Coaches

Traver H. Boehm

Growing up in Connecticut and Japan, I spent the majority of my life in swimming pools and martial arts schools – going on to swim and play water polo for Boston College while graduating with a degree in Philosophy and Asian Studies. Since moving to California after college, I have had the good fortune of experiencing success in a variety of endeavors – real estate entrepreneurship, personal security for high-profile clients, and professional mixed martial arts fighting.  Throughout all of these great experiences I still couldn’t quite shake that nagging question of “What is my true calling and how can I live it?”  After an extraordinary work situation took me out of the country and onto a boat for 6 months, I had ample time to reflect and knew very quickly that upon returning I wanted to dedicate the rest of my life to empowering people to live the healthiest lives possible. After this realization, the most logical step was to gain a thorough understanding of health and the human body through the study of alternative medicine. I immediately enrolled in the masters degree program at Yo-San University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, a 4-year intensive course in acupuncture and herbal medicine.   Halfway through the program, while looking for a way to cross-train in preparation for fights, I discovered CrossFit Los Angeles, Andy Petranek and his team of world-class coaches.  To say that my life would never be the same from that day forward is an understatement of epic proportions!  The amazing physical results, as well as the massive increase in well-being, that was experienced by both me and my fellow CrossFitters was truly awe-inspiring. I immediately knew that this was the means to achieve my goal and I began to study CrossFit and training with the same intensity that I had with studying medicine.

CrossFit was the answer to the myriad questions that were left lingering about my own fitness – even after reading countless fitness magazines, getting certified as a personal trainer and continuously developing my own workout routines.  CrossFit has allowed me to be a completely different athlete and human being.  It has changed the way that I feel everyday; it has changed the way that I fight, the way that I surf and snowboard and most importantly the way that I interact with the world – all for the positive!  After graduating from Yo-San University and getting licensed as an acupuncturist, I knew that I wanted to open a CrossFit Affiliate and share this amazing fitness experience.  Partnering with my good friend and college water polo teammate and opening up a gym in one of the most beautiful places in the world is truly a dream come true!!

Eric Malzone Born and raised in Northern California, I’ve been involved with competitive sports since the age of 5.  From an early age, I took a liking to swimming – which spring boarded me into playing water polo – a passion for over 20 years now, evidence by the fact that I earned All American honors and still play in masters programs to this day.  After graduating from Boston College with a degree in Business Administration and leaving the world of organized athletics, I lost the regimented training that had proved to be imperative to my progress as an athlete.  Since then, I’ve tried literally dozens of different workout programs as well as constantly staying very active with skiing, open water swimming and mountaineering.  I quickly found that although I still enjoyed the sports that I was involved in, my declining physical shape and injuries kept me from being able to enjoy them fully…the way that I had in my younger days. After college, I was fortunate enough to be successful in a variety of sale’s positions, but still had the nagging feeling that I wasn’t making a contribution to the world at large.  I knew that there had to be more to life than making phone calls in a cubical all day.  I missed being on a team, I missed the camaraderie of training with a group and the intensity that it always bred.  Having a brother-in-law in the Fire Department, I was able to take a ride-along with him and felt that this was what I was looking for.  After researching various cross-training programs to get myself in top shape for the upcoming FD tests I found CrossFit – and everything changed! Crossfit offered everything that I was looking in a conditioning program.  Once again, I had the discipline of an organized workout regime.  I was making gains in stamina, strength, flexibility, agility, and balance…the list goes on and on.  I was finding myself doing things I had never done before at the age of 31!!! The greatest impact of Crossfit on me personally, besides the amazing physical changes, is the COMMUNITY…hands down. I have never been a part of anything like it!  Not until now have I found such a supportive, empowered and connected group of people.  As Coach Glassman, the founder of CrossFit says, “The magic is in the movements, the art in the programming, the science in the explanation, and the fun is in the community.”  Doing CrossFit on your own will get you in great shape, training at an organized CrossFit facility will change your life – it did mine  From my very first CrossFit workout I knew that I wanted to coach and share this experience with as many people as I could.  Under the tutelage of Chris Lalanne, I obtained my training certification and began coaching!!!   So far as a coach, I’ve found myself deriving much more pleasure teaching and cheering somebody towards his or her own breakthrough experience than having one of my own.  I can say with confidence that this is the Crossfit way. When Traver approached me about opening an affiliate of our own, there was not a shadow of doubt in mind, I packed up my belongings and made a bee line for Santa Barbara!  If I’m not in the gym or on the slopes, I’m probably spending time with my family enjoying being Uncle Eric.

Welcome to CrossFit Pacific Coast.

Jeff Baker

I judge the quality of a life by the richness and diversity of the experiences one has while living it.  I also believe that to achieve a full life one must exercise the mind and body equally and vigorously.In keeping with this I have spent my entire life seeking new sources of knowledge and physical challenges.  This includes graduating with a B.A. in Film Production and Theory from San Francisco State, traveling around 4 out of 7 continents, becoming a certified PADI Divemaster, getting certified as an EMT, a Diver Medic, and currently returning to school to become a Registered Nurse with an interest in emergency medicine for remote locations and expeditions. I have also been involved in team sports since the age of 4 and spent 16 plus years as a competitive soccer player.  I feed my deep love of the outdoors with sports such as back packing to the summit of Mt. Whitney, several years white water kayaking the South Fork of the American River and Scuba Diving up and down the coast of California, which I have turned into a full time job as the Store Manager and Divemaster at Anacapa Dive Center here in Santa Barbara.  I take great joy in teaching others about the beauty of what lies beneath the waters of California and expanding peoples beliefs in what they are capable of. However, up until now something had been missing.  While I was staying active and working out at local gyms and on my own at home, I needed something that would push me beyond my limits both physically and mentally.  Something that was regimented and disciplined while still being dynamic and interesting.  Along with that I was growing bored of the solitude my workout routine entailed and wanted a group to train with and share the experience.  It was at this point in my life that I discovered Crossfit, through Eric, Traver and Crossfit Pacific Coast.  Meeting them opened up a world of nutrition, fitness and overall health and wellness that I didn’t know existed.  Surprisingly for me, the program embodied everything that I had searched for but had not found.

One of the first things Eric ever said to me about Crossfit has remained true to this very day, “You’ll be amazed at what you can do.”  This simple statement has proven true time and again during my experience as a Crossfitter.  I workout about half the time that I used to and I’m in far better shape then I ever achieved on my own or at the peak of my days of competition.  I have finally found a place where I can go to challenge myself and be pushed to my limits while attaining a level of fitness I hadn’t believed possible, along with that I have found an amazing group of people who are supportive, motivated, generous and most importantly, have become like family to me.

When I was asked to start coaching at Crossfit Pacific Coast I jumped at the opportunity, now I could bring my enthusiasm for health and fitness through Crossfit and combine it with my love for teaching and opening people up to new experiences and possibilities.  As part of the team at Crossfit Pacific Coast, I want to endow my students with a love for challenges and accomplishing goals.  I want them to appreciate the perseverance it takes to achieve something of meaning and the feeling of accomplishment once you’ve done so.