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 these massive geometric drawings. …

Outside magazine, January 1996 Up, Up, and…Ach! By Todd Balf and Paul Kvinta (with Brooke DeNisco, Martin Forstenzer, and Eileen Hansen) “Party pollution!” exclaims Jim DeForge, decrying the thousands of helium balloons that revelers will unleash this New Year’s Eve. In a pointed attack, DeForge, executive director…

Drugs that contain resveratrol, a component of red wine that supposedly prevents the cellular damage that is part of aging, are not working as they should, New Scientist reports. The drugs are supposed to activate the protein SIRT 1 to combat aging, but experiments have shown that they don't.

Shock TherapyWhile many shoes are exploring new territory, this one seems to be tending the home fires—an unapologetically traditional, cushy stability shoe that sits high off the ground. But among its megacushioned kind, the Adapt was our favorite. The standard dual-density midsole posting offers overpronators tried-and-true support, and an ample…

Outside magazine, November 1995 Update: Beyond-Basic Bindings By Glenn Randall Every major brand of bindings performs just fine these days–and has for years. So, having mastered the basics, the manufacturers have been busy tweaking their latest bindings to improve edge grip, help carve a perfect round turn,…

One weekend, Matthew Bryce headed to his favorite Scottish beach to surf. The conditions were perfect. Until they were deadly.

Researchers are MIT have designed a bike wheel that saves the kinetic energy generated by braking and stores it for later use, when the rider needs a boost, The New York Times reports. The energy goes into a battery inside the wheel's hub, a sleek red item called the Copenhagen…

So you want to climb a mountain, but you’ve never done it before. No sweat—there’s a first time for everything. Even the world’s greatest climbers were once beginners like you, gearing up with ropes, carabiners and crampons and heading for the hills for their first technical ascents.To help fuel your…

Studies show that astonishing experiences in nature can have life-changing benefits, and that even small everyday doses of time outdoors can have immediate impacts

Outside magazine, August 1996 Presumed Redundant Concluding a chain of events that resembles something out of Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, U.S. marshals have finally located fugitive river guide William Stoner in Sydney, Australia, and are now pressing for his extradition. Stoner, you may recall, was the…