ϳԹ Magazine, Aug 2011
This Month in ϳԹ
Stories
POSTs
Two new books detail the ongoing search for drifter Everett Ruess, plus required reading for August
A documentary about electric cars, a cool climbing app, and the best long-form journalism websites
A cutting-edge blood therapy believed to speed recovery from sports injuries has never been more popular—or more controversial. Is the science as convincing as the hype?
It takes a particular kind of crazy to ride a 75-foot mountain of water—unless you’re Greg Long, a calm, well-adjusted dude who geeks out on his laptop and approaches surfing like he’s playing chess. Meet the oddly normal champion of big waves.
With shark attacks up 25 percent, 2010 was a terrifying year to be in the water. Scientists say the spike was an anomaly. But there are questions afloat about the practice of chumming, in which cage-diving skippers use a stew of blood and guts to lure the predators in close. JOSHUA HAMMER plunges in at South Africa’s False Bay, epicenter of an industry some cri
Living through a disaster is just the start of a survival story. The rarely discussed psychological recovery is often the hardest part.
During the Great Flood of 2011, the Mississippi was an unleashed monster, with deadly currents and a flow rate that could fill the Superdome in less than a minute. Defying government orders, Delta native W. Hodding Carter and two wet-ass pals canoed 300 miles from Memphis to Vicksburg—surfing the crest, watching wildlife cope with the rising tide and assessing 75 years of levee building.
Satellite-linked emergency devices give backpackers, skiers, and boaters fingertip power to cry for help. Alas, people often cry wolf.
Electric bikes are for schmucks, right? Nah. The newest models are stylish, useful machines that will put a lot more riders on the road.
Most alpinists call it a great year if they summit one 8,000-meter peak. Last spring, a Swiss mountaineer tried to knock off three.
Futuristic new submersibles are poised to take crews to earth’s greatest depths. It may get crowded down there.
SPECIAL REPORT
THE APOCALYPSE HANDBOOK
OK, so that Rapture thing didn’t happen—doesn’t mean you aren’t about to be carried off by a towering tsunami. Presenting ϳԹ’s comprehensive guide to surviving disasters both natural and man-made, from devastating plagues to cataclysmic wildfires to planet-poisoning meltdowns.
THE AFTERMATH
LAURENCE GONZALES on how we cope when the nightmare’s over.
PANIC BUTTON
SCOTT CARNEY on how false alarms are swamping search-and-rescue organizations.
57 FEET AND RISING
When the biggest floods in 75 years rolled down the Lower Mississippi, three river rats couldn’t resist putting in. The result: an epic 300-mile canoe journey filled with police boats, deadly whirlpools, and a feral pig.
BY W. HODDING CARTER
SWELL GUY
In the lunatic world of big-wave surfing, Greg Long is the low-key master strategist, a meticulous planner who obsessively crunches data to ensure the surf he paddles into is the hugest on earth.
BY MATT WARSHAW
SHARK BAIT
Off the coast of South Africa, birthplace of shark-cage diving, attacks seem to happen near areas where dive companies chum the waters to deliver thrilling encounters. Could the practice be conditioning sharks to think of humans as food? JOSHUA HAMMER takes (gulp) the plunge.
departments
DISPATCHES
First Look: Richard Branson, James Cameron, and Triton Submarines are in a race to the bottom of the Mariana Trench. Whose sub will dive to 36,000 feet first?
News from the Field: Ernest Shackleton’s whisky of choice resurfaces; fly-fishing the world; the annual circus in the Himalayas
Epic: Climber Ueli Steck, a.k.a. the Swiss Machine, tries to become the first mountaineer to bag three 8,000-meter peaks in a season.
Books: In 1934, drifter Everett Ruess disappeared in Utah’s canyonlands. Two new books detail the ongoing search for his body.
Media: Director Chris Paine talks about his new documentary Revenge of the Electric Car; the best websites for long-form journalism; and an iPhone app with beta on 17,000 climbing locales.
STYLE
High Caliber: Eight Army-inspired watches for weekend warriors.
DESTINATIONS
Get Lost: Twenty reasons why there’s no better place than the Northwest to climb, kayak, and hike. Plus: The best microbrews and seafood shacks.
THE ESSENTIALS
Covet: A stylish single-speed commuter that’s as functional as it is indestructible.
Running Gear: This summer’s top road and trail shoes. Plus: Ultralight apparel.
BODYWORK
In the Lead: Some believe a concentrated injection of your own blood can help heal sports injuries. Does science agree?
Tools: The seven best fitness apps.
Fuel: HTC-Highroad’s chef shares his recipe for success: potato gnocchi Tourmalet.
COLUMNS
NATURAL INTELLIGENCE
Can electric bikes make inroads with people who don’t usually ride? Or are they doomed from the start by their hefty price tag and an elitist bike culture? Todd Balf motors the hills of San Francisco to find out.
PLUS
BETWEEN THE LINES
LETTERS
EXPOSURE
PARTING SHOT
UNDER THE COVER
Yes, our cover image is a composite. But it really was shot underwater, and only the shark and buildings were added later. “I wanted to get as many objects in the frame as possible,” says photographer Michael Muller. The hardest part: surfer Josh Mohr had to dive 18 feet to the bottom of the special-effects tank—50 times. “He was a trooper,” says Muller.