BUSINESSWEEK ONLINE : DECEMBER 11, 2000 ISSUE
BUSINESSWEEK LIFESTYLE All I Want for Christmas From car racing to balloon rides, such gifts are getting popular Shannon Sullivan was tired of getting her dad a tie. So last year, as Father's Day approached, she logged on to www.monsterracing.com and bought her father--a UPS truck driver who's an avid auto-racing fan--a day as a NASCAR driver ($299-$1,600). Richard Sullivan had the chance to learn the basics of stock-car driving and go out for a 10-lap spin at speeds as high as 120 miles an hour at Dover Downs International Speedway in Dover, Del. ''It was the experience of a lifetime,'' he says. ''It's the kind of thing you never forget.'' If that's the kind of response you'd like to hear, why not forgo the traditional gift this holiday season and opt for an experience? Such gifts are growing rapidly in selection and popularity as the strong economy has created a class of consumers eager for something new and different. ''I get orders from panicked adult children on Christmas Eve, trying to figure out what to buy for their have-everything parents,'' says Scott Lorenz, president of Westwind Balloon in Plymouth, Mich. Westwind offers a $400 package for a one-hour ride for two on a hot-air balloon, capped off by champagne and refreshments at the landing site. Many experiences for sale are fantasies. This holiday season, eBay has partnered with another dot-com, UltimateBid, to auction off celebrity encounters, with a portion of the proceeds going to charity. Up for bid are a one-day visit to the set of the TV hospital drama ER, a day with supermodel Valeria Mazza (makeup lesson included), and a hoops session with Los Angeles Lakers star Kobe Bryant. At Miller Brewing's ''Get the Goods'' auction site, you can bid for lunch at the Playboy Mansion, with bunnies in attendance. For $20,500, B.K. Boreyko, a 38-year-old dot-com exec from Scottsdale, Ariz., bought five days on location in Europe with the Sports Illustrated swimsuit models. In addition to standing ''two feet from the action, running my own video camera,'' Boreyko dined with the models twice. ''I get a lot of mileage with the guys for this,'' he says. ''They say: 'You did WHAT?''' Other fantasy gifts include something for the Julia Child wannabe. For $250, you can work alongside head chef Patrick Concannon of nouvelle-Mexican restaurant Don Juan in Chicago. You arrive in the kitchen at 4 p.m. and do prep work--such as chopping parsley and shallots--with the souschef. As the kitchen opens for business and the orders start rolling in, you'll help prepare the restaurant's paper-thin medallions of lamb carpaccio, grilled breast of duckling with sauteed foie gras, and pork loin on a delicate potato pancake with green chili. ''You see how it all comes together, you feel the intensity as the tickets start pouring in, you get to see the artistry that goes into it,'' says Concannon. Later in the evening, you can opt to switch from worker bee to patron and enjoy the fruits of your labor--but you'll have to pick up the tab. PAMPERING. More relaxing are spa gifts, which are available at many major hotel and health-club chains. They run the gamut from a $100 manicure/pedicure/massage at Equinox health clubs to a daylong $699 Post Holiday Stress Treatment package offered by Giraffe, a boutique hotel in Manhattan's midtown. The Greenhouse Spa chain, which has outlets in such locations as New York, California, and Texas, has teamed up with champagne maker Taittinger to create a Bubbles & Beauty Escape. For $1,200, two people get to don Egyptian cotton pajamas, sip champagne, and enjoy a facial, manicure, pedicure, and reflexology massage. Lunch, more champagne, and a gift set of health and beauty products and pajamas complete the package. Truly big spenders can nab the Neiman Marcus Gift Book's $38,000 spa offering: a trip to Bali, escorted by personal trainer David Kirsch, whose client list includes model Naomi Campbell. It features first-class airfare from New York, seven days at a private villa, and five days on a Balinese yacht. A five-star chef prepares healthy gourmet meals. Also included are massages, yoga, and outdoor activities such as hiking, whitewater rafting, and water skiing. Usually, you need to plan experience gifts far in advance. But even the last-minute shopper has options. At site59.com, you'll find a slew of activities. The site's mission, says CEO Michelle Peluso, is ''hard-to-resist, affordable, spontaneous escape and entertainment.'' Just $111 buys a session with a Class A PGA golf instructor at Manhattan's Chelsea Piers sports complex. For $39, Kenny Kramer, inspiration for the Seinfeld TV show's Kramer character, takes you on a three-hour tour of the hit's hot spots in New York, including Soup Kitchen International, inspiration for the infamous Soup Nazi. Site59 also offers non-New York options such as Washington (D.C.) nightlife and last-minute airfares to cities in North America. Keep these tips in mind. If you're giving to the parents of small children, consider throwing in babysitting. If the gift is for a busy executive, be sure it has a long shelf life, because it may take a while before the person can cash it in. Ask if there are extra charges, such as tips, that may crop up. You may want to take care of those in advance. And for any adventure-related undertaking involving cars, rock climbing, and the like, pick an experienced provider. ''Ask them how many of these they've done before,'' says Ginger Reeder, director of the Neiman Marcus Christmas catalog. That will help ensure that your gift turns out to be a great experience. BY ELLEN NEUBORNE _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ BACK TO TOP					RELATED ITEMS All I Want for Christmas TABLE: Are You Experienced? INTERACT E-Mail to Business Week Online

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