The Outdoor Channel announced the cast of its new original series The Brigade: Race to the Hudson, which debuts on the outdoor lifestyle network on April 22.
The 10-member cast is comprised of participants from the United States and Canada. The show follows the group’s trek across the rugged Canadian wilderness in an epic 750-mile adventure. The announcement was made by Outdoor Sportsman Group President and CEO, Jim Liberatore.
The Brigade retraces parts of a legendary and historic fur trade route from the Pacific Coast to the icy shores of Hudson Bay. Originally called “The York Factory Express,” the adventure-filled expedition is a dangerous paddling odyssey unlike any other. The 10-member “brigade” must work together to navigate fierce whitewater, hike and portage over mountains, as well as fish and hunt for sustenance without fuel or GPS. There are no eliminations. Instead, the competition relies on the collective strengths of its cast to rely on each other against all odds to reach their destination in only 28 days for their chance to share in a prize of $500,000.
The participants taking part in The Brigade are:
- Austin Metheny – Landscaper and Hunting/Fishing Guide (Hurst, Texas)
- Carley Julien – Registered Nurse (Port Hardy, British Columbia)
- Don Mann – Retired Navy Seal and Author (Cape Charles, Virginia)
- Dylan Applebaum – Accounting Student and Consultant (Montreal, Quebec)
- Kaleb Summers – Self-Employed Subcontractor (Claremore, Oklahoma)
- Leroy Fontaine – Firefighter/Paramedic and Underwater Helicopter Crash Rescue Instructor (Hammonds Plains, Nova Scotia)
- Matthew Aird – Paramedic/Whitewater Rafting Guide (Rossland, British Columbia)
- Traci Kroupa – Retired Military Veteran and Outdoor Education Instructor (Yorkville, Illinois)
- Tracyn Thayer – Festival Manager at Spartan Race (Mason Township, Maine)
- Vincent Coulombe – General Contractor and Canoe Guide (Langley, British Columbia)
“The Brigade is a gut-wrenching, adventure-filled original show that we believe viewers will dive into,” Liberatore said. “The participants in the show come from various walks of life and are all ages. The goal is to work together to achieve the desired outcome of conquering the wilderness while retracing history along the way.”
“Audiences will be inspired by how the cast works together to handle the extreme physical and mental pressures of the journey,” Executive Producer, Robert Cohen said. “Each of them bring different skills, experiences and personalities as they race to reach York Factory on Hudson Bay.”
The show will return to television on April 22 at 8 p.m. ET.
With $500,000 at stake, 10 strangers must work together to conquer a grueling, cross-country wilderness expedition that pushes bodies and minds to the extreme. The Brigade is the next evolution of the survival genre. It’s a cooperative competition series that forces participants to work together as they travel more than 750 miles across parts of the York Factory Express – an historic fur trade route legendary for its danger, isolation and beauty. The participants must paddle, portage and hike through major river systems and mountain ranges, with only 28 days to complete their journey.