Carson Tang: Agent of Change

AMC Outdoors, July/August 2004

Last year, on the Fourth of July, Carson Tang settled in after an AMC hike to watch a fireworks display in New Hampshire. A hotel clerk warned his group that the last 10 celebrations had been rained out, but Tang replied, "That’s because I’ve never been here.” The group enjoyed a stellar show, and the clerk was “flabbergasted,” Tang says. “Of the hundreds of trips I’ve led, 90 percent have been rain-free. It’s one thing I’m known for.”

This attitude defines almost every sentence Tang, 40, utters: a confidence in the universe; an ability to challenge perceptions, and norms, and weather — and win. The New York–North Jersey Chapter leader, whose accent and energy disclose his Big-Apple upbringing, also believes in helping others expand their minds and make the most of life. “If you look at life like a horse with blinders on, you never see the possibilities,” he says.

Tang — an event-marketing entrepreneur, part-time science instructor and trip leader for nonprofits, and former Radio City Music Hall tour guide — brings these perspectives to his AMC outings. As the chapter’s former Hiking chair and current Singles and Sociables chair, he takes pride in orchestrating events with benefits beyond the physical. Hikes are forums for “converging as social beings,” and challenges — a steep drop, say — can be life-transforming experiences.

Check any month’s trip listings, and you’ll find Tang’s name attached to creative descriptions of hikes, haunted hayrides, empowerment workshops, museum visits, and more. Later this year, he’s leading a Major Excursion to explore the diverse natural and cultural richness of Disneyland — chosen for its relative proximity and affordability.

In everything he does, whether it’s bringing New Yorkers out of their apartments or planning events with other chapters, Tang seeks to create connections. “For AMC to survive and thrive, we must have cohesion of community,” he says. “Why should we live in our own cubicles and hike alone, when we can hike together?”

— Katharine Wroth is co-editor of AMC Outdoors.