ϳԹ Magazine, Jul 2010
Stories
POSTs
He glanced through the glass and saw Tilikum staring back, with what appeared to be two human feet hanging down his side. There was a nude body draped across Tilikum’s back.
Over in Germany, water sliding is serious sport. Hiking up their Speedos, athletes of all shapes have learned how to top 50 miles per hour with only the occasional bloody nose and forehead stitches. This I had to try.
The lush peaks of Iraqi Kurdistan are irresistible to a certain breed of bold backpacker: They're exotic, beautiful, and way off the beaten track. But when three young Americans were arrested by Iranian border guards in July 2009 after straying too far down a waterfall trail, the costs of adventure travel got a lot higher. As the hikers languished in their cell
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Off the Deep End
The Marianas Trench Marine National Monument, on the lonely western edge of the Pacific, is a place of WWII wrecks, unparalleled diving, and plummeting depths. Could it also be the first step in saving the world’s oceans? By PATRICK SYMMES
The Guide
WATERING HOLES
Our sudsy selection of the best apres-adventure bars in the United States. Because you’re gonna get thirsty out there. Plus: cocktail recipes!
Höchstgeschwindigkeit!
How I traveled to Germany, apprenticed myself to a champion water-slider, donned a banana hammock, stuck out my scapulas, and learned to rock the tube. By JOSHUA FOER
Current Affairs
Gulf geysers, fish-killing dams, rivers as sewage sluices…. Now, for a change, here are four inspiring stories of waterways brought back from the brink. Turns out saving rivers isn’t just the right thing to do; it’s good for the economy, too.
The Killer in the Pool
This past February, a SeaWorld orca drowned its trainer. But was it human error, animal instinct, or malice aforethought? TIM ZIMMERMANN investigates.
Departments
DISPATCHES
» 2010 TOUR DE FRANCE SPECIAL: This year, the Tour will play host to its most epic rivalry in years: Alberto Contador, 2009’s champion, vs. Lance Armstrong, the 38-year-old onetime retiree who’s still–really?–a top contender for the yellow jersey. PLUS: Floyd Landis’s doping allegations and your viewing guide to the favorites, the upstarts, the betting odds, and can’t-miss stages.
DESTINATIONS
» Water Hall of Fame: We scoured the planet to come up with the world’s best amphibious adventures, from Indonesia’s Raja Ampat to Russia’s Lake Baikal to Uganda’s White Nile. PLUS: Surprising close-to-home escapes to help you stay cool all summer.
THE ESSENTIALS
» Covet: A luxury watch with deep–as in 20,000 leagues–adventure cred
» Spectrum: Finding the perfect shock- and waterproof camera just got a whole lot easier
» Boats: Get on the water this summer with the latest hybrids, tandems, and ultra-portables
STYLE
» Sunglasses: This season’s best shades for the life aquatic
Columns
DROPPING IN
Cold-water distance swimmer Lewis Gordon Pugh lasted nearly 20 minutes in 28-degree water at the North Pole. How? GRAYSON SCHAFFER dons a Speedo and hits the shrinkage zone to find out.