Adventure
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SeaWorld's new CEO made a shocking announcement today about the future of its entertainment and breeding programs for killer whales. But what does that really mean for the future of its animals in captivity?
This 1,000-mile race across the frozen wilderness of Alaska necessitates some very specialized kit
Mountain biker Steve Storey and his friend Danny Martins spent two years building their dream trail in the backcountry of British Columbia—far from prying eyes. In 2015, Storey finished the final stretch of the trail, dubbed it Salsa Verde, and invited filmmaker Mike Gamble out to capture…
Ski hills are major landforms, not just vertical playgrounds. New tools like Google Earth allow us to glimpse the entirety of the mountains on which ski resorts reside, and even zoom in, tilt, and twirl to experience the pitch and roll of these areas. Thank DigitalGlobe for many of those…
The latest technology takes the sport out of the shacks, onto the ice, and nets you big catches
GPS trackers and cell phones give us a false sense of security in the wilderness. And with more thru-hikers than ever set to take on the Appalachian Trail this year, we should be on alert.
Ashima Shiraishi, 14, and Kai Lightner, 16, talk climbing in caves, high school life, and Olympic dreams
Climbing is one of those sports that can seem way out of reach for newcomers. But it doesn't have to be.
In 46 days, 11 hours, and 20 minutes, Jennifer Pharr Davis hiked from Georgia to Maine—a total of 2,181 miles. That time stands as the women's record for fastest thru-hike on the Appalachian Trail. In this short video from filmmaker Kerrin Sheldon, Davis talks about what the…
The Iditarod is one of the most grueling races in the world, covering 1,000 miles of Alaskan backcountry, and the dogs that run it train harder than almost any athlete
In Southwest. Proven Here., the latest film from Yeti Cycles and Craig Grant, riders Joey Schusler and Michael Larsen check out from the daily grind and disappear into the landscapes that epitomize the region and the spirit of mountain biking. From balancing on the…
A proposal championed by Senator John McCain would essentially erase one of the country’s best bouldering spots
A mysterious plague that one expert calls “tree Ebola” threatens to wipe out the islands’ iconic ohia forests—and no one knows how to stop it
Whenever he needed to check his email, Mahabir Pun made a two-day trek from Nangi, a mountain village in western Nepal, to Pokhara, the nearest city with Internet access. In 2001, he sent an email to the BBC asking for ideas on how to connect his remote community to the web,…
In 100 Years, A National Park Love Letter, a combination of quotes from Theodore Roosevelt guides a stunning visual journey through Yosemite, Yellowstone, Grand Canyon, Grand Tetons, and Dinosaur National Monument. The short film produced for O.A.R.S. by Thelonious Step is a…
For Lorenzo and Patti Diaz, paddleboarding the waterways along San Diego county's coastline evolved from a recreational pursuit into an environmental one when they began collecting marine debris. From tires to hypodermic needles, the trash the couple found shocked them into action, and they began organizing regular cleanups with other paddleboarders. In 2015,…
After more than 2,000 pounds of hydraulic pressure crushed his left foot in an industrial accident, snowboarder Keith Gabel decided to amputate his foot. Three months later, Gabel got back on the slopes and went on to win Adaptive Gold at the 2012 X-Games and bronze in the 2014 Sochi Paralympics.
In 1905, the Colorado River breached irrigation canals and began flooding into the Salton Sink, a dry lakebed. The Colorado River flowed into the basin for two years, giving rise to California's largest body of water, the Salton Sea. The Useless Sea, from Open Valve Studios, is a…
A remote car accident, a broken ski, a tumble in the snow, and a slow descent into hypothermia before (spoiler alert!) a dramatic rescue
In Step Out, a short film from Shibby Stylee, a group of highliners set out to rig and walk across two unique lines in Hawaii: one at South Point and the other near a waterfall on the Hamakua coast. Highliner Joshua Lambus narrates the footage, reflecting on the…
Flowing along the southern border of the rugged Kalmiopsis Wilderness, the North Fork of the Smith River is one of the most beautiful stretches of river in the U.S.—and one of the most endangered. Proposed nickel mining in the headwaters of the Smith River threatens its…
To celebrate the release of Diamondback's Level Link suspension platform, pro mountain biker Mike Hopkins and his team set out on trails across the American West with a simple goal: film the most beautiful locations in the best light possible, and create the sense of…
Virtually extinct in the 20th century, bison are returning to Europe's mountains today
When a person goes missing outdoors, there’s a specific protocol for finding them within the first 24 hours. After that first day, it becomes much tougher.
With a design in mind, compass in hand, and snowshoes on foot, artist Simon Beck stomps deep tracks in the snow to create beautiful works of art. In this short film from Flash Studio, Beck talks about how patterns in nature motivate him to create…
In 2010, professional climber Majka Burhardt saw a photo of the 2,000-foot granite face of Mount Namuli. Fueled by curiosity, Burhardt led a team of biologists, conservationists, and rock climbers on a daring and unconventional expedition to Mozambique’s second highest mountain and one of the world’s most threatened…
Dogsled racing, or mushing, is one of the rare professional competitive sports that is truly co-ed.
Officials at Baxter State Park, at the north end of the AT, are concerned about an anticipated increase in the number of thru-hikers tramping through the park. Their solution? Hiker registration cards.
Wolf pack takes down elk on highway overpass in Canada
The third annual International Ocean Film Tour brings water sports and environmental films back to the big screen. The tour kicks off on March 12 in Hamburg, Germany. You can follow tour updates on Facebook here.
If you want to beat this spring’s biggest video game, you’ll need to learn how to survive in the real world
He surfs sixty-foot waves, performs Hollywood stunts, and can hold his breath underwater for six—six!—minutes. Now he's freediving to tag hammerhead sharks for science.
Tim's Lane, from filmmaker Oliver Sutro, is a story about a (somewhat) famous ski run in Colorado's San Juan Mountains. You can follow him on YouTube here. …
Simon Beck spends a lot of his time with snowshoes strapped to his feet, clomping in circles through powder. It’s much more than a futile exercise—it’s art.
EXPLORE. Chapter Two is a film from Cooper Lambla and Tyler Allyn, presented by the U.S. National Whitewater Center, about exploring the whitewater-filled rivers of Labrador, Canada. For more stories and images from this adventure and others, check out explore.usnwc.org. …
What you need to know to start competing in the ultimate chill winter sport
A pioneering big-wall climber who made his mark in Yosemite and Joshua Tree died unexpectedly earlier this week
For the past seven years, Lael Wilcox and her boyfriend have been semi-nomadic, spending roughly half the year exploring the world by bike. Last fall, she decided to enter one of the most unforgiving mountain bike races on the planet – the Arizona Trail Race. …
As many as 900 wild bison that graze in the park will be killed this winter, either by hunters or slaughter, to offset population growth and appease ranchers. Bison advocates, however, want to move the animals to other lands. At its heart, the debate about how to handle these creatures comes down to whether we believe them to truly be "wild."
Mark Healey is a renowned waterman and big-wave surfer. The big-wave surfer talks about the personal challenges of working in the last frontier in this video from GoPro.
The Mt. Baker Legendary Banked Slalom is the country’s longest-running snowboard comp, having started in 1985 as a flowy ride through a naturally-formed halfpipe that snakes down the White Salmon side of the mountain. Today, the pioneering snowboarding event is also one of the last in which pros compete alongside amateurs.
In early February, pro cyclist Tim Johnson became the first person to pedal to the top of New Hampshire’s 6,288-foot high Mount Washington in the dead of winter.
He's the speediest skier on earth. Just how fast can he go?
Utah congressman Rob Bishop, a conservative Republican who has long opposed federal management of western lands, has emerged as the unlikely architect of a grand compromise, one that would involve massive horse trading to preserve millions of acres of wilderness while opening millions more to resource extraction. Is this a trick, or the best way to solve ancient disputes that too often go nowhere?
For the past seven years, Lael Wilcox and her boyfriend have been semi-nomadic, spending roughly half the year exploring the world by bike. Last fall, she decided to enter one of the most unforgiving mountain bike races on the planet – the Arizona Trail Race. …
A year ago, the Italian pro surfer's gnarly wipeout at Pipeline broke a vertebrae and nearly paralyzed him. He thought he'd never surf again.
An Alaskan engineer brought a bicycle to a 1,000-mile dogsledding race through the remote Yukon. He spent two weeks pedaling through the wilderness, with no tent.
The North Shore local brought a self-effacing attitude to pro surfing that reminded everyone close to him what riding waves is really all about
As the Yosemite trademark case drags on, California legislators look to take a stand
Adventure filmmakers Taylor Rees and Renan Ozturk thought it would be a mellow working vacation: they’d capture footage of four young Brits as they traversed 250 miles of Iceland’s fissured terrain, starting in December.
The Gelande Quaff harks back to the true spirit of skiing—having a damn good time
A recently released report details how officials plan to address hostile working conditions on the river
Back for More, from filmmaker Pat Branch, is a film that looks at what drives skiers and snowboarders to come back season after season, risking injury in order to progress in their sports. Look for the full film in the fall of 2016. …
In the wake of the X Games star's suicide, friends contemplate the role of repeated head injuries and the psychological toll of retiring from BMX
>Today, the White House created three new national monuments in the California desert, adding nearly 1.8 million acres to one of the largest and most pristine swaths of protected land in the Lower 48.
Andrew Muse and the folks at Ski Utah have been completely spoiled by this year's El Niño. For proof, look no further than this edit from a recent trip to Brian Head Resort in Southern Utah. We bet it'll make you as jealous as we…
Salomon Athlete Josh Daiek recently completed the first one-day assault of the Tahoe 10,000, an incredible feat that includes 22 miles of travel on skis, four iconic peaks, and 10,000 feet of vertical climbing. This edit from Daiek shows the highlights from one very long, but epic day. …
In Search of a Moment is a short film from photographer David Fontneau about his journey to become a photographer. Fontneau says he was drawn to photography because he found himself constantly searching for the “purity of the moment,” which took him to quite a few…
Snow days in a mountain town are few and far between. So, when Telluride School District canceled school for just the third time in 15 years, local ripper Cedar Palmer took full advantage by waxing up his Wagner Custom Skis and hitting the hill with some Broncos Spirit.
A big northwest swell lit the North Shore's Banzai Pipeline, providing spectacular makes and even more spectacular slams.
Jesse Aizenstat of Aize Media is used to big-budget shoots and working with high-end cinema cameras, which is why he wanted to do something different with his recent film, Picacho Del Diablo. When he and his friend set out to climb the tallest peak in…
One of the hardest parts of the PCT is simply getting to the southern start, in the middle of the desert by the U.S.-Mexico border
In one of the best seasons for big-wave surfing in recent memory, it's time to open the competition stage to hard-charging women
62 Years is a Thelonius Step film by Logan Bockrath, presented by O.A.R.S., that focuses on how conservationist David Brower helped save Dinosaur National Monument. Brower became the first executive director of the Sierra Club in 1952, and led the charge in preventing a…
In the seventh episode of Salomon Freeski TV's ninth season, skiers Mike Douglas and Alexis Godbout take on Switzerland's famed Skier's Haute Route. It's one of the coolest tours we've ever seen. …
New rapids present a danger to whitewater rafters, and a steep price for the National Park Service
The big-wave contest is rare, but when it goes off in Hawaii on Thursday, it'll be epic
Kristine and Doug Tompkins lived a life of adventure and risk uncommon to most couples. They also helped to protect millions of acres of land in Chile and Argentina. Following her husband's death, Kristine now faces the daunting challenge of creating six new national parks without him.
In 2008, Kara Goucher was the U.S. Olympic Team Trials favorite on the track. In 2012, she was the surprise on the roads. But in 2016, the 37-year-old mother is the wildcard. When she toes the line at the U.S. Olympic Team Trials Marathon on February 13…
Mauls six people and takes 10 hours to capture
Our best travel and adventure photography of the year.
Two people were injured Sunday when a leopard found its way into a school.
A team of four women will attempt to climb up and ski down one of North America’s toughest peaks this spring
The highly anticipated Mavericks surfing contest has been nixed this weekend even as epic waves roll into Northern California's coast. Blame the Super Bowl.
Rising temperatures are increasing rockfall danger, and alpinists are already starting to see the new risks
Completing the Appalachian Trail takes grit, patience, and sometimes a little help from the angels
Residents of the Hollywood Hills above Los Angeles have grown accustomed to wildlife wandering in their neighborhood
No one has ever completed the 2,180-mile trail heading southbound and starting in December, but this full-time hiker is trying
A behind-the-scenes moment from Teton Gravity Research's Paradise Waits.