Adventure
ArchiveA 14-year-old Dutch girl won a court's permission to attempt to sail around the world solo, the BBC reports. Last August, the Dutch court placed Laura Dekker under state care to stall her plans of becoming the youngest person…
Courtesy of shaferiens on Flickr. Commercial and academic laboratories across the country are making significant investments in engineering algae to produce fuel, the New York Times reports. The goal is to develop a variety of…
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…
I am planning to climb Kilimanjaro in December this year. What will be the best sleeping bag and boots tor this trip? –Florin Guelph, Ontario
Reports from China's Ministry of Environmental Protection released on Monday show that almost 25 percent of China's surface water is unfit for even industrial use, according to Reuters. Inspectors took samples taken from major…
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,…
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…
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…
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.
“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…
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.
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…
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…
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…
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…
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.
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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.
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,…
In an 88-page ruling, U.S. District Judge Gladys Kessler banned personal watercraft (i.e. Jet Skis) from Gulf Islands National Seashore and Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, according to NationalParksTraveler.com. Motorized recreation…
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,…
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…
The Tour de France turned into a two-way battle as Alberto Contador and Andy Schleck distanced every other contender on the slopes of the Col de la Madeleine to seize control of the race on Tuesday. Frenchman Sandy Casar won Stage 9, a 127-mile run through the Alps. Schleck and…
Today, BP began testing another cap designed to stop the flow of oil into the Gulf of Mexico, according to the New York Times. Once the new cap is in place, BP officials will conduct a 48-hour test to see if the…
In our June issue, senior editor Grayson Schaffer profiled Summit Series, a group of young CEOs looking to build community through adventure outings. Recently, the group traveled to Haiti to deliver aid to the…
Watch recaps of the weekend action in the Tour de France, with highlights of Stage 7, above, and the sprint to the finish of Stage 8, below. Cadel Evans has the current overall lead, with the yellow jersey. For more Tour de…
Lance Armstrong’s worst day ever in a Tour de France saw his hopes of a podium finish, let alone overall victory, die on the steep roads of the French Alps in Stage 8. Armstrong lost more than 11 minutes to stage winner Andy Schleck and several other pre-race favorites, as…
The “Barefoot Bandit”, Colton Harris-Moore, has been apprehended by police after a dramatic high-speed boat chase in the Bahamas, CNN reports. The teenage fugitive has been playing cat and mouse with authorities for over two years, earning his…
Frenchman Sylvain Chavanel of Team Quick Step won Saturday’s Stage 7 of the Tour de France. The victory moved him back into the yellow jersey he wore for one day earlier this week after his win in Stage 2. As expected, today’s moderately mountainous route didn’t have much of…
Mark Cavendish won a second day in a row, taking the victory in Stage 6. And Fabian Cancellara still hasn't let go of the yellow jersey. To see more videos of the Tour, go to Versus.com, and check…
Here are some key moves that Team RadioShack uses to build and maintain strength off the bike. For more Tour de France videos, go to Versus.com, and check out…
British sprinter Mark Cavendish made it two in a row today as he claimed Stage 6 of the Tour de France to go with his big win yesterday. American Tyler Farrar, riding with a broken wrist, finished second after a textbook leadout from his Garmin-Transitions teammates, with double-stage-winner Alessaandro Petacchi…
Mark Cavendish takes Stage 5 of the Tour de France, while Fabian Cancellara retains the yellow jersey. Watch stage highlights in the video above, from Versus. And check out analysis from The…
The Stage 5 winner, Mark Cavendish, thanks his teammates for getting him the victory–an emotional win to overturn what had been, up to now, a “bad year.” Go to Versus.com for more videos, and check out The Spoke Word…
HTC-Columbia's British superstar sprinter Mark Cavendish got his fist win of this year's Tour de France on Thursday, covering 117 miles from Épernay to Montargis in four hours and 30 minutes. The pancake-flat route of Stage 5 saw no change to the standings as the contenders or the overall finished…
Courtesy of NOAA. Two new species of pancake batfishes have been discovered by researchers in the Gulf of Mexico, according to Reuters. The population of one of…
It's 8:00 a.m., -20 F, and the winds are gusting over 60 kph (37 mph). Despite my 8,000-meter down jacket and neoprene facemask, I’m chilled to the bone and my hands are blocks of ice. I need to get moving. Frippe locks into his skis and edges…
Stage 4 of the Tour de France was relatively easy compared to the cobblestone attack of yesterday. Lance Armstrong and Alberto Contador stayed close to the front of the peloton. Alessandro Petacchi took…
Fabian Cancellara, who holds onto the yellow jersey after Stage 4, talks about what he likes to do when he's not in the peloton and about Frank Schleck being out of the game after a collarbone injury on the rough cobblestone streets of Stage 3. For more videos check…
For the first time in this Tour de France, we can say thatthere were no surprises today. Italian sprinter Alessandro Petacchi of Lampreclaimed his second win of the Tour, winning out of a bunch sprint against theworld’s fastest finishers and showing that his win in the crash-marred Stage…
The Tour of Cali rolled through our 'hood out here in So Cal a few weeks ago. I was able to catch the last day, where they did laps up the infamous Rock Store Climb. It was spectator-friendly, and the fans did come out. The race was, of…
Here's a recap of Stage 3 in the Tour de France. Thor Hushovd of Norway came in first, and Fabian Cancellara of Switzerland ended up with the yellow jersey. Lance Armstrong and Alberto…
A look at what kind of wheels riders use to make it through the rough cobblestone streets in the Tour de France. For more videos check out versus.com. For race analysis check out …