December 1997
Features
"There's always more fish in the sea," goes the clichë. Of course, that was coined before the cod population collapsed, before miles of reef died from being "fished" with cyanide, before the worldwide catch began to decline. But if the oceans' bounty is in peril, why is there still so much seafood? By Bill McKibben
You'd think it would be fabulous to monopolize the chitchat around every water cooler, to have whole populations scrambling to accommodate your whims. But as our exclusive visit with the meteorological superstar reveals, fame can be a jealous mistress. By David Rakoff
Like the man said, we can't define it, but we sure as hell know it when we see it. So we honed in on the most bodacious new skis and snowboards, the cushiest job on snow, the sweetest runs around, and 14 other info-packed ways to test your vocabulary of on-slope superlatives to the limit.
In the Sumatran village of Aman Damai, as in the rest of Indonesia, the mystical belief in unseen powers is everywhere, and people often turn to sorcerers for guidance and good fortune. But when one after another of the town's young women vanished without a trace, the locals began to see their trusted adviser in an altogether different light. By Mark Levine
Whether a black man is skiing or fly-fishing or just wandering God's green earth, the question turns uneasily in his mind: Why is so much of the outside world so peculiarly white? By Eddy L. Harris
An unlikely teen phenom makes waves — graceful, shimmering, nicely choreographed waves — in the synchronized-swimming matriarchy. By Mike Grudowski
The Masai call it the House of God, Joan Didion called it Hemingway's mountain, just about everyone else calls it Kilimanjaro. But those who attempt to scale it often come up with a few other choice names. By Chip Brown
Departments
A self-described "renegade bunch" of skydivers — not, mind you, the label we'd choose — yells "Geronimo!" above the South Pole. By Susan Enfield
It's cop-versus-cop as embittered westerners look to further tweak the feds By Tristram Korten
In this age of mounting apathy, an unlikely subculture steps up to the plate By Paul Kvinta
Above the din of doubters, a prospector swears a filthy Canadian river will make him filthy rich By Trevor Curwin
In the midst of its epic ride, a chat with history's nuttiest cycling tandem By John Galvin
Hoping to bring back the woolly mammoth, Japanese researchers seek out some unusual treasures By Paul Kvinta
Shaping a few winning boards with the North Shore's humble Picasso-of-the-planer By William Finnegan
Field Notes: The musty realm of paleontology hit the big time at Sotheby's recently with the $8.36 million sale of a T. rex. Now that the chase for hot properties is on, no dino hunters are more in demand than the serendipitous Sacrison Twins of South Dakota. A wry dig into the world of the boneheads. By John Tayman
Out There: In his last column, our man says adios to swarming airports, nine-hour layovers, and itineraries gone to swill. But not before hoisting a mug — or five — to all the fine folks who made eight years of antipodal travel the best gig in the business. By Randy Wayne White
Is kissing under mistletoe sacrilegious? Do giraffes have antennae? And will the real Indy Jones stand up?
Beyond the Mai Tai Curtain: Far from the sheen of Waikiki and the floral-print crowds lies Hawaii's truer self, a place of primeval rainforests, empty beaches (honest!), breathtaking highlands, and steaming lava fields. Plus: guides to divining local Hawaiian superstition and getting there on the cheap. By Rick Carroll
Or how I went geek-friendly on the Web before my trip, saved cash, and avoided crisis By Everett Potter
Easy ways to assuage that seasonal wanderlust By Cristina Opdahl
Bodywork: Juice Up Your Joints Because you're only as strong as your weakest links: Paying a little attention now to your ankles, knees, and other joints will boost your performance in the months ahead. Five quick routines to keep your hinges working smoothly. By Matthew Segal
The Knee Farm Get your fresh-grown cartilage By Katie Arnold
Standards The Tuck Jump By Daryn Eller
Routines Taking Up That Slopeside Slack Time By Brenda DeKoker Goodman
Prescriptions A Positive Impact By Claire Martin
Review: From $2 to $2,450, the best gifts this side of Santa's workshop, for everyone on your list. Including binoculars tailored for 007 himself, the indestructible Kevlar boot, a multimedia tour of Colorado's Fourteeners, woolen wear that'll keep your conscience clean, a kayak designed expressly for the swirliest zones, an ingenious snowboard tote, the ultimate electronic travel companion, and a whole lot more. By Bob Howells
: Coffee-table books that get beyond the picturesque, including Frans Lanting's Eye to Eye, R. Valentine Atkinson's Distant Waters: The Greatest Fly-Fishing Worldwide, Galen Rowell's Bay Area Wild, and more.
Photographs by Scott Markewitz, Craig Cameron Olsen; illustrations by John Hersey, Mike Lee, James Yang
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