As rollouts for new businesses go, “big buzz” isn’t a word I use lightly, but that’s what was created for a recent open house at Paseo Nuevo in downtown Santa Barbara.
When I turned the corner near The Gap, I joined 250 guests in cool party mode enjoying a balmy spring evening. The draw was the grand opening of the In-Trinity Santa Barbara Dojo, the first In-Trinity fitness studio in the world.
The event was polished, planned and professional. Daytime kiosks were filled with farmers market organic vegetables, colorful crudités with creamy blue cheese, a Riviera chili and lime with local sea bass, Santa Barbara Harbor prawns, heirloom tomatoes, cilantro jalapeños with fresh-squeezed lime ceviche, a salad station and other delightful delicacies. A bar serving nonalcoholic beverages and an “in-trinitini” cocktail.
The grand opening event was created by proprietor/chef John Eric Savage of Creative Services Catering. Seriously yummy!
With a red-carpet ambience, including security wristbands at check-in and a photo-op with a hunky security guard, I walked in and found many familiar faces.
The fitness studio was gorgeous, and put together with magic fairy dust in a 12-week transformation, thanks to the hard work of designer Jodi Goldberg and project manager Dennis Barringer of Jodi G Designs.
Jodi G is one half of the Montecito couple behind the In-Trinity Dojo. The other half is none other than Johnny Goldberg, better known as Johnny G, creator of the worldwide fitness phenomenon, Spinning.
Johnny G is entrepreneur royalty. A professional cyclist, he started not just an exercise trend but an exercise culture and global fitness revolution. Following the success of Spinning, he invented Kranking for upper body strength training and cardio exercise.
In-Trinity is an elevated fitness board and training program designed to build strength, balance and flexibility, coordination and agility.
“It takes the workout off the floor, providing access to entirely new movements redefining the training environment,” Goldberg told Noozhawk.
The expansive In-Trinity programming draws from traditional disciplines, including yoga and martial arts, to create a vast body of exercises that “promote physical wellness and mindfulness.”
Since the launch in 2015 at International Health, Racquet & Sportsclub Association (IHRSA) Los Angeles, In-Trinity has certified more than 500 instructors worldwide.
It also was awarded the 2016-2017 Product of the Year designation in the Health and Fitness category by ISPO, an organization that honors the “most exceptional products of the sports industry, by way of an independent international jury, to encourage innovation in the industry.”
Following a lively cocktail reception, guests were invited into the ambient studio, replete with bleached wood floors, soft lighting and entertainment music — meant to evoke calm — for a large-screen video presentation by Goldberg explaining the new In-Trinity concept.
This was followed by a live demonstration of movements that can be performed on the In-Trinity board by the very fit and beautiful Audrey Lee, a master instructor who previewed for guests what the practice offers for mind and body.
Mary Lynn Harms-Romo, marketing manger for Paseo Nuevo, explained to Noozhawk that the mall’s first fitness studio “has been met with curiosity and enthusiasm.”
“We are excited to welcome the worlds’ first In-Trinity studio by local residents Johnny and Jodi G,” she said. “We have been selectively looking for a fitness studio to add to our mix of shops and restaurants to provide an additional amenity that meets the lifestyle needs of the Santa Barbara community.
“It’s important that we are not just a destination for visitors but that we fulfill the needs of residents. The In-Trinity Santa Barbara Dojo is the perfect fit.”
In addition to a daily class schedule, there’s a lifestyle boutique that has been carefully and beautifully curated by Jodi G. Offerings include fitness apparel (leggings, sweatpants, tanks, shirts and sports bras), custom jewelry, home goods and organic juices and provisions (food supplements) by Moon Juice.
All wellness products have been selected to reflect the intention of the In-Trinity Dojo. Classes are held seven days a week and all levels are welcome.
In-Trinity Santa Barbara Dojo is located at 311 Paseo Nuevo in downtown Santa Barbara, next to Aveda. Click here for more information, or call 877.816.1671.
— Judy Foreman is a Noozhawk columnist and longtime local writer and lifestyles observer. She can be contacted at judyforeman@noozhawk.com. Click here for previous columns. The opinions expressed are her own.
