Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
Available On Air Stations
Watch Live

KPBS Midday Edition

Jorge Meraz Tackles The History Of Football In Baja

"Crossing South" Season 5 Preview
Jorge Meraz Tackles The History Of Football In Baja
Jorge Meraz Tackles The History Of Football In Baja GUEST:Jorge Meraz, host, "Crossing South"

Is a KPBS midday of his and Brown are more and have a number of a wine tasting Safari. Numerous scenic bathroom in Baja and American football. We may not have disputed the size of the perspective about how we come out there and really compete with everything you have. That underestimated mentality from Mexico to rallies desert your field. That's just a few of the topics coming up on the new season of crossing South. He begins as the season of introducing the sites hot taste and personality of Praha on the editor San Diego audience. Rite Aid joins me now welcome. Thank you. What makes a perfect crossing South cockpit? Kind of experiences to like to show pay. What gets people really excited as the film. That's what gets the most reaction, the most visceral reaction from viewers. The fan now we get, the number one activity that people like to see according to viewers is watching me. [ Laughter ] When you can find an episode has amazing episode which Baja has a lot of any of the great personality and the subject are your interviewing a great character, I think that just adds life to it. You might forget the people who live there. So when you see someone your interviewing, and he gets sure the audience what that person is experiencing. How they created this business, they're trying to accomplish in life, just as a real human being to that experience. People gravitate towards that. Are making these segments and adventure for you? Are you familiar with these locations were to introduce your self to new experiences as well. Season one and two maybe. I had some of the places where the new and that was the foundation for the show. I want to show people what I've experienced what I like. But there comes a point where you run out of those and you start doing research or just showing up these places. Reagan Jorge on jet skis. [ Laughter ] Me in the water don't mix. Like a cat when it comes to water. I'm afraid the ocean. I'm not a very outdoorsy kind of person to begin with. I'm city slicker. And you get me any kind of activity that outdoorsy little bit hesitant. People actually enjoy that. Besides the jet skis give us an idea the kind of shows feature the season. This season is heavy on [Indiscernible] this area in Baja is actually exploding. It's a burgeoning area, there's not a lot of infrastructure, so a lot of boutique wineries are popping up also to have a war landscape. That allows you to do anything you want. We have this area that looks like Tuscany and hillbilly Italy and is not contaminated by a big city. What to do with it? B people are creating restaurants, tours, high air balloon rides, they're just inventing. Their thinking, what we do this beautiful region and is becoming a world-renowned area to visit those Are still hesitant of crossing South. They're afraid of what they think about is violence and lawlessness. Do you see your show is the kind of invitation to explore the region. We did not set out to be what you could agree to activists. On behalf of Baja. That wasn't our intention. We just want to make a show and make money. It's kind of been a secondary consequence. It's mystified the region. Of the loud people to see into this region a chance which they wouldn't have before seen Michelle. They're seeing that not only us, but thousands of Americans are crossing every day to this area and they're not dying. They're not going back in caskets. I think we're significant counterbalance to the [Indiscernible] media and I think were giving a speech in chance to show that although violence is a reality in any other place in the world it is isolated. We've never seen anything happen down there. Personally. Was seen on the news. Just like we see the news in San Diego so he gets murdered. But we've never experienced anything like that. What kind of cooperation to get from Baja business owners and their tourist officials in producing the show? They are the main sponsors of the show. Among other companies. So the fact they sponsor the show was very welcome. With complete at tutorial editorial autonomy. The show was our own. The businesses don't support us but they're happy because we don't charge anyone when we've gone to feature a restaurant or something they've offered us the money. If we have done I'd becomes an infomercial. Once they realize that, they're doing back flips. [ Laughter ] Wiling to let everyone know the new season of crossing South starts this Thursday at 9 PM on KPBS television. And I've been speaking with the show's host. Was great to be here.

The fifth season of "Crossing South" hosted by Jorge Meraz premieres Thursday night on KPBS with something most of us know nothing about: the venerable history of American-style football in Baja California.

In other words, Meraz is up to his old tricks, once again showing viewers that Baja is not at all what we might expect.

Meraz begins with the collegiate team Cetys Osos and then talks with Justin McKenzie, a veteran quarterback who is now president of a new arena football league in Baja.

Advertisement

In the next five weeks, Merza will eat, drink, camp out and zip line in the Guadalupe Valley, tour the historic Rosarito Beach Hotel, ride a camel and try out a water-powered jetpack.

Although it sounds exhausting to be Meraz, he seems to have boundless energy, which he puts to good use describing the show's new season on Midday Edition Wednesday.