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THE FUTURE IS NOW

  
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Think outside what box? Designer Thomas Meyerhoffer—he of Apple, Nike, and Smith fame—knows the secret to kicking gear into the 21st century: convergence. Oh, and NoCal waves.
By John Bradley

PLUS: The future of gear is already here.
Future Gear: Design Chic
Future Gear: Travel Toys
Future Gear: Game Changers
Future Gear: Off the Grid

THE OVER AND UNDER
Neither high winds nor high seas can stop you now if you have these two next-generation adventure vehicles, that is. Access will never be a problem again.
By Mark Anders & David Wolman

POSITIVE SPIN    
Cycling visionary Tom Ritchey has big plans for Rwanda. The vehicle of change for the tiny, genocide-ravaged nation? It has two wheels and hauls coffee beans.
By Jason Gay

  
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Jobs? Yes. Sponsors? No. And yet these guys can roast the pros at their own game. We dress them up, shoot them, and tell you how they do it. PLUS: Lab Rat Nick Heil enters the ridiculously technical world of online training.

FIGHT THE POWER
Two conscientious homeowners. Two all-knowing home elec­tricity monitors. A world of guilt, shame, and chickens. Is this the new energy paradigm?
By Christopher Keyes & Grayson Schaffer

DEPARTMENTS

DISPATCHES
»   First Look: Patagonia Inc. scion Fletcher Chouinard steps out of Dad’s shadow
»   News from the Field: How Shaun White became a teen-fashion mogul
»   The Drawing Board: A look inside San Francisco’s new indoor rainforest
»   Food & Drink: Chef Tyler Florence dishes on how to take your kitchen outside  
»   Quiz: Test your Himalayan IQ
»   Media: Dig into a new crop of fall adventure shows and non-preachy, fun eco-flicks (seriously!)
»   Books: Paul Theroux re-rides Asia’s railways; snowboarder Travis Rice discusses his love of Ayn Rand

DESTINATIONS
»   Spot On: Dive, surf, and live large in the Maldives before they go under
»   Get Lost: Discover the American Southwest’s hottest adventure hubs, from Utah to Big Bend country
»   The Weekend Plan: Your guide to post-convention, politician-free Denver. Plus: Ben Harper picks the country’s nine best outdoor music venues.

COLUMNS

THE BIG IDEA
Can we just go ahead and abolish these national parks already?
By Jason Daley

FIELD NOTES
Earlier this year, Himalayan explorer Ian Baker was charged in Kathmandu for having local antiquities, like the skin of an endangered red panda, in his home. But is he really a bad boy or just a scapegoat?
By Joshua Hammer

OUT OF BOUNDS
An eager Eric Hansen goes hunting for New York City’s most famous and only? beaver

OUT THERE
Small dude, big spirit. My friend Ross may have dwarfism, but he can handle anything except having me as his fishing guide.
By Alex Heard

PLUS
PARTING SHOT
My explosive relationship with hydrogen cars
By Jack Handey

UNDER THE COVER
Number of items we called in for Jill Greenberg’s May 29 cover shoot in Los Angeles: 62. Items that made the cover: 5. Number of very fit, very real guys we considered for the shoot: 209. Height, in inches, of cover model Steve Yore: 74. Height, in inches, of the mock wind tunnel we commissioned from set designer John Robinson (and Photoshopped Yore into): 48. Number of Scott’s New Plasma bikes in the U.S. at the time of our shoot: 1. Retail price: $9,500. Number of extremely nervous Scott representatives who hand-delivered said bike after refusing to ship it: 1.