For some surfers and SUPers, hanging ten is the holy goal—toes on the nose, nothing in front of you but pure green wave. With a nerve disorder threatening to destroy his balance, longtime kook Erik Hedegaard asked a waveriding genius to train him for one last shot.

Advanced screening can reduce the likelihood of sudden cardiac arrest, the most common cause of death among athletes. So why is it so controversial?

Vonn is top American, takes 5th place

A former corporate lawyer whose back-of-the-napkin plan to kayak from Minnesota to Florida was so awesomely deranged, we decided to pay his way

The Nikon Monarch 8x42 is the best buy for glassing birds, fireworks, or the people in the building across the street

As anybody who's been hiking on the West Coast knows, getting "poison oaked" is a miserable experience. So, have you ever heard of Zanfel? According to the company's Web site, this soap is supposed to remove the urushiol from poison oak even after you get the rash. Unfortunately, it's really expensive—about $40 for a one-ounce tube! Does this stuff really work, or is it just snake oil? Rusty San Francisco, California

There are easy ways to reach the North Pole—by plane, helicopter, or icebreaker. And then there's the Børge Ousland way. A super-tough son of Norway and the greatest living Arctic explorer, he likes fellow adventurers who ski hard, pull their own weight, and can take a touch of frostbite—no whimpering allowed.

The Outside lifestyle is all about positive adventure and good, healthy fun—but not this month. Grab a six-pack and rev your engines as we celebrate those wild and sinful guilty pleasures we aren't supposed to like but do! Because sometimes you just gotta cut loose.

My 16-year-old daughter's Venture Scout troop is doing an eight-day horseback trek in northeastern New Mexico this July. They have to store all their gear in a large stuff sack (and two midget saddle bags), so she needs a lightweight, compressible sleeping bag to maximize space in the stuff sack. They'll be sleeping in tents at altitudes up to 12,000 feet, so the bag needs to be rated to around 30 degrees—and affordable. Easy, right? Lou Oak Hill, Virginia

Help! I have just registered myself in a mini triathlon this July and have no bike. The 12-mile bike section is over trails, and I don't know the first thing about what size of bike is right for me, or even what kind of bike. I don't want to pay over $300 for something I won't use that often, so can you help? Thanks—please don't laugh at me. Leigh Libertyville, Illinois