On the final day of the , a fierce blizzard blew in. Winds topped 55 miles per hour, creating blackout conditions along the icy route. Some mushers got lost. Others dropped out, fearing for their lives and those of their dogs. Dallas Seavey, who two years prior at age 25 had become the youngest winner in the event’s 42-year history, lost track of the other teams. “I thought I was still behind Jeff King and Aliy Zirkle,” Seavey says. As he neared the finish line, he watched over his shoulder as another musher—he thought it might be his dad, Mitch—closed in. Seavey got off his sled to ease the load on his dogs and sprinted the final two miles, crossing the finish line after eight days, 13 hours, four minutes, and 19 seconds. A news reporter approached Seavey and asked, “Did you think you could do it?”

“Do what?” Seavey said.

He didn’t know it then, but Seavey had won the race, and . “The storm was so bad that Jeff wound up scratching, and I passed Aliy without realizing it,” Seavey later tells me. (It was Zirkle closing in on him, in the second-closest finish in the event’s history.)

That was Seavey’s second Iditarod victory in three years. Now 27, he is one of the toughest and most successful competitors in sled-dog racing, a sport that has traditionally been dominated by older, more experienced mushers like his father, who has , in 2004 and 2013. It’s as if LeBron James had a son who happened to be a star point guard in the NBA and the two kept meeting in the Finals.

Mushing is pretty much the family business. Seavey’s grandfather Dan participated in the first Iditarod, in 1973. His eldest brother, Danny, has raced the Iditarod three times. His brother Tyrell has run it twice. His wife, Jenifer, once. And his little brother, Conway, already has under his belt.

Still, for much of his youth, Seavey was more serious about wrestling. He won his weight division at the Greco Roman Wrestling National Championship in 2003 and represented the U.S. at the junior worlds in 2005. At 19, he gave it up. “I was having multiple concussions,” he says. “The turning point was when I realized I couldn’t remember the names of my dogs.”

Seavey had raced in previous Iditarods, but he’d used borrowed or leased dogs. “They didn’t stand much of a chance,” he says. To compete at the highest level, Seavey needed his own kennel—and the money to buy and feed the 100 dogs that top mushers typically keep to field a team of 16 during a race. “I couldn’t do it myself,” he says.

Then Seavey got lucky. While working for his father’s sled-dog touring business, he met James J. Keller, the president of a Wisconsin transportation and safety consulting firm. ‹“I was really impressed with the young man,” says Keller. “When he told me he wanted to start his own kennel, I wanted to help him reach that goal.” He and his wife, Rosanne, gave Seavey an exclusive sponsorship.

Neither Seavey nor Keller will say how much the deal was worth, but Seavey got his kennel. Today he keeps it going with a combination of winnings (which are meager), the sponsorship (which mostly covers racing expenses), and a sled-dog touring business of his own. In the summers, he leaves Jenifer and their four-year-old daughter, Annie, to film the National Geographic Channel’s , described in promotional materials as “the world’s toughest outdoorsmen [facing] off against each other, Mother Nature, and their own will to survive.”

“It really doesn’t pay much more than any other seasonal job up here,” he says, “but it helps get my name out.” In one episode, Seavey bushwhacks 45 miles through the Tongass National Forest, finishing the trek with a jump off a 70-foot waterfall. Last year, National Geographic launched a Web-only spin-off, with one twist: it pitted Seavey against his dad in .

In the final episode of that series, the two raced dogs—and Dallas won. When this Iditarod wraps up in mid-March, he stands a good chance of doing it again.

Not everybody will be happy about that. During the 2012 race, four-time Iditarod winner Lance Mackey told a reporter that, if it wasn’t going to be Mackey himself, he hoped the winner would be “anybody but Dallas Seavey.” Seavey and Mackey have throughout their careers, with Seavey calling Mackey out for smoking pot during races and Mackey calling Seavey “cocky and obnoxious.”

What Mackey calls cockiness, however, many other mushers admire as confidence. As for Mitch, he’s still pulling for his son—for the most part. “I want him to win,” he says, “but only if I’m not going to.”

“Do you ever share strategies?” I ask.

“No, never,” Mitch says.

Seavey says he has his own, anyway, which he hints at as we walk past dozens of dogs tethered in front of his two-story yurt. “No one expected me to do well those first few years, so I felt free to experiment with how we approached the race,” he says. “We look at the dogs as individual athletes and train each of them differently.”

“Differently how?” I ask.

“Well,” he says, “I guess that’s kind of a secret.”

The post For This Man, the Iditarod Is a Father-Son Rivalry appeared first on șÚÁÏłÔčÏÍű Online.

Alaskan author knows wolves. He used to hunt and kill them during his 20 years living in remote Eskimo villages. Now, he's an advocate for the animals.

His latest book, , tells the unlikely true story of how a wild, black wolf befriended the people and dogs of Alaska’s capital city—living peacefully alongside its human and canine citizens for six years until it was killed by poachers from out of state. We recently caught up with Jans, a contributing editor for and a member of USA Today’s , to hear more about this unusual story.Ìę

OUTSIDE: In the opening scene, a wild wolf shows up in your backyard and starts playing with your dog. How did that go?
ŽłŽĄ±·ł§:ÌęWell, that wolf might have well been a unicorn. He just appeared. It’s not like we don’t have wolves in the Juneau area. We do. But they come and go. But here’s this wolf trotting along like he was a dog. And, you know, I’d had 20 years of experience with wild wolves up in the . And, man, is it hard to see a wolf. But this guy just wasn’t worried about people. And he wasn’t sick; he wasn’t just some dufus of a wolf. He was obviously there for a reason. And the reason was our dogs. He wanted to interact with them. Really, I think he was the missing link to the whole story of the wolf that came to lie down by our fire, and became the genetically mutated soul of what we have lying at our feet today: Labrador retrievers, German shepherds, Chihuahuas. They’re 99.98 percent wolf. And that came from somewhere. Ìę

This wasn’t a lab, however. So what did you think when you first saw it?
First, it was, ‘Wow, there’s a wolf,’ and then, ‘Oh my god, he’s dead.’ Because I came out of Alaskan reality—and I don’t mean reality shows. I know that every wolf that allows himself to be seen, and is a little too casual, ends up dead. So I saw the entire story the first moment I saw him. And that’s not an exaggeration.

The people of Juneau had mixed feelings about having a wolf hanging around town, playing with their dogs. Why do you think some people enjoyed having the wolf nearby while others wanted it dead?
We have this schizophrenic relationship with wolves. Some people recoil and some people move toward them. I guess it's a natural fear, since it seems to be somewhere deep in our being—you know, the Big Bad Wolf, the Three Little Pigs, Peter and the Wolf, Dr. Zhivago. Wolves are bad news. That's the story we have in our heads. But what to do with a social wolf?

This was not the way it was supposed to go between big, wild things and us. Where you get to know an individual, and interact with them on a social level. Where it has no survival benefit for either party, but it's obviously enjoyable for everyone. I mean, he’d come over to see me once he knew me. And, I mean, I didn't feed him. And plenty of times, I went out without a dog, and he'd still come over to say hi. He clearly knew individuals. And it's hard not to call that friendship. I think most people would agree, we can be friends with a dog. But say, well, ‘The wolf was my friend.' People go, ‘Yeah, sure
’ Well, why not?

That's what this whole thing was about. The way we relate to the wild. Even people you'd think would know better believed this to be an impossible situation. We're talking about biologists, wildlife managers. They don't want that to happen. It's their worst nightmare. Because they want an animal to remain a faceless resource that can be managed—can be removed, can be shot, can have a radio collar put on, can be studied. They don't want people to be friends with individual wildlife.Ìę

You've hunted and killed wolves in the past. But then you took three years to write a book about this wolf. How did that happen?
I lived my entire adult life up until that point in the Brooks Range. Living in an Eskimo village. And I came up there to work for a big game guide, and I ended up traveling the country with some of the most gifted wolf hunters and trappers anywhere. Of course, I worshipped these guys. I had been brought up on . ‘How do you interact with wild animals?’ Well, you hunt them. Nobody told me any different. With time, I got pretty good at finding wolves, tracking them, and shooting them. By the time I moved to Juneau, because I met this cute gal who lived there who happened to be a card-carrying member of PETA, my hunting days were already fading in the rearview mirror. That was already a personal crossroads I had come to. I was just so full of dead stuff, I didn't know what it proved anymore. And I didn't want to do it. My only regret is it took me so long to figure that out. I wish I could have taken most of my bullets back.Ìę

It really seemed like this was the ghost of wolves past. And here I am, like Scrooge, and Marley's ghost follows me to Juneau—this black wolf that shows up at my door.

Not everyone in Juneau liked the fact that the wolf was called Romeo—even some of the people invested in protecting him. Why?
There is such a knee-jerk reaction among some wildlife managers against naming an animal. It creates individuality, and the line that I hear and I've heard before is: ‘It anthropomorphizes an animal. It creates an illusion of a relationship that doesn't exist.' I think that's old-school poppycock. If you go around Alaska, if you go to Anan Creek, the bears are named. Who named them? The Forest Service biologists who are there. If you go to Brooks Falls, the bears are named. Who named the bears? The National Park Service. If you go to McNeil River, the bears are named. Who named the bears? managers.

We're talking about the three major agencies: , , and the state all name animals at their own choosing, and they're given names that are pretty anthropomorphic—like Charlie Brown and Mrs. White. They're given names for a reason. And that's to recognize them as individuals. What's the difference if this wolf had been called 14-A6 or Romeo, or The Black Wolf? I don't think it would have made the least bit of difference. I sure as hell knew he was a wolf every second I saw him. And I looked at him every second like it was the last.

Do you think there will ever be another wolf like Romeo?
I think there was before. You know, in our human history, there must have been not one, but many. Again, the archetypal wolf that came to lie down by our fire. But, that said, I absolutely think this was a once-in-a-lifetime experience. And I think it was the wildlife experience of my life. And that comes having met and having seen tens of thousands, maybe hundreds of thousands of caribou, I don't know how many moose. Hell, I've seen three-dozen bears up close this fall alone. And this wolf— getting to know this wolf as an individual, and him knowing me, and him knowing other people—it was really this transformative experience, and it transforms you permanently. You start looking at everything in a more personal way.

The post How One Wolf Charmed an Entire Town appeared first on șÚÁÏłÔčÏÍű Online.

You don’t need vanloads of equipment or even years of training to become a professional adventure filmmaker. You just need a decent camera, some innate talent, and guts. . The 28 year-old professional kayaker and filmmaker started his career when he was in high school, shooting paddling groups on the Salmon River in California with a Canon camcorder. In 2009, he , River Roots, which has since produced three full-length paddling films. He has worked on projects on almost every continent, most recently in Mexico directing aerial footage for a kayaking, surfing, mountain-biking, and BASE-jumping video for the Mexican Board of Tourism.

We caught up with him in-between edits and asked him what it takes to become an adventure filmmaker.

1. ÌęIt’s Not Your Equipment; It’s How You Use It

In the modern era of (relatively) affordable digital SLR’s, the playing field has never been more even for aspiring filmmakers. “Take the fact that the Canon 7D, which only costs $1,500, has been used to shoot Hollywood movies,” Sturges points out. “The reality is that, to the average eye, the difference of quality between top-level cameras and consumer/prosumer cameras has become increasingly thin.” According to Sturges, “It’s not so much what you shoot with, it’s how you shoot it.”

Good Options for Starting Out:

• Ìę

High-End (Read: “Expensive”) Options:

2. Listen to the Music, and Keep It Eclectic

According to Sturges, music is the root of all of his projects. “It’s the heartbeat and driving force behind cinema,” he says. “The best directors also tend to have the best soundtracks.” (Think Tarantino, Scorsese, Anderson, etc.). Sturges tries to find songs that are not yet popular, or underground enough that he can afford the rights to them. “There is a real art to this,” Sturges says. “And it often requires countless hours on music blogs or programs like iTunes, Soundcloud, Spotify, or Pandora.” If you are having trouble finding music you can afford, Sturges suggests getting a composer to create something original. “For my DVD projects, about 40-50% of the music is original,” Sturges says. “This will also make your project more unique.”

Ìę

Ìę

3. Tell a (Good) Story

“Storyline should always play a role in your filmmaking,” Sturges says. “I’ve always been a fan of action-sports porn, which is generally just epic footage set to a bumpin’ soundtrack. There is a time and a place for this, and God knows I’ve put in my hours making these kinds of movies. However, as you mature as a filmmaker, most people tend to go in the direction of being more story-oriented. This is the trend in action sports, too, and it’s exciting to see it move in this direction.” In a nutshell: You need a beginning, middle, and an end. “The has been a tried and tested format since the dawn of entertainment,” Sturges says. It works.

4. Create a Solid Team

When Sturges selects the people he wants to work with on projects, he tries to pick out the ones that he knows are going to be efficient and fun. “When creative people are having fun in the field, they are usually doing a good job,” Sturges says. ”As the director, it’s your duty to choose a group of like-minded and positive individuals who can get the job done. “It takes just one big ego in a group to throw off the balance,” he says. “You need to be able to accept your own faults and also point out the faults of others in a way that is diplomatic and favorable to progress.” It simply won’t work if you have everyone on your team working on a different film.

5. Prepare Yourself for Postproduction

Sturges often spends more time editing his films than being in the field shooting them. Get ready to spend a lot of time at the computer. “I tend to be meticulous about making sure my shots are all on the right beat within my edit,” Sturges says. “This is easy to overlook, but if you watch your edits enough you will start to see your faults. If you are just starting out with editing, your best bet is to learn Adobe Premier. Adobe has a few more options and also enables you to mix most formats.”

6. Fake It Till You Make It

If you feel like you’re not sure what you’re doing or that you’re in over your head, there’s a good chance you are. “The best thing you can do is roll with it,” Sturges says. “From my experience, this is a big part of filmmaking in general. The reality is that, like any art form, there is no exact science. The best you can do is to maintain a positive attitude, and do your best.” As long as you remain confident and open throughout the creative process, you will probably be fine. “Work hard to make the best product possible with your team,” Sturges says, “And chances are you will get hired the next time.”

The post How to Make a Killer Whitewater Video appeared first on șÚÁÏłÔčÏÍű Online.

Serious boaters, including 28 year-old professional kayaker , will tell you the only way to train for whitewater paddling is to go paddling. “This is true,” Sturges says. “But only to a certain extent.” Sturges trains hard off the water, too. And that, he says, has made all the difference when he’s threading Class V.

“My perspective on fitness started to change when I began running a couple years back,” he says. “I felt a big improvement in my overall performance, especially with racing.” Ìę

Sturges, °żłÜłÙČőŸ±»ć±đ’s șÚÁÏłÔčÏÍűr of the Year in 2012, wanted to push himself harder competitively, so he got some help—professional paddler and personal trainer Heather Herbeck of . It seems to be working. HeÌę is now consistently one of the top finishers at the annual . We caught up with Sturges after a few laps on the Green Truss and Little White near his home in White Salmon, Washington, and asked him how he trains for paddling when he’s not on the river.Ìę

1. Work With a Trainer

“Even if you can only afford a trainer for one or two sessions, it will teach you good technique and get you started with a solid routine,” Sturges says. “I have a super busy schedule, so it’s important for me that I spend as little time at the gym as possible.” Working with Herbeck has taught Sturges how to train efficiently off the water for what he does on the water—paddling. “As a kayaker, she’s familiar with the types of muscle groups I need to improve on and the exercises I need for maximum performance,” Sturges says. Herbeck mixes traditional lifting exercises to build base strength with power lifting movements that improve explosive speed and power. “A typical workout lasts anywhere between 30-60 minutes,” Sturges says. It generally includes:

4 rounds of:
Running 200 meter sprints
20KB Swings
20 dips

3 rounds of:
10 hang cleans
10 front squats
10 shoulder presses
150 jump ropes

2. Watch What You Eat (Namely Wheat)

“I used to think that the Wheat Free/Gluten Free approach was a lot of hype,” Sturges says. “However, I have noticed that I feel significantly better without wheat in my diet.” Sturges now follows a gluten-free paleo regimen. “I have more energy, quicker recovery, and better overall performance,” he claims. Whether or not you hop on the wheat free band wagon, there’s no question that eliminating processed foods, white sugars, and heavy carbohydrates will improve your overall physique and fitness level on the water or off.

Sturges’s daily meal routine:
Breakfast: gluten-free granola with almond milk and fruit; Lunch: Fruit/vegetable smoothie with kale and whey protein powder; Dinner: chicken, pork, or steak with salad and vegetables.

3. Train Your Mind

“It’s important to focus on what you want out of kayaking when you’re not in the boat,” Sturges says. This varies substantially for every athlete in his or her respected discipline. “Some of us want to do the most cutting edge tricks, while others want to win the most races,” Sturges, who leans toward cutting-edge tricks, points out. So he spends time consciously thinking about that, and how he can do it better. “You have to train your mind to think differently for each,” he says. “In the end, it comes down to visualization and focus. I genuinely believe that we can do anything we set our minds to, but it starts with controlling the mind.” And, like anything, you have to practice to get better. Ìę

4. Cut Back (A Little) On Partying

Sturges will be the first to admit he’s a partier, and the last to tell anyone to stop completely; however, hes says, “You play, you pay.” At 28, Sturges has learned that it’s not necessarily the drinking you do the night before that’s a problem on the river the next day (although it can be if you imbibe too much), but rather the lack of sleep resulting from shotgunning PBRs ‘til 2 a.m. “It’s all about balance,” Sturges says. “And it’s all about finding a zone where you can still wake up the next day and not feel like the world is about to end.” If you are going to drink, stick to ciders, meads, and wine. And go to bed early.

5. Keep Your Spirits Up

It’s a fact that if you are an emotionally stable person, your immune system is stronger, and your overall performance will be better. “Paddling fulfills a part of my daily routine that keeps me happy,” Sturges says. “I try to be on the river at least four or five times a week, or at the gym when I’m not on the river. Staying positive and getting regular exercise keeps my spirit rejuvenated and my mind state happy.” Ultimately, maintaining a positive attitude is the most important step to follow, whether you want to be a professional kayaker or not.

The post Training Tips for Power Paddling appeared first on șÚÁÏłÔčÏÍű Online.

Rush Sturges, now the ripe old age of 28, has already paddled on almost every continent, and a good number of the islands in-between. A professional kayaker and filmmaker based in White Salmon, Washington, has been on a decade-long mission to track down the best whitewater on the planet, paddling everything from California's rocky steep creeks to the Congo, the highest volume river in the world. If anyone knows where to find the best whitewater, it's probably him. Here are Rush's 8 favorite places to paddle:

California

SturgesÌęadmits he may be a bit biased towards California because he was born and raised there, “but it's hard to compete with the High Sierras,” he says. “The rivers are built likeÌęwaterslides, cutting their way through endless granite and boulder garden bliss.” The classics often require you to pack all of your sleeping kit, food and supplies for 2-5 days at a time. “This coupled with the fact that it rarely ever rains during the summer months makes for a pretty special paddling experience,”ÌęSturgesÌęsays. ” It is truly an anomaly, and will always be a place that will keep me coming back.”

Best Kayak School:ÌęÌę(Full disclosure: Otter Bar is owned and operated byÌęSturges'sÌęparents, but it still rocks.)

Norway

Big waterfalls are just one reason whyÌęSturgesÌęlikes Norway. “Long days in the summer months, beautiful women, and epic scenery are a few of the other things,” he says. “It's hard to beat the nature of the rivers in the land of Vikings. The lines are big, the whitewater is non-stop, and the water is crystal clear.” According toÌęSturgest, it also produces the best road access Class V kayaking found anywhere on earth, “not to mention some of the most substantial park andÌęhucksÌęin the game,” he says.Ìę

Best Buy:ÌęStatoilÌęCup.Ìę You'll understand when you get it.

Quebec

If you like big volume rivers and freestyle, “Quebec is the promised land,”ÌęSturgesÌęsays. It's also home to some amazing creek boating around the greater Quebec City area as well as Lac St. Jean. “It remains pretty unexplored,”ÌęSturgesÌęsays. “There is no question that this is one of the major frontiers for river exploration and big wave freestyle in our sport. It's a little off the beaten path, but well worth the effort.”

Epic Partying:Ìę

Pucon, Chile

“Chile has a little something for every kind of kayaker that visits,”ÌęSturgesÌęsays.ÌęPucon, Chile, is his favorite spot. “It has an unreal quantity of great paddling in a close proximity,” he says. “It's easy access and has a pretty decent paddling season during our North American winter—not to mention an awesome nightlife.” It's also worth venturing down south to the big volume rapids of theÌęFutaleufu, he says, or even further south to the more seldom paddled Rio Baker.

Kayaker Hangout: Latitude Bar

Zambia/Uganda

Home to the world famous Nile and Zambezi Rivers, both Zambia and Uganda should be on the bucket list of every paddler, according toÌęSturges. “They are each special in their own right,”ÌęSturgesÌęsays, “and, logistically, are relatively easy paddling trips.” If you're a solid Class IV kayaker both destinations have a fair bit to offer. “If you are an expert Class V paddler,” he says, “there are plenty of lines and awesome waves to progress your river running or sick trick expertise.”

Tip: While you're there, checkout the island of Madagascar. “It's probably the most under rated kayaking destination in the world,”ÌęSturgesÌęsays.

Columbia River Gorge, Washington

“I made the Gorge my home for the simple fact that I can paddle Class V whitewater every single day of the year,”ÌęSturgesÌęsays. “The constant rain can be an issue for some people, but it keeps us kayakers happy.” The winter and spring seasons produce the best flows, with high water on the Little White being the focal point for most expert paddlers in the area. Intermediate paddlers can also keep entertained year-round, running laps on the Class III-IV Main Salmon.

Best Pub:Ìę, White Salmon, Washington

Mexico

The RioÌęAlsesecaÌęWatershed in Veracruz alone makes Mexico one ofÌęSturges' favorite places to paddle. “The logistics are fairly easy,” he says, “and with the right beta, any group of Class III-V kayakers can have an outstanding trip.” With more quality runs available a short drive to the north or south, it's a veritable whitewater wonderland. “No Class IV/V enthusiast is complete until they venture into some of the gorges on the 'Big Banana' section of theÌęAlseseca,”ÌęSturgesÌęsays.Ìę

Kayaker Lodging—

New Zealand

“There is a lot of whitewater in New Zealand,”ÌęSturgesÌęsays. And it's good, especially the famousÌęKaitunaÌęRiver, “which is a great start for any newbie or intermediate boater,” according toÌęSturges. “If you want to get into some of the more substantial Class V, the helicopter runs on the West Coast of the South Island are unbelievable.” By “helicopter runs,” he means rivers requiring aÌęheliÌędrop at the put in. These runs tend to be committing gorges with steep and technical rapids that don't offer much margin for error. “Nonetheless, it is quality whitewater at its finest,”ÌęSturgesÌęsays.

Best Beta: “” by Graham Charles

The post The Planet’s 8 Best Paddling Spots appeared first on șÚÁÏłÔčÏÍű Online.

Sterling Reflection

Whitewater pioneer and sea-kayak designer Reg Lake had expert paddlers in mind when he shaped the stern of this in the mirror image of its bow. The result is the most innovative boat to come out in a decade. Not only can it drop into waves backward, but it’s also the lightest sea kayak we’ve ever tested. To create the hull on the lightest version of the boat (it’s available in a range of materials), Sterling created its own composite, fusing military-grade epoxy resin with carbon fiber from Boeing. The boat weighs just 36 pounds—20 pounds less than its nearest competitor. The kicker here is that it also tours amazingly well. Lake included roomy hatches for overnight gear and increased control by moving the drop-down skeg from the stern, where it usually sits, to six inches behind the seat. A recessed back deck makes for easier rolling, and a titanium or carbon bar (your choice) keeps it safely locked to your roof rack. 16'; 36 lbs

STABILITY: 3
MANEUVERABILITY: 5 (OUT OF 5)

Perception Prodigy 135

BEST FOR: Bringing friends along. THE TEST: The blends the spaciousness of a canoe with the weight-at-the-waterline stability of a kayak that seats an adult plus a child, a dog, or (as long as neither is too big) both. The secret is variable seating: the kids’ jump seat (just large enough for a small adult) is removable, and the main seat can be moved forward or back to accommodate your number and type of passengers. It’s not the fastest boat, but once at speed it’s no slacker, either. And though it has limited dry storage, the wide cockpit can hold coolers, a grill, drybags, and anything else you want to jam in there. THE VERDICT: Built for comfort, not for speed. 13.6'; 62 lbs

STABILITY: 5
MANEUVERABILITY: 3

Have a little kayaking budy? Just move the Prodigy's main seat back and clip in the removable kid-size jump seat in the extra-long cockpit.

Prijon Dayliner S

BEST FOR: Easy-moving water. THE TEST: The looks like an ordinary plastic boat with standard features: a spacious cockpit, decent deck outfitting, and ample hatches. Put your paddle to the water, however, and you’ll discover its superpowers. With a few strong strokes, the boat rockets forward, tracking straight. The secret is twofold: First, the Dayliner is made from the same stiff and sturdy thermoformed polyethylene used in snowboard bases. Second, the hull has a narrow, flat center with sides hollowed out from underneath—a concave pattern that reduces resistance but also makes turning a bit sluggish. THE VERDICT: A do-everything boat. 12'6″; 48.5 lbs

STABILITY: 4
MANEUVERABILITY: 4

Old Town Stillwater 14

BEST FOR: Families. THE TEST: Recreational canoes usually come in three flavors: heavy, sluggish, and both at once. The breaks the mold. The moderately flared fiberglass hull helps keep the weight down and cuts through the water efficiently. The flat bottom and broad midsection (39 inches at the beam) make for a stable ride, even with squirmy kids and wiggling dogs, while its keel will keep newbies going straight. As the name suggests, it performs best on lakes and open water, but there’s just enough rocker for to maneuver bendy rivers and narrow creeks. Nice touch: the ash-and-webbing seats are as comfy as they are classy. THE VERDICT: The Cadillac of recreational canoes. 14'; 63 lbs

STABILITY: 4
MANEUVERABILITY: 3

Eddyline Caribbean

BEST FOR: Fishing, sunbathing. THE TEST: Most sit-on-tops are barges—impossible to lift and heavy in the water. The sets a new standard. The boat’s lightweight hull is a slippery blend of acrylic and ABS plastic with a nearly indestructible acrylic cap. The hard glossy finish won’t break down from UV, so you can store it outside. The hull is shaped like a powerboat’s for added stability and reduced drag. The result: it paddles like a decked kayak with a solid, wide platform that beginners, anglers, and photographers all appreciated. Accessories mount via suction cups and include everything from a hatch cover to cup holders. THE VERDICT: Versatile, light, fun. 12'; 45 lbs

STABILITY: 5
MANEUVERABILITY: 4

Fluid Do It Now

BEST FOR: Learning to whitewater kayak. THE TEST: It’s been a while since the release of a convincing whitewater sit-on-top. The Do It Now might be the best one yet. Like all sit-on-tops, it obviates the claustrophobia many beginners experience being strapped into a kayak and flipped upside down. But unlike earlier attempts, the paddles more like a true closed-deck kayak, with thigh straps that allow for rolling and raised knee braces for control. Most important, the hull is designed like a modern river-running creekboat—which makes the paddling experience much closer to what’s in store once you have your confidence. THE VERDICT: Buy it now. 8'10″; 42 lbs

STABILITY: 4
MANEUVERABILITY: 3

Always wanted to learn how to whitewater kayak, but been intimidated by claustrophobic decked boats? The Do It Now is the most fun sit-on-top we've ever tested.

LiquidLogic Stomper 80

BEST FOR: Experts. THE TEST: ’s last creekboat was the 2006 Jefe, which became an instant classic. The Stomper is even better. Designer Shane Benedict kept what worked—the Jefe’s length, volume, and deck design—but added a flat, continuously rockered hull, like a powder ski with multi-chined edges. The result is a fast boat that snaps into micro-eddies, bounces to the surface after plugging waterfalls, and punches through holes. Liquidlogic also made simple tweaks to the outfitting, such as an articulated backband so you can stow overnight gear in the stern. THE VERDICT: Performance creeker with few concessions. 8'2″; 46 lbs

STABILITY: 3
MANEUVERABILITY: 5

The post The 7 Best Boats of Summer 2012 appeared first on șÚÁÏłÔčÏÍű Online.

Pau Hana Crossfit

Though there are many larger, better-known SUP manufacturers, is quickly carving out a name for itself with fast, well-priced boards like the fitness and adventure-ready Crossfit. Made with a cocktail of bamboo, carbon fiber, and fiberglass, this SUP is both lightweight and very rigid. It’s wider (28.5 inches) and more stable than most race-inspired touring boards, but just as fast. From battling chop in the ocean to burying miles on North Carolina’s glassy Intracoastal Waterway, the sharp nose of the Crossfit sliced through the water, consistently offering up the glide of a more expensive full-carbon SUP. Add it all up and you’ve got a speedy enough board for those of you thinking about racing. Case in point: we loaned a friend the Crossfit for a last-minute race, and he won the rec division on his first session aboard it. 12’6″; 27 lbs

STABILITY: 4.5
SPEED/GLIDE: 4.5
MANEUVERABILITY: 3.5 (OUT OF 5)

Boardworks Badfish MCIT

BEST FOR: Whitewater paddling, the space-constrained, or frequent fliers. THE TEST: The inflatable SUPs we’ve tested in the past were as floppy as dead fish—and often just as much fun. Not so the , which deflates down to a large duffel-bag-size bundle. Designed to run whitewater rivers and surf standing waves, this inflatable, with military-grade rubber and three air chambers, was more rigid than any other we tried. Super-wide (35 inches) with a recessed deck framed by air-chamber rails, the Badfish is also uncommonly stable. Our only gripe: water pools in the sunken deck, which is fine in the flush of a river but annoying on flatwater. THE VERDICT: Finally, an inflatable SUP that’s solid, durable, and entertaining. The Badfish is even a hoot in ocean surf. 9’/10’6″/11’6″, 27/30/33 lbs

STABILITY: 4
SPEED/GLIDE: 2.5
MANEUVERABILITY: 4

404 Monster 2.0

BEST FOR: Weekend-warrior racers and fitness paddlers. THE TEST: Designed by SUP racer Danny Ching, this 12’6″ foam-and-fiberglass board borrows high-performance race cues from the pro’s own custom-built 404 Monster. At 28.5 inches wide and 4.6 inches thick, the is tippier than surfboard-style SUPs but plenty stable for a touring race board, especially once you build up momentum. Our testers fought over the 404 on long-distance sessions because of its speed and the way it plowed through chop and wind swells. THE VERDICT: A touring race board that gobbles up the miles. The carbon-fiber model ($2,675) offers more full-on speed. 12’6″; 27.5 lbs

STABILITY: 4
SPEED/GLIDE: 4.5
MANEUVERABILITY: 3

Naish Nalu

BEST FOR: Anything from surfing to a multi-day outing. THE TEST: While longer, touring-style boards are better for distance paddling, the beauty of shorter, wider surfboard-style shapes is their versatility. And the is one of the most versatile new SUPs out there. At 32 inches wide and nearly 4.5 inches thick, it’s as stable as any board but paddles with the glide of a bigger SUP. Credit the six deep channels running lengthwise along the board’s bottom, which help funnel water and keep the board tracking straight. Despite those channels, the Nalu was surprisingly maneuverable and fun in the surf. THE VERDICT: A great all-rounder and close runner-up for Gear of the Year. 10’10”; 31 lbs

STABILITY: 4.5
SPEED/GLIDE: 4
MANEUVERABILITY: 4

Six deep channels (which look like ripples) on the base of the Nalu direct water from nose to tail. It lends the Nalu the speed and tracking of a board two feet longer.

Surftech Blacktip

BEST FOR: Beginners, families, and anyone on a budget. THE TEST: This entry-level board-and-paddle package is almost half the cost of most new boards alone. At 30 inches wide and a whopping five inches thick, the lightweight, soft-foam floats like crazy and provides confidence-inspiring stability. It’s nice and stiff compared with other foamies, and the slick bottom was surprisingly smooth—but don’t expect much glide. Our testers said it was fine in flatwater and surprisingly adept in small beach breaks, though several complained about catching their feet on the oversize rail handles. Bonus: includes an ankle leash. THE VERDICT: Fine and user-friendly, but affordability is this board’s true appeal. 10’6″; 30 lbs

STABILITY: 4
SPEED/GLIDE: 2.5
MANEUVERABILITY: 4

Dragonfly 13’6″ Fishing Edition

BEST FOR: Fishing and flatwater touring. THE TEST: As anglers realize how easy it is to sneak up on fish with SUPs, manufacturers have scrambled to retrofit their boards. But the fiberglass composite , developed by a former Orvis guide and a fishing-boat designer, was purpose-built for angling. Its hull has a sharp entry like a boat bow, which helps it slice through the water without startling fish (it doesn’t slap the surface as many boards do). Our testers also appreciated the V-shaped hull that kept the Dragonfly tracking. And though hardly lightweight, the board’s fishing specifics (rod holder, fly basket, and pictured drybox/cooler) make up for the heft. THE VERDICT: Perfect for stalking bonefish in the flats. 13’6″; 45 lbs

STABILITY: 4.5
SPEED/GLIDE: 3.5
MANEUVERABILITY: 3.5

The post The 6 Best Stand-Up Paddleboards of Summer 2012 appeared first on șÚÁÏłÔčÏÍű Online.

Shred Ready Carbon Deluxe TDUB

Got a favorite graphic? For thirty extra bucks, Shred Ready will print it on theÌę, a whitewater-specific design that can take multiple hits and should accommodate just about every head size and shape. (It comes with an assortment of pads for fine-tuning the fit.)

MTI F Spec PFD

Sure, MTI built the with fishermen in mind (it has a pocket for hemostats), but paddlers will appreciate its snug fit and mesh back panels that breathe easy in summertime heat.

Stohlquist Elvis

Stohlquist knocked nearly $200 off the price of most competitors’ dry suits by using a proprietary fabric that testers reported “worked as well as Gore-Tex.” Considering that the expedition-ready comes with a removable storm hood and a relief zipper, it’s an even greater bargain.Ìę

Koppen Zuma Rocks

Heading to a buggy lake this summer? has a secret weapon: its fabric’s fibers are bound with a natural insect-repelling agent found in the chrysanthemum flower. The stuff works so well, the military developed a synthetic version.

SealLine Pro Pack

The roll-top closure on is waterproof enough to handle repeated dousings and brief submersions. The shoulder straps are surprisingly comfy (and fully adjustable), and the heavy-duty reinforced-vinyl material is practically puncture-proof. Lash it to a raft or your car’s roof, or use it as a portage-friendly canoe pack someplace like the Boundary Waters.Ìę

Saltwood Reggie

Looking for a more forgiving sea-kayak paddle? Handcrafted in Portland, Oregon, has a hollow-core spruce shaft and composite blade, both of which do the flexing so your joints don’t have to.

Aquapac Waterproof Case

The wisest move is probably just to leave your iPad at home. But if you must, protect it with , which barely interferes with touchscreen functionality and has a gasket-protected, nickel-plated jack for your headphones.

The post 7 Paddling Essentials of Summer 2012 appeared first on șÚÁÏłÔčÏÍű Online.

Professional skier Burke, 28, is a three-time X Games gold medalist in the superpipe. Look for her in the new women-only ski film Say My Name.

Sarah Burke

Sarah Burke

1. NEVER RENT BOOTS:ÌęYou can get second-hand skis, but if there's one thing to splurge on, it's boots:ÌęSee a boot fitter if they don't fit right. And always take them with you. It's OK to rent skis, but not boots. They likely won't fit you well, so you won't have good edge control. Plus they're nasty and they stink. There's nothing good about rental boots.

2. FOLLOW YOUR NOSE: I don't look at a map all that often. If I see terrain that looks interesting, I just head that way. And because you don't always have cell service at most resorts, I always bring my Spot [$150; ], a little GPS device that sends out a signal and an e-mail with your exact coordinates. If you get injured or lost, you can send friends and family a message that you're OK or need help.

3. TRY THE PARK: Everyone I take into the park has a great time. Boxes are good for beginners: You have a lot more control, and they're more friendly than rails if you split or fall back. Start on the small ones and work your way up.

4. NEXT, SHOOT FOR THE PIPE: You can slowly work your way up the walls until you're comfortable actually getting air out of the pipe. Work on getting higher and higher every time. And don't cut anybody off. Putting your pole up just before you go is a good way to let everybody know you're dropping in.

5. AND DON'T FORGET TO POP: Wherever you are, the park, pipe, or just exploring the mountain, you won't get better at tricks—or simply get more air or land more easily—if you don't know how to properly pop off kickers. You want to have your arms in front of you, with forward pressure on your boots, and then keep that forward momentum through the transition. As soon as you get to the takeoff, extend your legs and really explode!

The post Sarah Burke’s Resort Skiing Tips appeared first on șÚÁÏłÔčÏÍű Online.

The Olympian: Todd Lodwick

Todd Lodwick

In 2006, after 18 years of professional skiing—including competing in four Olympics and grabbing six World Cup wins in various nordic and ski-jumping events—Todd Lodwick had had enough. The third-generation Steamboat local retired and spent the next two years working as a real-estate agent, bow-hunting in the five wilderness areas within an hour of town, and refurbishing his home. But once Lodwick had redone everything but the studs, he got restless. “I wanted an Olympic medal,” says the 32-year old. So he started training, cross-country skiing and road-biking on the hundreds of miles of road and trails out his front door. It worked. Last winter, Lodwick won two golds at the nordic skiing world championships in Liberec, Czech Republic. His new goal? To win an Olympic medal in Vancouver in nordic combined (cross-country skiing and ski jumping), something no American has ever done.

Escape Utility Jacket by Ralph Lauren Black Label ($895); Banff Crew by SmartWool ($150); Sportsman Chamois Shirt by Woolrich ($50); 501 Original Jeans by Levi’s ($60)

Energy Food Guru: Adam Spector

Adam Spector

Spector, a 38-year-old native of Carvers­ville, Pennsylvania, has had some pretty great jobs. Right after college, he farmed fish in Boulder, then for two years he owned the Barking Dog Cafe, in Lyons, Colorado. But he wasn’t satisfied. “Running a coffee shop is seven days a week, starting at 4 A.M.,” says Spector. “And the trout farm was a 24-hour-a-day job.” Things are a little different at energy-food manufacturer Honey Stinger, where the onetime mountain-bike racer is now the national sales manager. He often commutes on 14 miles of singletrack, and, come winter, Spector and his fellow employees frequently take their lunch breaks in the morning with a quick skin up the resort. “Making powder turns with a group of friends is a great way to start the day.”

Sport NTS Tee ($70) and Palisades Sweater ($125) by SmartWool; Wool Peacoat ($298) and Dark Knight Jeans ($70) by Nautica Sportswear; E-Tide Temp Compass Watch ($170) by Timex Expedition

The Rancher: Jerad Iacovetto

Jerad Iacovetto

“There’s a lot more to do here than ski,” says 32-year-old Iacovetto. He would know. Along with his brother and parents, Iacovetto, a fourth-generation Steamboat Springs native, runs Saddleback Ranch, one of two dozen or so working ranches in the surrounding Yampa Valley. When he’s not fattening up the 2,000 yearlings and 100 cows on their 8,000-acre spread, Iacovetto looks after Saddleback’s guests. “We do a lot of different things,” he says, “from horseback rides in the summer to elk hunts in the fall to sleigh rides in the winter.” Any of which, he says, is preferable to shepherding the sons and daughters of B-list celebs, as he did a few years ago for the reality show Filthy Rich: Cattle Drive. “Those kids didn’t want to do anything,” he recalls. “It was a lot of work.”

Cotton Favorite T-Shirt ($19), Marled Sweater with Cotton Lining ($68), and Warmest Puffer Vest ($70) by Gap; Harrison Jeans ($165) by Polo Ralph Lauren; Expedition Dive Style Watch ($100) by Timex

The Golfer: Luke Brosterhous

Luke Brosterhous

After college, Brosterhous spent a season teaching skiing in Steamboat. He knew he wanted to settle down there; now all he had to do was figure out how to make it work. “I didn’t want to become a crusty, 60-year-old ski bum,” he says. Brosterhous left Steamboat, played on golf’s PGA Tour for a year and a half, taught the sport in Bhutan for four months, got a master’s in sports psychology…and then felt he was ready to move back. “When I returned to Steamboat, I was able to transfer those experiences into a career.” In 2008, he started Authentic Golf, a golf-instruction-and-travel company. And, of course, the 30-year-old skis. “We’ll gladly suffer high mortgages,” he says, “so we can ski 100 days per year.”

Plaid Button Down Shirt ($70) and Shawl Collar V-Neck Long-Sleeve Sweater ($90) by Perry Ellis; Valkyrie Jacket ($229) by the North Face; 501 Original Jeans ($60) by Levi’s; E-Tide Temp Compass Watch ($170) by Timex Expedition

The post Jacks of All Trades appeared first on șÚÁÏłÔčÏÍű Online.