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Global warming gets a lot of bad press, but the news isn't all bad for yellow-bellied marmots in the Colorado Rockies, according to the New York Times. Scientists there observed that with warmer temperatures,…
Alberto Contador won the 2010 Tour de France on Sunday and stepped up on the podium to claim his prize. For more videos, including a look back at this year’s race, check out Versus. –Joe Spring…
Brazilian native Indians took 100 workers hostage on Sunday at a construction site for a hydroelectric plant in the southern Amazon region, Reuters reports. The Indians–as many…
By Stephen Regenold It is obscenely huge. It fastens shut and watertight with a roll-top closure. A backpack harness system lets you strap it on and hike, ferrying immense loads through airports and down backwoods portage trails alike. The SealLine Pro Packs are…
The Plastiki, a catamaran built out of 12,500 plastic bottles, ended its voyage from San Francisco to Sydney on Monday, the New York Times reports. The boat was the brainchild of European banking heir, David de Rothschild. He's on…
Alberto won his third Tour de France on Sunday as the race concluded with the traditional run-in to Paris. In a surprise to no one, Mark Cavendish won on the Champs Elysees for the second year in a row—the first rider to do so—giving him five stage wins this year…
“Dead man in Camp 2. Bulgarian.” Lakpa’s news was such a surprise, we had a hard time believing it. For one thing, the last three days of warmth and sun without a breath of wind couldn’t have been more perfect. Base camp had been a virtual ghost town, with all…
What was supposed to be a coronation run for Alberto Contador in Stage 19 turned into the fight of his Tour de France career. Andy Schleck, widely expected to lose minutes to Contador in today’s 32-mile time trial, turned in one of the best TT rides of his career today.
Hi, I compete in triathlons and I was wondering what you would suggest for a backpack. Even better, a backpack that could also also used for snowboarding and camping. — John Fargo, ND
On Tuesday morning, British Olympian James Cracknell was hit by a truck in Arizona during his attempt to bike, swim, run and row across America, the…
BIRTHRIGHT from Sean Mullens on Vimeo. Check out this inspiring paddling film from Sean Mullens. Birthright is black and white, mostly lacking in narration, and filmed with a digital SLR, like Canon’s 5D. It gives the film…
Mark Cavendish was the winner in a day that featured the sprinters of the Tour de France. Alberto Contador and Andy Schleck took it relatively easy today, saving up for tomorrow's big push.
It's no secret NASA has giant lasers, but instead of zapping the world with them Dr. Evil style, scientists are using a few of them to map the height of the earth's forests, Mashable reports. NASA scientists used…
Eclipse hunters set a new record on July 11 for longest eclipse ever observed by civilians, Wired reports. While hundreds of enthusiasts gathered in the South Pacific to watch the moon blot out the sun, astronomer Glen Schneider…
With the Tour de France out of the mountains for good this year, the focus returned to the sprinters today, and HTC-Columbia’s Mark Cavendish left no doubt about who is the fastest finisher in the race. It was Cavendish first, air second in Stage 18, as the British speedster completely…
Because the heat of summer is upon us, we scoured the globe for the greatest sailing, fishing, paddling, diving, floating, surfing—you get the idea—trips out there. And since you can't always pop over to Indonesia, we picked a few close-to-home adventures, too.
Thursday’s action in Stave 17 of the Tour de France left no doubt who the top two men are in this year’s race. Unfortunately for stage winner Andy Schleck, the results made it just as clear who will ride into Paris in yellow—Alberto Contador. As expected, Schleck, who trails Contador…
One million cyclists crowded a 37-mile stretch of the world's most famous highway last Sunday, the Huffington Post reports. The Autobahn, known to car enthusiasts as the highway with no speed limit (there is an 80mph suggested…
Andy Schleck took Stage 17, and he did it riding closely with Alberto Contador. The two are good friends, as Contador says on his Twitter page, and the respect between them was visible today. Contador could have sprinted at…
I usually think GoPro footage of kayaking looks like somebody threw the camera in the washing machine and hit rinse. And so does this footage from Oregon paddler Nate Pfeifer getting hammered by the infamous Horseshoe hole on Washington's Little White Salmon. But in this case, that's why it's…
Want to be a TV star and travel for free through South America? If you’re up for roughing it through some gnarly terrain, then get ready for your close-up. The Discovery Channel and Pilgrim Films are looking to cast some…
It's National Tequila Day this Saturday, July 24! Instead of spending a lot of dough bar-hopping, we suggest making your own drinks. Mixologist Mark Drew of Casa Herradura gives you his best tequila recipes for summer fun: Blood Orange and Ginger Collins: El Jimador…
A South African couple got a 40-ton surprise when a southern right whale leapt onto their sail boat last Sunday, MSNBC reports. Paloma Werner and her boyfriend and sailing instructor, Ralph Mothes, were sailing along…
My son is a Boy Scout and had a very nice and somewhat expensive cold-weather sleeping bag from The North Face. He recently discovered a small tear in the nylon fabric. I am looking for advice about how to patch it. Can you give some advice to a Loyal Scout Mom?
These cutting-edge hybrid, tandem, and ultra-portable boats make it easy to hit the water.
In an era of massive oil spills and increasing energy demands, why does river conservation still matter? Because free-flowing water is fun. Because it's good for the national chutzpah. And because, as these four comeback stories illustrate, saving rivers is more profitable than exploiting them.
Lance Armstrong attacked in Stage 16, trying to win for the day, but it didn't happen. He wound up finishing sixth, and Pierrick Fedrigo took the victory. Alberto Contador held on to the yellow jersey, at eight seconds ahead…
Ever get stranded on a trip to South America? Attacked by baboons in Africa? Capsized in the ocean after hitting a whale? Maced by your own bear-protection pepper spray? We want to hear about your worst-case scenario for an upcoming issue. The stories don’t have to be just survival…
One week ago, digital storage company, LaCie, introducedwhat it calls “The World’s Most Adventurous USB Flash Drive.” To back up this claim,…
A unmanned solar drone, the Zephyr, stands to set records in a test flight over Arizona's Yuma Proving Ground, the New York Times reports. A representative from QinetiQ, the British company that developed the drone, says that the plan is to land the aircraft…
A Citybank in Hong Kong got a quick lesson in environmental issues when it ran an add offering credit cardholders 15 percent off a “shark's fin and garoupa dinner,” the New York Times reports. Citybank Hong Kong withdrew the promotion last week…
Arizona's Tempe Town Lake, home to several multisport events including November's Ironman Arizona, drained almost entirely last night after the lake's inflatable dam burst, the Arizona Republic reports. An estimated one billion gallons of water poured into the Salt River bed overnight,…
*Or at least look like one… Coming off a slew of big mountain skiing injuries, I needed to find a way to train in summer and to reinject some athletic purpose in my life. So, I decided to try some downhill mountain biking…
Courtesy of BRAYDAWG on Flickr. David Everett Smith was sentenced to six months in jail last Friday for blowing up an outhouse in a federal recreation area, the Gillette News-Record reports. Smith has waited for a sentence to be handed down since…
What's the best sunscreen to use while snorkeling? — The Editors Santa Fe, New Mexico
Lance Armstrong gave his fans a show today. The American veteran was part of a high-powered break that got away from the peloton about two miles into today’s 124-mile climbing stage and, eventually reduced to just eight men, stayed away until the finish. A stage win wasn’t in the cards…
The secretary general of the Norwegian Athletics Federation, Kjetil Hildeskor, has said that race walker Erik Tysse has tested positive for the blood booster CERA, the AP reports. Tysse's “A” and “B” samples, taken from an event in Italy in May and…
By now, you’ve hit the trail a handful of times and you’ve noticed your mountain bike’s shifting seems tired, or is ghost shifting on you. Time to replace your drivetrain. Your timing is good because component manufacturer SRAM just revolutionized mountain-bike gearing with its new 2×10 system–two gears up…
Google Energy, a subsidiary of Google, signed a deal on Tuesday to purchase 114 megawatts of energy from a wind farm in Iowa, CNET News reports. The deal is the first for Google Energy, which was created last December. The…
I am looking for a lightweight camera for nature photography. I would like a good zoom so I can capture wildlife from a distance, and want to carry it on backpacking trips along with other gear. I recently graduated with a degree in media production, so I am still mostly just a beginner, but I am looking for something that I won't be disappointed in as the years pass. — Benjamin Kent, OH
By the time George W. Bush created the Marianas Trench Marine National monument, he had shocked his detractors and quadrupled the size of the planet's fully protected waters. But if a preserve is created in the middle of the ocean and no one is there to see it, can it make an impact?
A Michigan-based tech company has developed a system that allows coaches to collect real-time performance data on their swimmers, the New York Times reports. Avidasports LLC's system outfits swimmers with five wireless sensors–worn…
By Stephen Regenold A million little needles work a million strands of yarn. Gears shift. Machine arms adjust and spin, the mechanized anatomy of a knitting machine pulls raw yarn on one side and spits out a sock on the other. It is a…
Andy Schleck lost the yellow jersey by eight or nine seconds to Alberto Contador in Stage 15 of the Tour de France. Contador took advantage of a mechanical failure that Schleck had with…
A few years ago, I was training for a marathon during a mid-August heat wave. Like most 21 year olds, I prepped for my first 13-mile run by hitting the bars the night before, sleeping four hours, and shaking off the hangover with two cups of coffee. I was cramping…
The Tour’s first day in the Pyrenees delivered the expected fireworks on Sunday. Frenchman Christophe Riblon, of French team AG2R, gave the host country something to celebrate as the last survivor of the day's main breakaway soloed to the biggest victory of his life. He won by 54 seconds over…
Versus has put together a video history about the biggest climbs in this year's Tour. It provides a solid reference for the challenges to come. Today, Frenchman Christophe Riblon gave the host country something to celebrate as he won…
The “New York Daily News” is reporting today that three-time Tour de France winner Greg LeMond has been subpoenaed to testify and provide materials in the federal investigation into alleged doping practices by and within the pro cycling teams of Lance Armstrong. According to the paper, “Among…
Alexander Vinokourov’s return to the Tour de France is complete. The controversial Astana rider, competing in his first Tour since being kicked out of the 2007 edition and serving a two-year suspension for blood doping, soloed to victory in Stage 13 on Saturday. “Vino” attacked on a punchy 1.2-mile…
I have an older tent, it's still in great condition... except it leaks. I was in a rainstorm and the whole tent leaked, not just the seams but the actual roof fabric. After the tent dried I sprayed sealer I found at the local department store and let it cure, but the next rain it did the same thing. Can you recommend a great spray sealer and seam sealer? Or am I wasting my time and need another tent? The tent is a large two-room tent with an enclosed screen area in the front and we love it, just want to try to save it. — Ramon Elgin, IL
Alberto Contador may have finished second in Stage 12, but the Astana captain was the clear winner at the Tour today. Contador lost a two-man sprint to fellow Spaniard Juaquin Rodriguez but gained 10 seconds over yellow-jersey Andy Schleck and even more time over podium hopefuls like Denis Menchov, Levi…
Last year, I took a half-day road trip through Yellowstone with my brother Garrett. We saw four bears, two herds of buffalo, antelope, elk, four moose, and thousands of tourists. Garrett, an ecologist in the Rockies at the time, could name…
The Iroquois national lacrosse team was stranded in a Comfort Inn in Ozone Park, Queens Thursday night after being denied visas by the British government, the New York Times reports. The team was forced to forfeit the opening match of the world championship tournament…
What does a double rainbow mean? Watch this nature video, and you won't find out. You'll just hear the question asked with a sense of awe—accompanied by healthy scoops of exclamation and crying. It's worth watching anyway. Special thanks to The…
Andy Schleck and Alberto Contador went head to head again in Stage 12 of the Tour de France. Schleck wasn't expecting Contador to attack, so he lost a bit of time but was…
The International Olympic Committee announced Friday that they have no problem with BP's sponsorship of the 2012 London Olympics, the AP reports. BP signed on as a sponsor in July, 2008, in a…
Courtesy of bobbymond on Flickr. Thierry Henry, the highly lauded French striker, has signed with the New York Red Bulls, the New York Times reports. He is expected to make his debut…
What's your favorite survival trek of the summer, and why? — The Editors Santa Fe, New Mexico
OnThursday, British rower and two-time Olympic gold medalist, James Cracknell, willbegin an attempt to swim, bike, row and run 3,600 miles across America—in 18days. “I'm lucky to have the chance to do this,” 38-year old…
Gary Wiens, a 59-year-old Montana man, is recovering in Seattle's Harborview hospital after being struck by a falling log while hiking in Washington's Snoqualmie National Forest, the Bellingham (Washington) Herald reports. Wiens was hiking with two other men when a log…
Mark Cavendish took Stage 11 of the Tour de France as teammate Mark Renshaw was kicked out of the race for headbutting Julian Dean repeatedly. Italy's Alessandro Petacchi took over the green jersey and Andy Schleck kept the overall…
Olympic champion Lindsey Vonn holds the crystal globe she won for taking the season long Audi FIS World Cup downhill title after the final downhill race of the season in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany. (Doug Haney/U.S. Ski Team) (Doug Haney/U.S. Ski Team) Lindsey…
Watch the best of the action in Le Tour's Stage 11 in the video above, and check out the day's winner, British sprinter Mark Cavendish, below. For more videos, go to Versus.com, and for analysis, go to…
By Stephen Regenold The twice-annual Outdoor Retailer trade show, which will take place this summer in Salt Lake City from August 3 to 6, is a peek at the future of gear. The items displayed on the trade-show floor are…
Frippe’s voice over radio static: “I’m leaving Camp 2 now. I’ll leave the radio on. Watch for me.” From the avalanche plain at the bottom of the route I looked through the 20x lens of the video camera, straining to pick up any sort of movement, even…
Bode Miller, the 32-year old ski racer known as the best American alpine ski racer of all time, signed a contract to become a member of the U.S. Ski Team once again, the AP reports. Just this past April, Miller was…
Sérgio Paulinho has won Stage 10 of the Tour de France. His victory lightened the load for Team RadioShack, whose leader, Lance Armstrong, is no longer in the running to win his eighth…
Here's an update on Lance Armstrong in the Tour de France so far. He knows his eighth Tour victory won't happen this year, but he's still motivated to help Team RadioShack win.
Zach Gingerich blazed to victory at the Badwater Ultramarathon yesterday morning on the steep trailhead of Mount Whitney, California. The 30-year old runner from Aurora, Illinois, beat out second-place Oswaldo Lopez (Mexico) and third-place/first-woman Jaime Donaldson (Colorado) to claim the win with a time of 24:44:48. The…
What did you do on your summer vacation? Well 12 year old Matt Moniz is trying the extraordinary. He and his father, Mike are tagging the highest points in all U.S. 50 States in 50 days. They just completed number 49, Granite Peak in Montana. Next up they leaving for…
RadioShack’s Portuguese climber Segio Paulinho won Stage 10 of the Tour de France on Wednesday, claiming a two-man sprint over Caisse d’Epargne rider Vasili Kiryienka of Belarus. The two were part of a six-man break that dominated the day’s action as the peloton took things easy on a sweltering,…
The 2010 AdventureCORPS Badwater Ultramarathon began today, with runners from 14 countries battling it out in the infamous furnace of Death Valley, California. At time of writing, Jorge Pacheco (California) held the lead with an approximate thirty minutes over Marco Farinazo (Rio De Janeiro) followed by Zach Gingerich (Illinois). As…
Photo by Luis Escobar The 2010 AdventureCORPS Badwater Ultramarathon began today, with runners from 14 countries battling it out in the infamous furnace of Death Valley, California. At time of writing, Jorge Pacheco (California) held the lead with an approximate thirty minutes over Marco Farinazo (Rio De…
When I was 40, I had a heart attack. It came by surprise. I had been, and still am, a dedicated athlete. Luckily, I survived, and, in 2008, I founded MI:Aware–MI stands for “myocardial infarction”–to educate people about the risk of heart attack,…
The 2010 AdventureCORPS Badwater Ultramarathon began today, with runners from 14 countries battling it out in the infamous furnace of Death Valley, California. At time of writing, Jorge Pacheco (California) held a thirty minute lead over Marco Farinazzo (Rio De Janeiro) followed close behind by Zach…
Frenchman Sandy Casar won Stage 9 of the Tour de France, while Andy Schleck took the yellow jersey. Alberto Contador pushed to take second overall. For more videos, go to…
Andy Schleck dons his first ever yellow jersey after Stage 9. He got it by out riding Alberto Contador in the final three to four kilometers, going uphill. For more Tour de…