Athletes

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What do you get when you combine six eye surgeons, thirteen runners, six educators, two nonprofits, 871 cataract patients, 63,000 students, two of the fastest men on the planet, and one trail race in the remote highlands of East Africa? Accelerate Ethiopia. Welcome to the brave new world of adventure philanthropy.

Surf icon Dave Kalama is still riding 60-foot waves and winning Stand-UP-­paddleboarding races two years shy of his 50th birthday. What’s his secret? Stephanie Pearson enlists at the waterman’s ­legendary North Shore camp, where he serves up nonnegotiable commandments for lifelong ­fitness—and lots and lots of crunches.

Protein powders, fortified beverages, and wholesome-sounding snacks may seem like the best way to fuel your body, but the sports nutrition business also has a not-so-healthy side.

PowerIce, a cross between a hydration drink and a popsicle, might just be the perfect summer nutrition product for athletes

On a riding trip in the north woods this summer, Salsa showed off deft new redesigns of its venerable Spearfish and Horsethief models

These healthy eats can help you build strength, sustain energy, and recover faster

In an already fast and remarkable year at the Leadville 100 mountain bike race, Matt Dewitt made history as the first double amputee finisher

With programs like the Biological Passport, the sport has made admirable progress. But more still needs to happen, including some bold new steps.

Like it or not—(not)—suspicion still clouds pro bike racing. Is there a way racers can prove they're clean? One wild plan to quell the critics.

High-school running phenom Mary Cain

The Olympic 10,000-meter champion Mo Farah has challenged Usain Bolt to a 600-meter race for charity. Who's the favorite?

The Olympic decathlete on how to eat, train, and perform better

A professional freediver is training athletes to get more oxygen with every breath

The world’s most accomplished blind adventurer has jumped out of airplanes, mountain-biked Leadville, and summited Everest. But nothing has proven to be as challenging as his current goal: to solo-kayak the Grand Canyon.

This year’s Tour might well be the most open race in years. We consider the players.

There’s a new generation of U.S. riders emerging at the pointy end of the peloton—hopefully in an honest manner. This is the final installment in a series of interviews with these young Americans.

Emily and Dane Jackson of Rock Island, Tennessee continue a family tradition of kayaking excellence.

Charlie Engle was a crack addict who saved himself through ultrarunning, becoming an adventure-film star known around the world. Then he was convicted of mortgage fraud and sent to prison. [Oops.] He's out now, with an audacious new goal: to rebuild his life and run 5,000 miles, from the Dead Sea to the top of Mount Everest.

We gave a former corporate lawyer $10,000 to fund his back-of-the-napkin plan to sea kayak from Minnesota to Florida. He made it all the way—then he turned around and started paddling home. Here's why.

Already an Everest record-holder, the 29-year-old climbing great shares what it takes to reach the top

Ellie Greenwood, winner of the 2012 ­Western States 100-mile Endurance Run, on balancing big miles with a day job.

What do rock-climbing heart transplant patients, Somali pirate hunters, and arctic cowboys have in common? All could be found on the big screen at this year’s Tribeca Film Festival. Of this year’s 217 films, these seven outdoor-focused picks were a cut above.

After freeskier Shane McConkey died in a ski-BASE accident four years ago, a group of his friends created McConkey, a documentary of his adventures that is as thrilling as it is heartfelt. We spoke with two of the directors about the film.

Although initially reported as the result of altitude sickness, the death of DaRita Sherpa on May 5 was likely the result of a cardiac event. We take a look at why Sherpas are less susceptible to altitude-related illness.

The reputation of American cycling has been dragged through the dirt in the last few years. Time has shown that Lance Armstrong, Tyler Hamilton, Floyd Landis, Levi Leipheimer, and many others built their reputations on cheating. But there’s a new generation of U.S. riders emerging to take their places—hopefully in an honest manner. This is another in the series

Aaron Gwin, two-time World Cup overall champion, on the finer points of going down

This week, the Billabong XXL Global Big Wave Awards will crown the mightiest rides and nastiest wipeouts of 2013. We called surf journalist Chris Dixon, who will help pick the winners, to check in on the state of big wave surfing.

The Harlem Shake, a sheik, and a badass grandfather

Says he was 'unjustly enriched' by sponsorship

As ski season wraps up, we ask 10 big guns to predict the future of the sport

Two men who are changing the way the adventure world works

A quick glance at the app's stats on the best-known segments of the upcoming Paris-Roubaix reveals a fascinating mix of professionals and amateurs

I figure a new do might help me shave some time off of my bike and run. Right now, my hair’s just kind of long. What should I do with it?

At 17, Keegan Swirbul has already beaten cycling's former despot at his own game

How the San Jose Earthquakes forward handles a grueling eight-month soccer season

One of the greatest big-wave surfers alive nearly died on a 50-footer in December. Now many in the surfing world are blaming another heavyweight—and the jet-powered board he was riding.

Huston just left the country for his expedition to Ellesmere Island

Several near deaths on the world’s highest peaks have shed light on a dangerous trend in mountaineering: rampant use of performance-enhancing drugs, particularly the powerful steroid dexamethasone. Devon O’Neil reports on how dope is corrupting the game.

It's 13 miles from the top of Broadway to the bottom. Oh, and if you're wondering, it's definitely possible to get lost along the way.

The champion ski jumper took some time out of a busy training and travel schedule to answer a few of our questions

Axie Navas takes a look at a new sport that's figuring out its place—on the snow and in the air

A rare look inside the nutrition lab at the Olympic Training Center reveals how America's best athletes eat to win

Top athletes share their meal strategies

Brian Blickenstaff went to a not-quite-top-tier bobsled competition, and he found a bunch of people with a lot more in common than matching helmets

Most people, you know, put on a pair of shoes in order to start running. Chris Hawson, though, needed to take his off.

Avalo York once ruled the Central Park bike loop. He's still there, almost every weekday, but he's been done with racing for a long time.

John John Florence was 19 when he became the youngest surfer ever to win the Triple Crown. Is he the next great phenomenon?

We cornered the founder of Burton Snowboards at Outdoor Retailer's Winter Market to talk about his company's latest developments, where he likes to ride most, and avalanche safety

For years, giving 90 percent was good enough. But with poor visibility and a course in rough condition, a fitness program thrown off by recent illness, and the pressure to beat Tina Maze, who is having the best season ever recorded, Vonn just couldn't pull it off this time. But that wasn't going to stop her from trying.

With more than 57 World Cup wins and four overall titles, Lindsey Vonn has already established herself as the greatest women’s ski racer in history. Too bad they won’t let her take on the boys.

The Mexican kayaking phenomenon opens up about relationships, going over his first waterfall, and why Outside is a bunch of bastards

Last year, Patrick Halloran finished last in the Empire State Building Run-Up. This year, he's coming back, and he's going to kick your ass.

The surfing legend is not entirely sure where that number came from or how accurate it is—"I don't measure waves," he told us—but he is sure of one thing: This was one of the most dangerous situations he's ever been in

Have you ever watched a three-year-old curling match while you had the flu?

When elite athletes like three-time Olympic volleyball gold medalist Kerri Walsh and daredevil spaceman Felix Baumgartner are in a slump, they go see Los Angeles sports psychologist Michael Gervais. Sometimes boosting your performance requires sitting on a couch.

It's Seven Cups of Deceit time. Read all about it here.

Like it or not, professional athletes are role models for our children. Sometimes this is a good thing, and, well, sometimes it’s not. (Ahem, Lance.) Thankfully, inspiration is a two-way street: Young athletes can teach us what it means to try our hardest, practice true sportsmanship,…

Before publishing Bill Gifford's story on Livestrong one year ago, we had no idea how dangerous it was to cross The Boss. Editorial director Alex Heard tells the inside story.

Wondering how to get through three hours of Lance Armstrong and Oprah looking deep into each others' eyes? We can help.

David Roth went to the Monster Energy Invitational, and he found a sport still trying to figure out how to make its place on the American sports landscape

How a secretive, stunt-loving energy-drink company pulled off one of the coolest feats in adventure history

A recent study in the British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology found that EPO doesn't better performance in elite athletes, but it made a few critical errors in coming to that conclusion

Which is a serious problem when you’re the most famous stunt rider on the Internet. But as Nick Heil finds out, the oft-injured Scot is roaring out of rehab to dazzle the world once again.

Outside, inside, gravity, space, time, whatever: this thing transcended every boundary

Christian Vande Velde atop the USAPC podium. Photo: Team Garmin-Sharp-Barracuda In a recent press conference at Aspen's Little Nell Hotel, organizers of the USA Pro Challenge announced the host cities and overall race course for the 2013…

Component manufacturer SRAM gathered some of its biggest sponsored riders during the U.S. Gran Prix of Cyclocross earlier this month and proved, once and for all, that cross racers are indeed more fun than roadies. The dancing is terrible, but that's…

The godfather of freeskiing discusses his contributions to the industry, how film is pushing the sport forward, and his mixed feelings about freeskiing’s induction into the Olympics

A graceful ponytail helps ease the pains of a childhood long gone

The big mountain specialist with a knack for hucking huge air and developing his own touring bindings and boots discusses saving his feet, designing gear, and how to get after it in the backcountry

Team 40, with the author at left, kitted out for night racing. Photo: Audrey Brandt. By Elizabeth Eilers Sullivan Why run 198 miles in a single weekend? When it comes to passing on the love of sport to your kids, it’s hard to trump leading by…

Len Stanmore, 60, is currently in Antarctica, competing in one of the world's most grueling footraces. If he completes it, he'll not only be a one-time overweight retiree who got sick of the golf course, but also the first person to climb the Seven Summits, ski to both poles, and complete the 4 Deserts Grand Slam.

Fat bike slednecking: A sport is born. Photo: Ian Anderson This photo popped up on my Facebook feed last week. It was taken by Ian Anderson, an outdoor industry public relations professional, accomplished outdoor athlete, and father of two kids (ages two and five). Ian lives…

When world renowned alpinist/speed climber Ueli Steck has a new gear idea, his sponsors hit the drawing board to turn that idea into product. So when Steck told Scarpa he wanted the lightest insulated boot…

The British Columbia-based videographer-photographer discusses Dubai’s ski community, what draws him to mountain people, and being naked—a lot—in Japan