(keys/voc), Deborah(bass/voc), Garrett(unofficially adopted son...guitar) Sarah(drums/voc) and Chloe(voc and other cool stuff :). The Lacks have a mission…“Every song, every concert and every encounter they have share the same goal…to show the life, love and hope of Jesus Christ through everything they do.”

Scott Lack will serve as the director for the west coast leg of this years Extreme Tour.