It seems to be some sort of unwritten law in motion pictures today that, to be an action star, you’re going to have to have the wheels to back it up. It might be a classic muscle car, with a body painted an understated matte black, equipped with an engine whose growl warns those nearby that this guy is not just making an entrance to recite some poetry. Or maybe it’s a gigantic pickup truck, fitted with a mega lifted suspension and massive mud tires, enabling a ride height high above the rooflines of those vehicles belonging to mere common folk. At the very least, a sleek European sedan manages to precisely convey to the audience that the plot will be well-seasoned with a splattering of explosions and hair-raising stunts.
So does real-life mimic the movies? I beg to propose that it does. Case in point, meet real-life action star Alyssa Roach. Hailing from her home in beautiful Northern California, you’ll often find Alyssa out crawling over perilous rock shelves in the Trinity Alps in her decked out 2014 Jeep Wrangler JK Unlimited. That is, as long as she’s not busy wakeboarding on the lake, rock climbing or carving switchbacks on her dirt bike. You see…Alyssa doesn’t play an action star on the big screen. She is one in the real world and she knows the adventure that she is chasing is far out of reach for most typical cars.
Alyssa’s dad got her the Jeep Wrangler when she was just fourteen years old and she immediately started working on it herself. He must have known how it suited her adventurous personality perfectly and she was soon busy determining what modifications made the most sense for her lifestyle and quickly learning that there wasn’t a whole lot she couldn’t do to her Jeep when she set her mind to do it. Even before she had her official driver’s license, she had an older friend who would take her out in the Jeep and help her see all the places it could take her. It didn’t take long and Alyssa was hooked.
Of all the projects she has performed on her Jeep, Alyssa says that the recovery winch has proven to be the most beneficial. Knowing that she can navigate to places that most people can only dream about is great, but having the confidence of being able to winch herself out of any predicament once she gets there is really an ego booster. Alyssa is quick to admit that when her friends run into trouble, she’s the first one they’ll call. It’s the reason why she prides herself on being prepared for just about anything and keeping a cool head that helps her avoid a lot of trouble.
Another feature that she loves on her rig is the windshield light bar and its full array of LED illumination. Quite often the beautiful places she wants to access in her Jeep are best seen as the sun sets. And since nobody wants to navigate a treacherous mountain trail in the dark, Alyssa brings a healthy dose of artificial sunlight with her. With the flick of a few toggles, the darkness is banished once again and she can let her Wrangler do its thing.
After her high school graduation, Alyssa enrolled in school at the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs. On her way eastward from California to the school’s campus, her Dad once again helped feed her Jeep bug by taking her through Moab, Utah as a waypoint. Leaving the pavement far behind in such an off-roading holy land and seeing places that only a fortunate few get to see had an undeniable attraction for Alyssa. With her college campus resting at the base of the Rocky Mountains, only a stones-throw from Pikes Peak, and a sick black Jeep JK as her daily driver, it’s a wonder that Alyssa can concentrate on her studies at all.
One thing is for sure. Alyssa lives her life at full volume. Whether she’s out on the water nailing a 180-degree aerial spin or riding a wheelie through the “whoops”, every day presents a potential for a whole new adventure and no vehicle is better equipped to help her chase that adventure than her Jeep. We’re really glad she takes us along for the ride!
Your Jeep. Your Adventure. OlllllllO
