THE WEED WORKOUT / EARN YOUR BEER / EVENT PROFILES / GEAR WE LOVE
FEBRUARY / MARCH 2020 ISSUE #113
JEREMY JONES The Future Of Winter
KEEPER ISSUE
2020 RACE CALENDAR
The Everest Blitz:
Car to Car in 14 Days
Filmmaker Grant Thompson
RICK GAUKEL’S LEGACY www. advent ur espor t sjour nal. com
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Future. History.
FLUX™ 1.5 L Single-use plastic bottles are admittedly cheap and lightweight, but we wanted to create a better, reusable option. Meet the all-new Flux: a 42mm, filter-compatible bottle. At only 97g, it compresses down so small it fits almost anywhere. Add in a spill-proof, drink-through cap and you’ve got a new thru-hiking essential.
2 ASJ—June/July 2012
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CONTENTS Feb/March 2020 #113
16
10
19
regular departments
6 8 19 20 24 25 34
Editor’s Note
Adventure Rituals
Ear to the Ground News & notes
20
Earn Your Beer MTB St. George
Epic // POW Protect Our Winters
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Event Profiles
10G
14RL
13T
16R
rant Thompson
Photographing with water, light and people he Weed Workout
ick
Gaukel’s
egacy AMGA’s
splitboard scholarship
oxanne Vogel
Berkeley to Everest Proceed with caution when using cannabis in the and back in 14 days outdoors
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Protect Our Winters Jeremy
Jones and the future of winter
ON THE COVER Jeremy Jones with the sunrise over Emerald Bay, Lake Tahoe. Photo: Ming Poon
Featured events
Event Calendar Upcoming events
Gear We Love
Goodies for your active lifestyle
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Mail a check for $20 to PO Box 35, Santa Cruz, CA 95063 along with subscriber name and address, or order online at adventuresportsjournal.com/subscribe.
4 ASJ—June/July 2012 4 ASJ — Feb/March 2020
asj contributors what adventure(s) has Old Man Winter made possible for you so far this season?
leoniesherman
This winter has offered canyoneering in Death Valley, surfing in Costa Rica and full moon desert dune backpacking in the Mojave.
chrisvanleuven
Unlike last winter where I lived in a tent cabin and got lashed with continuous Sierra storms, this winter I have a house with heat. It’s also been sunny and warm, meaning I get to rock climb whenever I want.
dierdrewolownick
Old Man Winter blindsided me this year! Foot not completely healed from 2019 surgery — the cold makes it hurt! But I did follow Alex, Sanni and his sister Stasia up Lone Mountain in a wind-storm (outside Las Vegas).
jamesmurren
Nothing too wintry, yet. Some San Diego “winter” mountain biking and a day of snowshoeing north of Flagstaff, is about it. An eastern Sierra trip is in the works for late February; maybe I’ll say “hi” to Old Man Winter then.
kristahoughton
Four feet of fresh snow. Blue skies, acres of BLM land and no tracks. New gloves, jacket and jump on the quad with my husband. It’s a winter wonderland!
mingpoon Old Man Winter has brought me powder filled days of adventure with friends at home so far this winter. Looking forward to more powder days and a big spring of shooting.
michelecharboneau
My nephew’s winter wedding lured me to CO recently. Stayed at a ranch in the Rockies, then explored the Flatirons in Boulder. I really enjoyed visiting the home of our sister magazine Elevation Outdoors!
taylorluckenbach
Old Man Winter gave me a few crisp nights in Yosemite, some unforgettable West Cliff sunsets in Santa Cruz, and a surprise snow day in Joshua Tree.
PUBLISHING + EDITORIAL PUBLISHER Cathy Claesson cathy@adventuresportsjournal.com EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Matt Niswonger matt@adventuresportsjournal.com MANAGING EDITOR Michele Charboneau michele@adventuresportsjournal.com COPY EDITOR Jennifer Stein jen@adventuresportsjournal.com EDITORIAL ASSISTANT Taylor Luckenbach taylor@asjmag.com CONTRIBUTING EDITORS Leonie Sherman, Chris Van Leuven, Dierdre Wolownick, James Murren, Krista Houghton CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS Leonie Sherman, Ming Poon, Grant Thompson, Katie Dubois, Scott Rokis, Harry Lefrak, Shane Scrimager, Kris Wakefield, Samuel Crossley, James Murren LAYOUT Cathy Claesson & Michele Charboneau COVER DESIGN Lauren Worth ADVERTISING ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE Cathy Claesson I 831.234.0351 cathy@adventuresportsjournal.com EVENTS & DISTRIBUTION Matt Niswonger matt@adventuresportsjournal.com
As temperatures climb so do adrenaline levels on California’s favorite whitewater rivers...
EVENTS MARKETING Michele Charboneau michele@adventuresportsjournal.com Jennifer Stein jen@adventuresportsjournal.com Opinions expressed are those of the authors and not necessarily those of Adventure Sports Journal or our advertisers. We usually agree with our articles, but sometimes we don’t. We welcome all contributions. All content © Adventure Sports Journal 2020. No part of this publication may be reproduced without permission of the editors. ADVENTURE SPORTS JOURNAL PO BOX 35, Santa Cruz, CA 95063 Phone 831.457.9453 asjstaff@adventuresportsjournal.com PROUD MEMBER
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Editor’s Note
ADVENTURE RITUALS This is the Way Surfing is an obsession that involves constantly tracking the ocean. The ocean will be doing a certain thing at a certain spot at a certain time, and surfers calculate the likelihood of ideal waves at some point in the future.
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truly dedicated surfer will make certain he or she is there as the opportunity presents itself, with all of life’s commitments arranged around the cycles of the ocean. The optimal surf session is a fleeting goal. For beginners it’s standing up and moving from the whitewater to the actual wave face. For surfers like me it’s a better maneuver on the wave face, executed more gracefully than before. For others it’s ripping down the line at mach speed, completely at one with the fluid power of the wave while other experts watch with respect. As I write this I know what the waves are doing at my favorite surf spot. Not because I’m looking at the realtime cameras on Surfline, but because it’s 10:41am and the tide is rapidly pulling out to a low mark of -0.8 feet at 3:51pm this afternoon. Since the bottom topography of the reef at my spot creates the strongest waves at a tide height of about 2.5 feet, I need to be paddling out at approximately noon.
Every day is like a ceremony with moments of bliss as the reward. This is the life of adventure I’ve wanted my whole life.
Before paddling out I will make sure my board is thoroughly waxed so I don’t slip. After I adjust my wetsuit and connect the surfboard leash to my ankle, I will enter the water and paddle over to the lineup. The water will be cold, but I will ignore that. The water will be crowded, but I will ignore that. The waves won’t be as good as I hoped, but I will ignore that too. When I get to my spot I will smile at other surfers and nod my head. Sometimes they will make eye contact and smile back, but other times they will not. Either way I have made an attempt to promote good vibes in the water and that is part of my ritual. Like a Japanese tea ceremony every action builds on the previous action. When a wave comes, I look left and right to make sure the coast is clear, then I turn and commit. When the wave rises up beneath my board and I gain speed, I pop to my feet as smoothly as possible. If things go right I spend the next ten seconds riding a pulse of water in a blissful act of natural communion that every surfer lives for. The goal is to surf as much as possible during the winter months when the waves are good and then switch to cycling. Mountain bike season begins when the trails dry out and I pull out my bike. Each ride builds on the previous ride. My legs hurt every day but I will start to get in shape. I clean my chain, make sure my tires are properly inflated, and check the sag on my suspension. Every step builds on
Checking for waves on a beautiful winter day at Rincon. Photo: Matt Niswonger
the previous step. It’s the Japanese tea ceremony all over again, but instead of riding waves I ride trails. Sometime in late spring I pull out my ropes and lead rack and start preparing for Yosemite climbing season. I go to the climbing gym and train my finger strength. I research climbing routes and set goals that are challenging but not dangerous. Every step builds on the previous step. Every day is like a ceremony with moments of bliss as the reward. This is the life of adventure I’ve wanted my whole life. This is the way. Thank you for reading my words. Can you relate? What adventures do you build your life around? Send me an email to matt@adventuresportsjournal.com and tell me your thoughts. We read each and every letter and print as many as we can.
—Matt Niswonger
Made you smile.
Strolling on the spectacular new East Shore Trail from Incline Village to Sand Harbor will do that for you, it sure does it for us. We were proud to work with 12 partners to bring this path to life. It is not too late to leave your legacy on the path with a trout or a bear, or on the new donor wall. To find out more, email : INFO@TAHOEFUND.ORG
ASJ—June/July 66 ASJ — Feb/March2012 2020
Campfire memories from Sea Otter, 2017. ASJ editor, Matt Niswonger on the plasitc horn.
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Women on Waves 2020 Surf Contest Seeks Public Support for Venue Approval
Ear to the Ground
News & notes from the outdoor industry Photo: Samuel Crossley
Brad Gobright Dies in Mexico
On November 27, 2019 the climbing world lost one of its boldest members, the talented, hyper-driven Brad Gobright, who passed away in a rappelling accident on the 1,500-foot El Sendero Luminoso (5.12d) in El Potrero Chico, Mexico. Gobright was in El Potrero Chico to do some guiding work and climbing for a short trip. Posting a message on the local climbing message board, Gobright had advertised the need for a climbing partner the next day. Using the controversial simul-rapping technique, something went wrong during the descent from high on the rock face, and Gobright fell to his death while his partner barely escaped with his life. Known for his dry humor and total commitment to rock climbing, Gobright had become a household name in recent years for his audacious free solos, rapid ascents of El Capitan free routes up to 5.13, and ascents of tough, heady single-pitch routes up to 5.14 in Colorado. The California native and Yosemite local was 31 at the time of his passing. Gobright was featured in our Feb/March 2019 issue in an article by Chris Van Leuven. Read it at adventuresportsjournal.com/climbing-yosemite-valley-free-soloist-bradgobright/.
San Francisco
Women on Waves Surf Contest (WOW) is a biannual amateur longboard surf event and a fundraiser that benefits women-focused non-profit organizations in Santa Cruz County. This unique surf contest is the only all women’s surf event in the area. In 2018 Ola Chica Surf Company took over production of the contest and is looking forward to bringing it back in 2020, but they might be losing their venue. Ola Chica founder Aylana Zanville says, “I am very passionate about bringing WOW back on a permanent biannual basis, but as much as the female surfing community and I want WOW to happen, we are encountering hesitation with the City of Capitola. Due to a high number of events in the city and ensuing resident complaints, the City of Capitola has limited the number of permits they will issue.” You can help by attending the Capitola City Council meeting on March 12. To learn more, visit adventuresportsjournal.com/ the-uncertain-future-of-women-onwaves/.
Take Care Tahoe’s Billboard Stewardship Campaign
A new digital billboard campaign has been unveiled on behalf of over 50 partners who have collaborated on the “Take Care Tahoe” effort to encourage more responsible behavior while in Tahoe. Designed with humorous messaging, the campaign was created to capture the attention of visitors when they are en route to Tahoe to encourage stewardship and responsible recreation during their stay. Thanks to financial support from the Tahoe Fund on behalf of the Take Care Tahoe partners, digital billboards carrying the Take Care™ messaging are visible on I-80 Eastbound in Colfax, California. “With the ‘Take Care Tahoe’ digital billboard campaign, our goal is to educate visitors before they arrive about how they can take care of the environment when they’re here,” said Amy Berry, Tahoe Fund CEO. “This includes things like cleaning up after their dogs, not leaving broken sleds behind, eliminating the use of plastic straws, and blazing a trail of kindness on public trails throughout the region.” Read more at adventuresportsjournal. com/take-care-tahoe/.
Oakland 101
880
880
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It’s time for an
San Jose
Adventure!
Santa Cruz
Just 40mins from San Jose!
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Monterey
Santa Cruz Mountains | 831.430.4357 ASJ — Feb/March 2020 88 ASJ—June/July 2012
mounthermonadventures.com
Photo: Groveland Trail Heads
2020 marks the 60th running of the Nevada City Classic ProAm Cycling Criterium, the second oldest continuously running ProAm Criterium in the US. This legendary race is joined by five other Nevada County cycling events the weekend of June 13-14 to create the Nevada County Cycling Festival. Other events include the Rotary Gold Country Challenge road ride, the Big Brothers/Big Sisters gravel ride challenge, the Nevada City Fat Tire Festival, YBONC’s CA Dirt MTB Series and the Nevada City Brewfest — making for a cycling festival like no other. Learn more at adventuresportsjournal.com/2020-nevada-city-cycling-festival/.
New Mountain Bike Trail to Open in Groveland
Groveland Trail Heads, a non-profit mountain biking organization based in Groveland, has been hard at work building the first trail of the Ferretti Non Motorized Trail System in the Groveland Ranger District of the Stanislaus National Forest. The 1.3 mile loop is due to open at the end of March and will give riders a taste of all the forest has to offer. The trail ends with a bike optimized flow section. Groveland is located 22 miles east of Yosemite’s northern entrance. Visit grovelandtrailheads.org for more information or to make a donation toward trail projects.
Photo: Shane Scrimager
Six Iconic Cycling Events Unite to Create the Nevada County Cycling Festival
Sea Otter Classic Debuts Gravel Race for 2020
Sea Otter Classic will host a first ever timed gravel race on Sunday, April 19. The inaugural grinder will feature a 40mile course that will start at the Laguna Seca Recreation Area and quickly venture onto the roads and challenging trails of the Fort Ord National Monument. There will be UCI professional as well as amateur categories for women and men of all ages. The 30th annual world-renowned festival celebrates all things bicycle from April 1619, 2020 in Monterey. Learn more at adventuresportsjournal. com/sea-otter-classic-registration-open/.
GUNBARREL 25 / EARN YOUR BEER / GEAR WE LOVE / EVENT PROFILES
EARN YOUR BEER / GEAR WE LOVE / EVENT PROFILES / CALENDAR
FEBRUARY / MARCH 2019 ISSUE #107
2019 ESSENTIAL RACE CALENDAR
APRIL / MAY 2019 ISSUE #108
Tahoe Trails A SHORT HISTORY
Alta Alpina Cycling Club Debuts Carson Valley Adventure Ride Series
Alta Alpina Cycling Club has put together a series of destination training rides in Carson Valley, NV. The Carson Valley Adventure Ride Series is designed to spotlight why the Carson Valley area is the ultimate destination for mixed terrain (aka gravel) riding. The series is based on five epic mixed terrain loops that surround Carson Valley: The Brunswick, The Leviathan, The Slinkard, The Tahoe Ridge, and The Powerline. Dates for the 2020 events will be announced soon, but you can come year-round to enjoy miles of training and preview routes. Learn more at CVAdventureRides.org.
Tahoe Donner Cross Country Ski Resort Voted #6 in North America
Tahoe Donner Cross Country Ski Center was recently voted 6th Best Cross-Country Ski Resort in North America by USA Today. Located in Truckee, Tahoe Donner’s 62-plus miles (100 km) of trails wind through 2,800 acres of terrain. The resort, a favorite among Tahoe-area locals, includes five warming huts, a large variety of modern rental equipment, private and group lessons, and even some fat biking and dog-friendly trails. The resort is open daily to the public and offers private and group lessons, rentals and signature events throughout the season. Learn more at tahoedonner.com.
The National Park Service Announces 2020 Free Entry Dates “Across the country, more than 400 national parks preserve significant natural and cultural areas, each one an important piece of our national identity and heritage,” said National Park Service Deputy Director David Vela. “Free entrance days serve as additional motivation for people to get outside and enjoy these places of inspiration and recreation.” There are five free entry dates in 2020, learn more at adventuresportsjournal.com/ national-park-entrance-fee-free-days-2020/.
3BACKCOUNTRY TOURS
FESTIVAL GUIDE
BRAD GOBRIGHT FULLY COMMITTED
BIKE TOURING HWY 50
TAHOE NORDIC SKI LEGEND Doug Read
BIG WATER
Made in California
RAFTING PRIMER
Western Mountaineering
THE TAHOE FUND / WESTERN STATES 100 / EARN YOUR BEER / EVENT CALENDAR
CALIFORNIA BICYCLE COALITION FOREST SCHOOLS
KEVIN JORGESON’S 1CLIMB / SKIING CRANE FLAT / EARN YOUR BEER / CALENDAR
DEC 2019 / JAN 2020 ISSUE #112
AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2019 ISSUE #110
THE
YOSEMITE ISSUE MYTHIC BIG WALLS AND EPIC WATERFALLS AT THE WELLSPRING OF ADVENTURE
Ken Yager
The Long Game
Climbing Towards Justice
LAST DAYS
THE
OF BOB SWIFT 1930 – 2019
EMILY TAYLOR
+ MTB Alabama Hills + Paddle Lake Tahoe
GIFT GIVING GUIDE RESORT TIPS FOR A PERFECT DAY
VISIONS OF YOSEMITE & MAMMOTH
Warm Water Surfing
DAKOTA SNIDER
ADRIAN BALLINGER
ONE YEAR. SIX ISSUES.
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Working with Water, Light and People Filmmaker Grant Thompson By Chris Van Leuven
In addition to capturing slacklining, BASE jumping and surfing, Thompson also focuses on unique, non-athletic characters from around the world.
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very time I talk with filmmaker and cinematographer Grant Thompson, he’s in a completely different phase of his career. When we met through mutual friends in Yosemite in winter 2018, he was capturing highliners as the sun crept up behind Half Dome in Yosemite National Park. His footage showed subjects balanced on a thin strip of nylon webbing over an endless abyss, their arms extended out like bird wings. Six months later he called from a busy café in Berkeley, where he told me all about capturing Christy Davis, age 66, riding big waves at Mavericks in northern California. In the four-minute working clip he sent over on Davis, the legendary surfer 10 ASJ—June/July 2012 10 ASJ — Feb/March 2020
from Half Moon Bay, Thompson shared the athlete’s lifelong passion with the sport. Davis narrates as Thompson’s scenes of bucolic hillsides and splashing waves move across the screen. One clip shows Davis riding a massive groundswell, one wave feeding into the next that he links together effortlessly. The wave is an extension of himself. For nearly 30 years Davis has surfed Mavericks, and he describes being out on the cold, brutal waves with childlike enthusiasm, describing it like walking on water and playing with bursts of energy that have traveled halfway around the world. Over the past 12 months Thompson continued filming in Mavericks, including the day Davis suffered a near-fatal heart
attack while on the water and had to fight for his life as he paddled back. Since Thompson had been following Davis, he knew his backstory, including how he broke his back and still continued his passion for surfing. Putting it all together, the injury, recovery, then the heart attack, Thompson began to shape Davis’s life into a film. That’s why in January 2020 Thompson released the trailer for the 30 to 40 minute cut. Made with support from Panasonic as well as his own funds, the film has a working title of “A Man and the Sea.” It’s slated for release in 2021. “This film is kinda bizarre,” Thompson says. “Christy broke his back, recovered in four months, had a season in Mavericks, paddles out and then has a heart attack.
He then has to paddle into shore. He barely survived.” In the film Thompson uses speed, slow motion and fast motion to draw the viewers close to the subject, taking them on a ride on the gently cutting surfboard, among the crashing waves and the bright yellow light reflecting off the ocean. Thompson is partnering with Emmy award-winning editor Erik Butts as well as narrator Peter Coyote to make the film. He’s financing the movie from his hired work on other projects. “I make short, powerful films for business owners and artists to communicate their work concisely and deepen their connection and trust with their audience,” he says. Thompson also works as a guest lecturer at the Bodega
OPPOSITE PAGE: GERMAN PROFESSIONAL HIGHLINER LUKAS IRMLER WALKING THE EICHORN PINNACLE HIGHLINE, FALL 2018. THIS PAGE, TOP: CHRISTY DAVIS AT MAVERICKS, JUST BEFORE HIS HEART ATTACK. AFTER HIS SUCCUSSFUL STENT SURGERY, CHRISTY SHOWED THIS PHOTO TO HIS CARDIOLOGIST AND DESCRIBED THE CRITICAL DROP. “DO YOU THINK IT CAUSED THE HEART ATTACK?” CHRISTY ASKED. THE CARDIOLOGIST LOOKED AT THE PHOTO. “YES,” HE SAID, HANDING CHRISTY BACK HIS PHONE. THIS PAGE, BOTTOM: BRADEN MAYFIELD ON HIS LEGENDARY DECADE LONG DREAM HIGHLINE, THE MATTHES CREST. “I HAD TO BILLY GOAT MY WAY IN THE NEIGHBORING ECHO PEAKS TO LINE UP THIS ANGLE. JUST WHEN BRADEN GOT ON THE LINE, THE CLOUDS PARTED, AND THE ROCK LIT UP FOR HIS WALK,” RECALLED THOMPSON.
Bay Marine Lab for a scientific filmmaking graduate seminar at UC Davis. Since we’ve met, he’s obtained work for clients all over the world, including watchmaker Omega, for whom he worked as a camera operator in a hot air balloon that served as a platform for BASE jumpers. During our most recent call in December 2019, Thompson shared work that follows an entirely different thread. He said he’s making films about indigenous culture in Ireland, Scotland and California. Then he emailed over another clip. In “Skye,” he shows a two-minute movie capturing an old man in Ireland reflecting on life as he walks through the countryside. As it begins, the man says “If you have no past, you have no future,” while Thompson’s dramatic scenes show sea cliffs, a crooked river and water cascading toward the camera. The man compares the rivers to arteries in the heart. “There is life in everything,” he says as he looks off into the distance. Thompson is releasing this short film in February.
Thompson seeks out these stories of fascinating characters. At UC Berkeley he studied Celtic literature, linguistic anthropology and did coursework in journalism. Prior to attending college, Thompson lived in a tent in southwest England for a year and this experience, he says, was the foundation for his studies at Cal. By day he’d shoot and by night, for inspiration, he’d read medieval books by candlelight. While stateside, “I’ve filmed weddings and funerals,” he said. “I’ve shot a hot dog eating championship in Vallejo and an economist for the New York Times. I’ve even filmed school plays,” he said. “One of the most moving things I’ve seen was while shooting a funeral. I found that to be extremely meaningful.” With his camera on a tripod, Thompson stood still, his mind capturing all the emotions he observed — the tears and laughter — as guests walked on stage to talk about the deceased. That early inspiration shows up in his films. It’s in the way he develops his characters, how he focuses on people’s eyes and emotions.
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Today, now a year out of university, Thompson lives with his girlfriend on the Sonoma Coast. While he pours his passion into his work behind the camera, that same passion bleeds into his romantic relationship. He shared how he recently brought the two worlds together: “We had a date in a meadow in Fort Ross near 200-yearold apple trees,” he said. “I broke out my camera and filmed it. Instead of telling someone I love them, I can show them. Films are a container for certain thoughts and experiences for the viewer to enjoy.” Today his passion projects and for-pay projects blur together and he travels for months on end from one shoot to the next. His hard work pays off: He’s received awards for Best Slackline Film, where he won $1,000 at the 2016 Adventure Film Festival and another $1,000 for second place at the Montreal Jackalope Film Contest.
STILLS FROM A CULTURAL FILM ON NATIVE SCOTTISH CULTURE, OUT FEBRUARY 2020. “IF YOU GO BACK TO THE DRUIDS, NATURE WAS THE LARGEST PART OF THE RELIGION, AND THEY REGARDED THE WORLD AS A GREAT BEATING HEART.EVERYTHING WAS ALIVE. EVERYTHING HAD ITS OWN SPIRIT, AND ALL THE POWERS OF NATURE CAN BE CONTAINED IN STORIES.” — SEANCHAÍ (A TRADITIONAL GAELIC STORY TELLER) ON THE CENTRALITY OF NATURE IN INDIGENOUS SCOTTISH CULTURE.
Thompson’s most recent projects include working as a cinematographer and editor for a promotional film for Switzerland’s World Heritage Site on setting the hammock world record along a chairlift. Vibram Five Fingers also hired him to make a trail running film in Mallorca. “Every job I take now I check boxes,” says Thompson. “Is this for money or to advance my career? This way I can create boundaries for my company, and it helps me stay focused.” For his paid gigs, companies hire him to conceive, film and edit a movie, or be a first or second camera operator. For his resume gigs it’s all about choosing projects that sound inspiring. It must be a fun place to be career-wise. There is a Go Fund Me account set up for Thompson’s film about 67 year old Maverick’s surfer, Christy Davis. To see the trailer and donate to this project, search “A Man and the Sea” at gofundme.org. THOMPSON ON A SHOOT IN BAVARIA FOR PANASONIC. THOMPSON SAYS, “DURING MOST OF MY TWENTIES, MY INTELLECTUAL INTERESTS AND MY LIFE AS A FILMMAKER WERE ANTITHETICAL. OVER THE LAST YEARS, I HAVE FINALLY STRUCK SOME KIND OF BALANCE, USING MY SKILLS AS A FILMMAKER TO EXPRESS THE IDEAS I HAVE BEEN STUDYING, WHILE CONTINUING TO MAKE OUTDOOR FILMS AS WELL. THESE TWO PREVIOUSLY DISPARATE THREADS ARE BEING BRAIDED TOGETHER TO MAKE A RICHER WHOLE.” PHOTO BY KATIE DUBOIS.
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12 ASJ ASJ—June/July — Feb/March 2012 2020
THE WEED WORKOUT
Proceed with caution while using cannabis in the great outdoors
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by Krista Houghton
es, I’ll admit it – I have gotten high while playing outdoors. A good old fashioned “safety meeting” while snowboarding can in fact take a day on the slopes to an elevated level. Making the sun shine brighter, the snow whiter and the sound of your board carving up the powder truly sublime. That said, when California legalized “recreational” pot in late 2016 with Proposition 64, it created a lot of confusion. Too many outdoor enthusiasts were smoking (and eating) pot for the first time without any sort of guidance. For some inexperienced weed users this led to some negative situations while participating in outdoor sports and even some actual danger. Weed is not something to be taken lightly, especially in the era of high potency strains. Smoking or eating pot in a cavalier way while pushing our limits outside can be a recipe for disaster. That’s why it’s crucial to treat cannabis like a powerful form of medicine, even if the purpose might be just having fun. When we think of pot as medicine we go through a mental checklist and ask the right questions, leading to better results. Is this the right dosage? Is this the right strain? Is this the right time? Will this help me connect to my friends and my surroundings? Treating weed like medicine will ensure the best and safest results. Gone are the days of crouching behind a rock or tree – sneaking a toke or two. Now, it’s full on out in the open: people using vape pens, edibles and pre-rolls, to name a few. Everywhere I look – people are getting stoned! Let’s be clear, I am in no way advocating the recreational use of marijuana legal or otherwise in this article. However, with the cultural shift happening as marijuana is now legal to use as a recreational drug, I feel it is necessary to have an open conversation on how the use of marijuana affects the body during exercise. Just like other substances such as alcohol, nicotine or caffeine, consuming too much marijuana could have negative health consequences and even land you in jail. Here are some points to consider when thinking about incorporating marijuana into your sport or fitness routine. Marijuana stimulates hunger, aka “the munchies.” So, if your fitness goal is to shed a few pounds, think again before taking that hit of weed. Marijuana also has been found to lower impulse control, making that slice of pizza versus a healthy salad mighty hard to resist. Something to consider. There are many new ways that marijuana can be ingested. But most commonly, tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) is consumed by inhaling it. Be it a joint, pipe, bong, or vaporizer, inhaling marijuana can cause irritation and inflammation of the lungs
and bronchial tubes, which can negatively impact your respiratory function – making your breathing less efficient. This is especially critical when in high altitude environments. So, if you’re already huffing and puffing in your workout, a hit of weed probably won’t help. For some people getting high on cannabis can increase feelings of anxiety, paranoia or depression. It’s good to be aware that using marijuana could create unpredictable changes to your normal emotional state. Talk to your local dispensary if these are common side effects, as they may be able to recommend specific strains than can lessen these effects with use. Using marijuana can dramatically affect your motor skills. When under the influence, you may experience changes in visual perception, coordination and reaction times. For some people weed can help them focus, creating an almost tunnel like vision, which can help enhance the flow state we feel when in “the zone.” But over-ingesting THC can create the opposite mood, posing a serious risk to yourself, or others given the inherent dangers of outdoor sports. It’s best to take baby steps. Stick with lighter, easier, known trials, areas, etc. if you’re wanting to experiment mixing cannabis with your sport or exercise routine. Certain strains of marijuana can quite literally put you on your ass, increasing feelings of lethargy and sleepiness, which can drastically reduce your motivation to exercise. If lack of motivation is a key problem to achieving your sport and fitness goals, best to forget the bud and get a workout buddy instead! Use of marijuana can also impair shortterm memory, and prolonged use could have a negative effect on overall cognitive function. A recent study found that THC significantly impaired recall for two hours after consumption. If your sport requires you to navigate, unless you literally leave a trail of breadcrumbs, you might not recall how to get back home. Proceed with caution if in unfamiliar surroundings. Those who use cannabis on a frequent basis can build up a tolerance to the THC, requiring greater amounts of the drug to experience the same effects. Even with weed being legal, it is still expensive and habitual use could have a negative impact on your finances, leaving less money for sport related adventures! Whether you get high or not, marijuana is rapidly becoming an accepted component of mainstream culture. For me, I find using THC in small amounts can enhance my focus and allow me to become more aware of my body alignment and movements, helping me get into the zone better. I don’t use cannabis every time I surf, ride or play. It’s a personal choice, and now it’s a legal one.
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Rick Gaukel’s Legacy The AMGA Splitboard Certification and Scholarship By Leonie Sherman
Rick Gaukel grew up surfing the waves and skating the streets of his hometown, Santa Cruz. He fell in love with the mountains but retained his love of gliding with grace. “Rick was always on a board,” explains his mother Mary Gaukel-Forster. “A skateboard, a surfboard, a snowboard, a splitboard, a wakeboard, a mountainboard … he just loved it. His spirit was to share and bring the joy of the outdoors to everyone.” He found his calling as a backcountry guide when he moved to the Rockies. Gaukel continues to educate and inspire others though he can no longer enjoy the mountains himself.
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n April 20, 2013, he and four friends were killed in an avalanche near Loveland Pass, Colorado. He would have been 40 this February. Thanks to the unwavering love of his mother and his wife, Jonna Book — Gaukel’s memory lives on through the American Mountain Guide Association’s Friends of Rick Gaukel Everywhere (FORGE) Splitboard Ski Guide Scholarship. “I was in labor with Rick for 40 minutes,” Gaukel-Forster can’t help but laugh at the
memory. “He came into the world fast and never stopped moving, he was always in motion.” She gestures at photos of her son climbing, skateboarding, surfing, snowboarding, jumping off cliffs. “He left us just as fast as he came, and too soon.” She remembers reading an editor’s note in Adventure Sports Journal soon after his passing. “Something about in order to live your life you have to challenge boundaries. When I read that, I thought of how Rick exemplified the outdoor person who needs
a little extra to feel that edge. I might climb a six foot ladder and feel very shaky, or look down after hiking up Half Dome and feel nervous. But Rick needed to be there on the side of it, climbing it.” Gaukel-Forster pauses. “I’ve learned to find joy in the fact that Rick knew who he was. He had struggled to find his place in the world, but his friends told me in the last six or eight weeks of his life he had finally come to peace with being a backcountry guide. He wasn’t going to own his own
business. He wasn’t going to work in an office. He was going to share his love of the backcountry with others.” A few tears roll down her cheeks, but she smiles as she looks up. “I could have had him forever if he was a super cautious guy,” she says. “But if he’d been sad, or miserable his whole life or felt restricted and confined, I don’t know that I would be as happy as I am knowing that he found who he was and was doing what he loved.” The day he passed Gaukel was helping
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“I want people to be safe, but I don’t want them to be fearful. I want people to be aware, but I also want them to know the joy of being who they are.” — Mary Gaukel-Forster, Rick’s Mother friends with an avalanche awareness fair near Loveland Pass. He hadn’t been feeling well for a few days, but he didn’t want to let his community down. During a lunch break he went off with five other young men to play on some nearby slopes. Only one of them came back. Gaukel-Forster was at home watching the news when she saw a red banner scroll across the bottom of the screen announcing that five people had died in an avalanche at Loveland Pass. She had a sinking feeling but didn’t realize her son was one of them until the phone rang and a friend of her son in Estes Park gave her the bad news. “A Rocky Mountain avalanche expert told me they did exactly what you should do in that situation,” explains Gaukel-Forster, who visited the area a few days after the event with the expert. “They were crossing the slope one at a time, it was all planned to be safe, to minimize risk, they were doing everything right. And then there was that sound ...” She called the coroner in Idaho Springs, Colorado as soon as she knew where her son was being taken. “I told the coroner I was the first one to hold Rick and he would be the last and asked him to please hold my son with tenderness and care.” She wipes away tears. “I just didn’t want him to suffer. I didn’t want him to be in pain, or die alone.” The whole family could go out to Colorado together. When they arrived at the morgue, the coroner greeted them with a huge hug and told them that Gaukel’s lungs weren’t typical for a suffocation fatality. After the initial shock of the avalanche his heart simply stopped beating. And he was wrapped around his friend Joe. “So he didn’t suffer, and he didn’t die alone,” Gaukel-Forster says with a weak smile. Family and friends celebrated Gaukel’s life at four memorials; one in Estes Park, Colorado, one in Santa Cruz, one in Pike, New Hampshire and another on his birthday almost a year later. At one of them Gaukel-Forster came up with the idea to offer an annual American Mountain Guide Association backcountry splitboarding scholarship in his memory.
“Rick was a pioneer,” his mother explains. When he realized AMGA had a certificate in backcountry skiing but not backcountry splitboarding, he petitioned them to expand their offerings. “It’s thanks to Rick that there’s even a pathway to becoming a recognized splitboarding guide.” Gaukel-Forster turned grief into action and raised funds to create an annual scholarship for the certification that Gaukel was responsible for creating. “Every year people submit videos of why they want the scholarship,” explains his mother. “And every year it’s been obvious to the six people who make the decision that one of them is channeling Rick’s spirit,” she laughs. “Everyone who has gotten the scholarship has said they are driven by the joy of bringing the backcountry to others. So we say, ‘OK, Rick, we hear you!’” When Gaukel-Forster heard that another mother who lost her son in an avalanche was going to be at an avalanche safety course offered at Cabrillo College, she had to attend. “I just wanted to give her a hug,” she explains. “She told me, ‘We will do an avalanche training in Santa Cruz every year, and it will always be in honor of your son and mine together,’” Gaukel-Forster says. She finds joy in reconnecting with her son’s tribe as she promotes the event at all his favorite hangouts around town. “Celebrating his spirit right here where he grew up, every year, gives me a way to remember him and pass on his message.” “I want people to be safe, but I don’t want them to be fearful. I want people to be aware, but I also want them to know the joy of being who they are. As sad and painful as the avalanche was, coming to that moment reflected so deeply on who my son was. He was there to help his friends even though he wasn’t feeling great; he had so much loyalty and commitment to safety and education. I often think ‘Darn you, did you have to be so dramatic about avalanche awareness? There’s other ways to educate people!’” To learn more about Rick Gaukel, visit his Facebook page: FORGE-Friends of Rick Gaukel Everywhere. To learn more about the AMGA Friends of Rick Gaukel Everywhere F.O.R.G.E. Splitboard Ski Guide Scholarship visit amga.com/scholarships.
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16 ASJ—June/July 2012
Roxanne Vogel, Nutrition & Performance Research Manager at the offices of GU Energy Labs in Berkeley, is definitely creative. She’s also fit and smart — and has a technical team that inspires confidence. In May 2019, she climbed Mt. Everest in 14 days, ‘car to car,’ as climbers say — Berkeley to Everest summit to Berkeley. She’s the first person ever to do so. The goal of this “lightning ascent” technique is to reduce the time it takes the body to acclimate to the world’s tallest peak, through training, technology and nutrition.
Berkeley to Everest & Back in 14 Days By Dierdre Wolownick
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oxanne Vogel, Nutrition & Performance Research Manager at the offices of GU Energy Labs in Berkeley, is a fast climber. In May 2019, she climbed Mt. Everest in 14 days, ‘car to car,’ as climbers say — Berkeley to Everest summit to Berkeley. She’s the first person ever to do so. The goal of this “lightning ascent” approach is to reduce the time it takes the body to acclimate to the world’s tallest peak, through training, technology and nutrition. Vogel is an accomplished alpinist; before Everest, she had climbed more than 12 summits over 15,000 feet, including five of the seven highest summits on each continent. No matter how accomplished, though, one has to think differently to even imagine summiting Everest in a mere two weeks total. It usually takes from two months to a year to get ready. Alpinists who prepare for Everest have to train their bodies to perform at a high cardio level without the rich oxygenated mix we breathe at sea level, while carrying heavy loads uphill. They climb mountains — preferably up to or above 20,000 feet — to acquire endurance and experience dealing with the specialized gear and equipment, like jumars, crampons, and ice axes. They take supplements for vitamins, antioxidants and other nutrients that will be lacking during the whole summit experience (no fresh fruits or veggies up there). Not Vogel. Instead of sleeping in a tent on the side of a really high mountain, she slept in her own bed at sea level — but that bed was enclosed in a tent that simulated the conditions at elevation, especially the lack of oxygen. Instead of hiking up and down for months at 20,000 feet, she worked every day at her job in a sea-level office that included a small hypoxia chamber where she trained, with weights, and where she simply did her day job — while breathing thinner air.
Many aspiring climbers lose up to 20% of their body weight while attempting Everest. At altitude, people lose lean tissue — their body basically ‘eats’ their muscle tissue. Vogel lost 20 pounds but all of it before she left, and most of it from fat. Sleeping in the tent changes the way the body loses its weight, she says, and she was trained to “fat-adapt” for months before her departure. For the last five years she’s been training hard, and eating a more or less paleo diet. Part of the difference is gender. “Women,” she says, “are better fat-burners, in general.” It also takes a certain personality, she adds, to commit fully to the rigors of the altitude and physical training. And time is a big factor. Not many people have the 20 or so hours it requires per week to prepare for lightning ascents of the world’s highest mountains. Vogel wasn’t always this driven. No one in her family was “outdoorsy,” she says, laughing at the memory. She played the usual sports as a kid, “just for fun.” While she was in college, she discovered some of the joys of the outdoors, but it was in Peru, where she hiked on Incan trails, that she fell in love with the natural world. While going through a divorce, she experimented with getting out of her comfort zone — and wound up at Everest Base Camp. The peaks awed her, and she made herself a promise there. “I need to climb those things,” she vowed. She went on to get her M.S. in Exercise Physiology, then moved to Denver, where she began climbing and making friends with the mountains. When she climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro, 19,340 feet, in Tanzania (Africa), she discovered that her body does well at “this high altitude thing.” Encouraged by her body’s ability to cope easily with the demands of altitude, Vogel is on a mission to climb the “Seven Summits,” the highest mountain on each continent. Still, Everest in 14 days — surely that requires enormous confidence. And support.
She laughs again at that. “The chance of death was only about five percent.” (I guess that makes some people confident.) “No, my family, all the people who knew me, couldn’t believe it.” I wondered whether any of them had tried to talk her out of it. “In the beginning they didn’t realize the extent,” she clarified. “I told them, ‘I’m going for a hike for a couple weeks.’ They didn’t really understand the whole “fast” thing. And I didn’t really try to make them understand!” I couldn’t help but think about my son, Alex Honnold, not telling me, or anyone, about his free solos before he did them. There are some things a parent just doesn’t want, or need, to know. Support, though, was plentiful at the GU offices, where everyone is an athlete and understands being driven to accomplish new goals. They encourage all of their athlete/ employees to set physical goals for themselves each year, and they all celebrate when someone achieves one of them. One of her colleagues, Magdalena Boulet, knows all about setting goals. Boulet is Vice-President of Innovation, Research and Development at GU. Although she grew up as a swimmer, she qualified for the Beijing Olympics in 2008 in marathon running. Originally from Poland, she attributes her own tenacity to “mostly those tough Polish genes.” Boulet needed help, though, in fueling her activities, and Vogel is a sports nutritionist. The two women have worked to accomplish many extreme sports goals together, including an ascent of the Ojos del Salado, a peak of 22,615 feet in Ecuador. Everest, though, takes it to the next level. I was curious what drove a petite young woman from the Bay Area to attempt such a goal. “Deep down,” she explains, “I’m just a big nerd. I’ve always been fascinated with high altitude physiology,
PHOTOS COURTESY OF GU ENERGY LABS
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CLOCKWISE FROM TOP: VOGEL ON THE SUMMIT OF EVEREST WITH HER FRIEND AND GUIDE LYDIA BRADEY; VOGEL TRAIL RUNNING IN THE MARIN HEADLANDS; A SELFIE FROM EVEREST BASE CAMP
“Deep down, I’m just a big nerd. I’ve always been fascinated with high altitude physiology, and I guess that just pushed me to make myself a bit of a guinea pig.” — Roxanne Vogel
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and I guess that just pushed me to make myself a bit of a guinea pig.” Besides, she explains further, “I thought it was a long shot. Maybe only a 10 to 30 percent chance of success, even if we stayed longer, 30 days or more. We were watching the weather. It was terrible, and very windy.” They approached from the north, in Tibet (a contested part of China). Most climbers ascend from the other side, which is where the infamous pictures of the dangerous Everest crowds are taken. But that long shot paid off, and — to her great surprise — she found herself on the summit of Everest. “I was so tired!” she recalls. “I had banners, logos, sponsors’ things. But I was too tired to pull them out. I knew none of that was going to happen. “It was really hard to process,” she continues, smiling at the memory. “I was just so, so tired! And then I looked around, and thought, ‘where is everybody?’ We
summited at noon, and there were only four of us up there. “As we got higher, I remember this outof-body kind of experience. You watch yourself walk, hear yourself breathing hard. Then, above 20,000 feet, you put the oxygen on, and it’s like, ’Whoa! I’m back!’” “Did it change your life?” I couldn’t help but think about all the back-country climbs I’ve done with my son or my friends. Each one changed my life in so many subtle, or not-so-subtle, ways. But this monster ... Her long pause as she thought about my question said clearly that she probably wouldn’t formulate an in-depth response to that for a long time; but she did try to answer it for me. “My life is … not very different, but there’s been a fair amount of outreach from the media.” A shrug, another pause. I could see her mind scrambling, remembering, processing. I left her to think about the rest. The “why” of climbing is never easy to explain.
EARN YOUR BEER Suicidal Tendencies MTB Words and and photo photo by by James James Murren Murren Words
THE EARNING: MOUNTAIN BIKING
PRECIPICE > SIDEWINDER > SUICIDAL TENDENCIES > SIDEWINDER > BARREL ROLL
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few miles west of St. George, UT on Route 8 is the Santa Clara River Reserve, which has a network of trails open to mountain biking. Local beta from the Dixie Mountain Bike Trails Association confirmed that Suicidal Tendencies lollipop is on the expert end of the skill set needed to ride it. To get to the lollipop, I headed out from the Cove Wash Trailhead on Precipice which connects right into Sidewinder, a steady incline that is not all that noticeable when eyeballing the landscape, but is obvious when breathing while pedaling a mountain
bicycle. I pedaled for a little over 2.5 miles before the stick of the Suicidal Tendencies’ 4.0 mile lollipop was under my tires, marked by a trail sign. At the loop-of-the-lollipop junction, I went left. I knew the first sets of switchbacks would be hairy, and they did not disappoint. Without any qualms, especially since I did not see any other riders, I dismounted at a super tight set and then got comfortable and dropped down into a wash, at which point the trail went quickly back up to some precipitous riding. I pedaled with relative ease as the trail went up and up, leading to a spectacular view of the valley floor to the west. From there, I went down, down, down, passing through juniper trees. The mix of desert scrub and the junipers, with long views of the red rock desert, the Pine Valley Mountains, and all the way to Zion’s walls, had me flying high. Add in the slabby drops and tech-rock riding, and I was in a happy place. It was not long before I was back at the lollipop junction and heading back down the lollipop stick to Sidewinder, reveling in the fun romping descent. Instead of going back on Precipice, I cut off on Barrel Roll, a different return trail, but characterized the same: flowy twists and turns with a big wide open viewscape. No doubt, Santa Clara offers up tech mountain biking trails. I barely scratched the surface, putting it on my list for future plans to get back and scratch it some more. blm.gov/visit/search-details/16381/2
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Protect Our Winters A Voice for Responsible Climate Policy Words by Leonie Sherman • Photos by Ming Poon
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n a balmy February day a few years ago, my best friend and I biked from the valley floor to Glacier Point Road in Yosemite National Park. Badger Pass, California’s first ski resort, was deserted. We sat in t-shirts and gawked at the post-apocalyptic scene: chairlifts creaking in the wind while ravens picked at the grassy slopes. Elite athlete, snowboarding phenom and film star Jeremy Jones noticed the disappearance of winter over a decade earlier and did more than just sit and gawk. He founded the organization Protect Our Winters to unite the outdoor community to come together and fight climate change. “POW activates and educates about what we need to do to win. We are so strong when we work together,” Jones explains. “My life is shaped around winter, and snow and the environment. I just have a deep love for it,” he says. “I started POW in 2007 because I was seeing changes to the mountains. We are a community tied to snow and the outdoors, and we know our sport is on a dead end path. I’m in a position where I can bring people together — Feb/March 2020 20 ASJ ASJ—June/July 2012
and say ‘Hey, we need to do something about this.’” At that point he wanted to give money to a group focusing on climate. But he couldn’t find one that resonated with the outdoor community. “Friends kept telling me I should start one. For two years I fought starting it myself. I was not thinking ‘I need more meaning in my life, I’m going to start a non-profit!’” Jones says with a laugh. “But it became really clear that we had an issue and needed to do something about it. The fact is, I’m super fortunate. I’m in this position because people support me and come to my films and have given me this platform. The very least I can do is use it wisely.” He’s displayed wisdom and humility in the creation of POW, which now employs 12 full-time staff. “Our early ads never had me in them. I tried to do everything I could so it wasn’t a Jeremy Jones thing.” He approached companies that weren’t already sponsoring him and leveraged his extensive network. “I’m not an expert in the field of climate but I learned really early on how to ask people to lend their
expertise and surround myself with really good people.” One of those good people is current Executive Director Mario Molina. Originally from Guatemala, Molina served as the Deputy Director for Alliance for Climate Education and later worked with Al Gore’s Climate Reality Project. A masters degree in Geoscience Analysis familiarized him with current climate science and five years running sustainable travel projects in the mountains of Ecuador made him painfully aware of how rapidly changes were happening. “No model that we have shows climate change happening in a week,” he says with a laugh, “but it’s definitely not going to be the hundreds of years a lot of people told us it would be.” Molina joined POW because of the people it brings together. “The outdoor recreation industry and profession brings forth some of the best of the best in terms of performance athletes and also the character and values of people involved,” explains Molina. “It’s really encouraging and motivating and humbling to have these amazing people involved.”
POW started their fight against climate change by advocating for awareness and simple personal actions people can take. “Reusable water bottles, changing light bulbs, carpooling, those kinds of things,” Jones explains. “But then we realized, through experts, that we need policy change to see meaningful results.” POW was influential in lobbying Congress to oppose a rider to a tax bill which allowed drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR), which passed by only three votes. “Before 2016 we actually had some success at the federal level, but after the presidential election we knew we had to shift our focus to the state level,” explains Jones. “We focus on purple states, places that are right on the brink of embracing a clean energy future or doubling down on the fossil fuel industry. We are currently working hard in Nevada, Colorado, Michigan, North Carolina, New Hampshire, Maine, Ohio, and Florida. We aim to get them to embrace clean energy and stop incentivizing fossil fuel extraction.” Both Nevada and Colorado have committed to 100% renewable energy by 2050.
POW employs carefully crafted messaging, data-driven research, basic economics and people’s own self-interest to bring about important policy changes. Almost a quarter of our nation’s carbon footprint comes from fossil fuel extraction on public lands. “That’s mostly exported, employs only a few people and benefits even fewer,” explains Jones. “Arby’s restaurant employs more people, but the fossil fuel industry receives about $700 billion in government subsidies every year. The renewable energy sector was employing more people than the fossil fuel industry eight years ago and those numbers have only gone up.” “30,000 people are coming to Mammoth this weekend. All that money adds up.” says Jones. “The outdoor industry employs more people and creates more revenue than fossil fuel extraction. We wield very little power for how big of an industry and how big of a jobs creator we are. “ “There are 36 million people who climb, mountain bike, ski, snowboard or trail run in the US,” explains Molina. “That’s one third of the total voting population of the 2016 election. Together, these people have the potential to pressure politicians to make significant policy change.” “We don’t need every one of those 36 million people to show up, we just need thousands to show up at the right places at the right times,” explains Molina. “We need them to show up during local, state and federal elections and whenever there
The outdoor industry employs more people and creates more revenue than fossil fuel extraction. We wield very little power for how big of an industry and how big of a jobs creator we are.” — Jeremy Jones
are bills passing through Congress that need constituent support. We need people to engage elected officials at scale when we have votes like the one on ANWR.” “Big pharma and extraction industry have so much power with our elected officials,” laments Jones. “We are letting the fossil fuel industry buy our elections and ignore science. I can’t deal with that. It’s time for us to come together and say ‘Hey, we demand action! And if we don’t get it, we are going to come together and replace you with a climate champion.’”
Despite their hard work and carefully crafted advocacy, results have been thin. “In all honesty, there have not been a lot of victories fighting climate change,” bemoans Jones. “Largely, as a society, we have failed.” Molina is not surprised by societal failures, like the results of the recent climate conference in Madrid. “Implementation of these commitments is really hard stuff,” he explains. “And when you have a major player like the US completely missing from a leadership position things get a lot more
OPPOSITE PAGE: JEREMY JONES, HIS FAMILY AND MANY OTHER TRUCKEE LOCALS GATHER TO MAKE THEIR VOICES HEARD AND SHOW SUPPORT IN THE GREAT FIGHT AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE. THIS PAGE, TOP: JONES RIPPING SOME SUNRISE POWDER IN LAKE TAHOE, NV. THIS PAGE, RIGHT: JONES REFLECTING ON A TEN DAY SELF SUPPORTED BACKCOUNTRY SNOWBOARDING EXCURSION IN WYOMING. FOR MORE, CHECK OUT ROADLESS BY TETON GRAVITY RESEARCH.
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FIND YOUR FLOW
MAMMOTH MOUNTAIN BIKE PARK With a vast beginner zone for newbies, 80+ miles of singletrack to make progression easy, plus some of the most radical terrain in the country, Mammoth Bike Park offers a world-class mountain biking experience for everyone.
“Arby’s restaurant employs more people, but the fossil fuel industry receives about $700 billion in government subsidies every year.” — Mario Molina difficult.” But both Jones and Molina maintain their optimism and commitment to doing the hard work. “We already have the solutions,” says Jones. “And the solutions are huge job creators. Those are domestic jobs.” Molina is heartened by an undeniable cultural shift. “What gives me hope is that there’s been an awakening within the community and mainstream society at large about the urgency of this issue. If we can catalyze that energy we can see the outdoor community have a huge impact on how this country addresses climate change in the next five years.” And POW doesn’t need to tackle climate change alone. “I mean the fact that millions of kids are marching in the streets is both really sad and really inspiring,” says Jones. “I’m so grateful. I call it the X factor. This is what we need, we need a revolution and the kids are making it happen.” To learn how you can get involved and support POW, go to protectourwinters.org.
— Feb/March 2020 22 ASJ ASJ—June/July 2012
ABOVE TOP TO BOTTOM: JONES AND NICK RUSSELL SKINNING UP FOR ANOTHER LAP DURING A SEVEN DAY, SELF SUPPORTED, BACKCOUNTRY SNOWBOARD EXCURSION IN THE SIERRA; JONES AND CONNERY LUNDIN TAKING IN THE BEAUTY OF THEIR HOME, LAKE TAHOE, AND PLANNING THE NEXT SEQUENCE; MARIO MOLINA GETTING SOME POWDER TURNS ON HIS SNOWBOARD (PHOTO: WARREN MILLER ENTERTAINMENT); EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR MARIO MOLINA (PHOTO: MIKE THURK).
TAHOE’S
BEST XC
TAHOE DONNER CROSS COUNTRY SKI CENTER CONSISTENTLY VOTED ONE OF NORTH AMERICA’S
BEST XC SKI AREAS
BY USA TODAY
Over 100km of trails across 2,800 acres of terrain
Professional ski school offering lessons, programs and clinics
Pristine grooming for skating and classic skiing
State-of-the-art lodge including cafe and bar
VISIT TAHOEDONNER.COM/XC FOR MORE INFO
COME SPEND YOUR WINTER VACATION ON THE PRISTINE SHORE OF TAHOE Come Spend Your Winter 2017-2018 Vacation With us on The Pristine Shores of Lake Tahoe There isn’t a more beautiful, peaceful place to come “home” to after an amazing day on the slopes or on the lake.
Plan your vacation with us today ... ACCOMMODATIONS FOR GROUPS, FAMILIES & INDIVIDUALS l TRANSPORTATION TO & FROM THE AIRPORT SHUTTLE Plan your 2017-2018 DROP-OFF LOCATION l MEAL OPTIONS l GROUP SPACE l ENJOY winter vacation with us today! OUR PRIVATE BEACH l HIKING ACCOMMODATIONS FOR GROUPS, FAMILIES TRAILS, SKI| TRANSPORTATION RESORTS AND AND INDIVIDUALS TO AND FROM THE AIRPORT SHUTTLE DOZENS OF WINTER ACTIVITIES DROP-OFF LOCATION | MEAL OPTIONS | WITHIN MINUTES GROUP SPACE | SKI RESORT AND DOZENS OF WINTER ACTIVITIES WITHIN MINUTES
Welook look forward to having We forward to having hereas as our youyou here ourguest! guest! Extensive footage of our property is available online. Visit zephyrpoint.org and click “Watch Videos” on the bottom right section of the home page. Extensive footage of our property is available online. Visit zephyrpoint.org and click “Watch Videos” (bottom right section of the home page).
Zephyr Point is a come, PC(USA) Affiliate zephyrpoint.org Shuttle is first and must be pre-scheduled. 775-588-6759 PLEASE VISIT ZEPHYRPOINT.ORG OR CALL 775-588-6759 FOR MORE INFORMATION.
PLEASE VISIT ZEPHYRPOINT.ORG OR CALL 775-588-6759 FOR MORE INFORMATION. www. advent ur espor t sjour nal. com
23
Event Profiles // Featured Upcoming Events
Photo: Scott Rokis
BJORNLOPPET XC SKI RACES
ALPENGLOW MOUNTAIN FESTIVAL
The Bjornloppet is the longest-running cross country ski race on the west coast and is a special opportunity to visit Bear Valley and test your skills on some of the most scenic groomed trails in California. Saturday races are Open Division Freestyle which allows both skating and striding equipment and techniques. Sunday is all about classic striding and offers both a 5K and 10K course. There will be post-race food and awards each day. All ages and abilities welcome. The event is presented by the Bear Valley Adventure Company. Learn more at bvadventures.com.
The seventh iteration of the Alpenglow Mountain Festival — presented by The North Face— takes place across North Lake Tahoe and showcases over 75 individual events, most of which are entirely free. The nine-day festival is a celebration of human-powered mountain sports with a heavy focus on backcountry and Nordic skiing. The event is geared specifically for the beginner to intermediate winter recreationalist. Space is limited and participants are encouraged to register online to secure spots. Learn more at alpenglowsports.com.
SURFER’S PATH 10k/5k
BUFFALO BANKED SLALOM
SANTA CRUZ PADDLEFEST
This 10k/5k event covers a portion of the epic Surfer’s Path Marathon & Capitola Half Marathon course. The distance is reduced but the scenery remains breathtaking. Participants will be treated to beachfront and bluff views of the Monterey Bay along the majestic Santa Cruz County coastline. Travel along the Surfer’s Path, passing many of the world’s most famous surf breaks. There will be plenty of surf music and celebration at the finish area located in the heart of Capitola Village. Learn more at runsurferspath.com.
This event is unique in that it uses a natural gully (called Buffalo Gulch) while most banked slalom courses consist of man-made berms on open ski slopes. The course descends over approximately 1,000 feet from the top of Coyote Butte to its base. The event is open to men and women, skiers and snowboarders of all ages. Fun fact: Bill Buffalo, a legendary Mt. Shasta local, was one of the first men to bring a snowboard to Mt. Shasta during its conception years, giving Buffalo Gulch its name. Learn more at skipark.com.
Mark your calendars as all manner of paddling crafts take over West Cliff Drive in Santa Cruz. The Santa Cruz Paddlefest is a community-run and organized festival that focuses on racing and surfing paddlesports. Categories are offered for all ages and experience levels. Whether it is kayaking, SUP, waveski, outrigger, or surfski there is a category for you. Visitors are welcome to spectate for free but event participants are required to register in advance. Learn more at santacruzpaddlefest.com.
February 8-9, Bear Valley
February 23, Capitola
February 15-23, North Lake Tahoe
March 7, Mt. Shasta
BANFF CENTRE MOUNTAIN FILM FESTIVAL WORLD TOUR February 20-23, Santa Cruz
Ignite your passion for adventure, action and travel! The Banff Centre Mountain Film Festival World Tour will exhilarate you with amazing big-screen stories when it comes to Santa Cruz with four shows and two programs to choose from. This stop on the world tour is hosted by UCSC Recreation and is a benefit for the Wilderness Orientation Scholarship Fund and Recreation Program Scholarships. Learn more at riotheatre.com.
March 26-29, Santa Cruz
Photo: Harry Lefrak
Photo: Kris Wakefield
SEA OTTER CLASSIC
TRUCKEE RUNNING FESTIVAL
NEVADA COUNTY CYCLING FESTIVAL
This world-renowned family-friendly cycling festival boasts mountain bike XC, downhill, dual slalom & short track racing. A new timed gravel race is also on the schedule, and road cyclists can compete in circuit and road racing. Non-competitive tours are also offered, such as Gran Fondos and recreational events for riders of all ages. An expo, food court, stunt shows, carnival activites and so much more round out the festivities. Learn more at seaotterclassic.com.
Join in for a morning of Truckee running and fun at Riverview Park. Sign up for a 5K (benefiting Girls on the Run Sierras) or 10K along the Legacy Trail or a half marathon featuring beautiful and scenic trails of Waddle Ranch. Bring the kids for age appropriate distance fun races. Salomon Running will be onsite providing several new running shoes for demo. Tahoe Sports Hub will also be onsite with a selection of running gear. o Learn more at tahoetrailrunning.com.
The legendary Nevada City Classic ProAm Criterium will be joined by five other Nevada County cycling events for a weekend of cycling fun. The Nevada County Cycling Festival will include the Rotary Gold Country Challenge road ride, the Big Brothers/Big Sisters gravel ride challenge, the Nevada City Fat Tire Festival, YBONC’s CA Dirt MTB Series and the Nevada City Brewfest — making for a cycling festival like no other. Us Learn more at NevadaCityClassic.com.
April 16-19, Monterey
24 ASJ—June/July ASJ — Feb/March 2020 24 2012
May 31, Truckee
June 13-14, Nevada City CA
EVE NT S
BIKE, SWIM, RUN, SKI, PADDLE, REPEAT, CLIMB, BIKE, SWIM, RUN, SKI, PADDLE, REPEAT, CLIMB, BIKE, SWIM, RUN, SKI, PADDLE, REPEAT, SURF, CLIMB, BIKE, SWIM, RUN, SKI, PADDLE, REPEATCLIMB, BIKE, SWIM, RUN, SKI, PADDLE, REPEAT, CLIMB, PADDLE, BIKE, RUN, SWIM, RUN, REPEAT, BIKE, SWIM, RUN, SURF, PADDLE, REPEAT RUN, SKI, PADDLE, CLIMB, BIKE, SWIM 20 20
THE 2020 RACE & EVENT CALENDAR
Go to the EVENTS page on our website for more information and direct links to each event. Confirm dates and details with event producers.
February
BIKING
15-16 — 2-Day Core Fundamentals / Palo Alto / 14 hours, set curriculum to master & improve your bike skills / ASingleTrackMind.com 22 — Camino Real Double Century / Irvine / PlanetUltra.com 29 — Super Sweetwater Grasshopper Adventure Series #2 / Sonoma Cty. / GrasshopperAdventureSeries.com
March
1 — Chico Velo Tour de Ed / Chico / ChicoVelo.org 8 — MTB Showdown - Cross Country Mountain Bike Racing / Granite Beach, Folsom SRA / TotalBodyFitness.com 21 — Solvang Double Century / Lompoc / PlanetUltra.com 22 — MTB Championship - Cross Country MTB Racing / Granite Beach, Folsom SRA / TotalBodyFitness.com 23-29 — Solvang Spring Tour / Hadsten House, Solvang / PlanetUltra. com
28 — Lake Sonoma MTB - Grasshopper Adventure Series #3 / Sonoma Cty. / GrasshopperAdventureSeries.com 28-29 — Sagebrush Safari / Campo / XC & Kids Race on Sat; Gravel Race on Sun. / QuicknDirtyMTB.com
April 4 — Gran Fondo Las Vegas / Las Vegas, NV / PlanetUltra.com 5 — Great Auburn Epic Race / Auburn SRA / TotalBodyFitness.com 11 — Huffmaster Hopper Grasshopper Adventure Series #4 / Maxwell / GrasshopperAdventureSeries. com 11 — Mulholland Challenge / Agoura Hills / PlanetUltra.com 16-19 — Sea Otter Classic / Monterey / SeaOtterClassic.com 18 — Bike Around the Buttes / Sutter / BikeAroundTheButtes.com 19 — Sea Otter Classic MTB XC - CA Dirt MTB #1 / Monterey / YBONC.org
25 — Tierra Bella Bicycle Tour / Gilroy / TierraBella.org 25-26 — Chico Velo Wildflower Century / Chico / WildflowerCentury.org
May
16-17 — Bike MS: Los Angeles Coastal Challenge / Santa Monica / BikeMS.org 17 — Alta Alpina Death Ride Training Series / Alpine County / Ride Passes at Your Peak / AltaAlpina.org/training 17 — Strawberry Fields Forever Ride / Watsonville / Fully supported; 30mi, 60mi, 100mi options. Benefits Cyclists for Cultural Exchange / StrawberryFields.org
2 — Wine Country Century / Santa Rosa / 4 routes / SRCC.com 3 — Wine Country Tour de Cure / Sonoma State University / Tour. Diabetes.org 3 — Grizzly Peak Century / Moraga / 3 routes / Grizz.org/century
21 — Quick n’ Dirty Summer Series Race #3 / Escondido / QuicknDirtyMTB.com
3 — Delta Century / Lodi / DeltaCentury.org
22-25 — Great Western Bike Rally / Paso Robles / GreatWesternBicycleRally.com
7 — Quick n’ Dirty Summer Series Race #1 / Escondido / QuicknDirtyMTB.com
23 — Heartbreak Double Century / Palmdale / PlanetUltra.com
9 — Jackson Forest - Grasshopper Adventure Series #5 / Mendocino County / GrasshopperAdventureSeries. com
23 — Ridin’ High at the Ranch - CA Dirt MTB #2 / Susanville / YBONC.org
9 — I Care Classic Bike Tour / San Jose / 4 routes / ICareClassic.org
24 — Skaggs & Super Skaggs - Grasshopper Adventure Series #6 / Sonoma Cty. / GrasshopperAdventureSeries.com
14 — Quick n’ Dirty Summer Series Race #2 / Escondido / QuicknDirtyMTB. com 16 — Groveland Grind / Groveland / GrovelandTrailheads.org
23 — Toro Enduro - CES #1 / Salinas / CaliforniaEnduroSeries.com
28 — Quick n’ Dirty Summer Series Race #4 / Escondido / QuicknDirtyMTB.com
www. advent ur espor t sjour nal. com
25
BIKING, cont. May 30 — Santa Cruz Old Cabin Classic / Wilder Ranch / OldCabinClassic.com 31 — Osborne Hill - CA Dirt MTB #3 / Grass Valley / YBONC.org
June 6 — Lost & Found Gravel Grinder / Lake Davis / 30mi, 60mi, 100mi / SierraTrails.org 6 — Wente 8 Hour XC / Willits / BikeMonkey.com 6 — Tour of the Unknown Coast / Humboldt County / TUCcycle.org 7 — America’s Most Beautiful Bike Ride / Lake Tahoe / BikeTheWest.com 11 — Quick n’ Dirty Summer Series Race #5 / Escondido / QuicknDirtyMTB.com 13 — Fears, Tears & Beers / Ely, Nv / The oldest and toughest MTB enduro in the US / ElyNevada.net 13 — Tour of Two Forests / Santa Clarita / PlanetUltra.com 13 — Incarnation 100 / Santa Rosa / 32mi, 45mi, 100K & 100mi / Incarnation100.org
26 ASJ—June/July ASJ — Feb/March 2012 2020
13 — Pioneer/Hoot/Dascombe Trails - CA Dirt MTB #4 / Nevada City / YBONC.org 13 — Gold Country Century Challenge Road & Gravel Ride / Nevada City / Big Brothers & Big Sisters / RotaryGoldCountryChallenge.com 13 — Mammoth Bar Enduro - CES #2 / Auburn / CaliforniaEnduroSeries.com 13 — California Dirt MTB Series / Nevada City / YBONC fundraiser / YBONC.org/events/dirt-classic 13 — Nevada City Fat Tire Festival / Nevada City / NCFatTireFestival.com 13 — Nevada City Brewfest / Nevada City / NevadaCityChamber.com/nevadacity-events 13-14 — Nevada County Cycling Festival / Nevada City / NevadaCityChamber.com/nevada-cityevents 13-14 — 60th Annual Nevada City Classic Bicycle Race / Nevada City / Come be part of history! Ride where greats have raced. / NevadaCityClassic.com 14 — Silicon Valley Tour de Cure / Palo Alto / Tour.Diabetes.org
2020 Race & Event Calendar 18 — Quick n’ Dirty Summer Series Race #6 / Escondido / QuicknDirtyMTB.com 20 — King Ridge Supreme - Grasshopper Adventure Series Finale / Sonoma Cty. / GrasshopperAdventureSeries.com 20 — Lake Tahoe Mountain Bike Race / Tahoe City / AdventureSportsWeekTahoe.com 20-27 — Sierra to the Sea Bicycle Tour / Lake Tahoe to SF / SierraToTheSea.org 25 — Quick n’ Dirty Summer Series Race #7 / Escondido / QuicknDirtyMTB.com 27 — Climb to Kaiser / Clovis / ClimbToKaiser.com 27 — China Peak Enduro - CES #3 / Lakeshore / CaliforniaEnduroSeries.com 27 — Alta Alpina Challenge: Riding the Wild Sierra / Markleeville / Choose up to eight passes / AltaAlpina.org/ challenge 28 — Alta Alpina Breakfast & Recovery Ride / Woodfords / Sunday breakfast & easy family ride / AltaAlpina. org/challenge
12-13 — Bike MS: Waves to Wine / Rohnert Park / WavesToWine.org
11 — Death Ride - Tour of the California Alps / Markleeville / 5 pass ride, 129 mi, and 15,000 ft of lungbusting climbing / DeathRide.com 18 — Mt. Shasta Enduro - CES #4 / Lakeshore / CaliforniaEnduroSeries.com 18 — Santa Cruz Mountains Challenge / UCSC Baskin School of Engineering, Santa Cruz / Four ride options featuring challenging climbs, coastal views and gorgeous scenery / SantaCruzMountainsChallenge.com 30-Aug 2 — Downieville Classic MTB Race and Festival / Downieville / 25th Anniversary / DownievilleClassic.com
13 — Tour de Tahoe - Bike Big Blue / Lake Tahoe / BikeTheWest.com
3-10 — Arthritis Foundation’s California Coast Classic Bike Tour / San Francisco to Los Angeles / Ride the iconic Highway 1 fully supported at your own pace / Events.Arthritis.org
18-20 — Silver State 508 / Reno, NV / the508.net
4 — Great Trail Race / Truckee /Tahoe City / MTB or run / GreatTrailRace.com
19 — Stetina’s Paydirt / Carson City, NV / StetinasPaydirt.com
10 — Tri-States Gran Fondo / Mesquite, NV / PlanetUltra.com
19 — Grinduro / Quincy / Gravel grinder plus MTB style enduro, 2 day festival / Grinduro.com
10-16 — Million Dollar Challenge / Palo Alto / ChallengedAthletes.org
19 — Gold Rush Growler MTB Race / Folsom / TotalBodyFitness.com 21-27 — Mountains to Meadows / Quincy / Monday through Sunday quincymountainstomeadows.com
August 1 — Marin Century / Marin County Fairgrounds / 6 routes / MarinCyclists.com 22-23 — Northstar Enduro - CES #5 / Truckee / CaliforniaEnduroSeries.com
27-Oct 3 — OATBRAN (One Awesome Tour Bike Ride Across Nevada) / Lake Tahoe to Baker, NV / Epic cycling journey across Nevada / BikeTheWest.com TBD — Bear Valley Fat Tire Festival / Bear Valley / A weekend of MTB shenanigans / BVAdventures.com
30 — Ebbetts Pass Century / Bear Valley / Test yourself in the California Alps / BVAdventures.com
17 — Usal Lost Coast / Mendo. Cty. / GrasshopperAdventureSeries.com 17 — Hammer Road Rally / Mountains east of Fresno / BikeMonkey.net 17 — Old Growth Classic / Big Basin / OldGrowthClassic.com 31 — Filthy 50+ / Escondido / QuicknDirtyMTB.com
November
October
September
11 — TBF MTB 50-Miler / Granite Bay, Folsom SRA / TotalBodyFitness.com
21 — Death Valley Century / Death Valley National Park / PlanetUltra.com
July
12 — Race the Rails / Ely / Train vs. Bicycles / ElyNevada. net
3 — Ashland Mountain Challenge - CES Finale / Ashland OR / CaliforniaEnduroSeries.com
2— Quick n’ Dirty Summer Series Race #8 / Escondido / QuicknDirtyMTB.com
12-13 — Mendo Hopper / Mendo. Cty. / GrasshopperAdventureSeries.com
3 — Levi’s GranFondo / Santa Rosa / 5 routes / LevisGranFondo.com
December 5 — Dirty 30 / Poway / QuicknDirtyMTB. com
Nevada County Cycling Festival June 13 and 14, 2020— A fantastic combination of cycling events, along with great biking trails and Nevada City’s Brewfest. Add Nevada County Cycling Festival to your spring calendar! Race Info:
Nevada City Classic Bicycle Race: www.nevadacityclassic.com/ Watch for details on Nevada City’s BrewFest: http://bit.ly/2Hzu5T3 Nevada City Fat Tire Festival: www.ncfattirefestival.com/ Rotary/Big Brothers & Big Sisters Gold Country Challenge Rides: www.rotarygoldcountrychallenge.com/ California Dirt MTB Series, YBONC fundraiser: www.ybonc.org/events/dirt-classic/
PRO/AM CRITERIUM
MTB NORBA RACING
For more information, please contact: www.NevadaCityClassic.com Nevada City Chamber of Commerce, 132 Main Street, Nevada City, CA 95959 (530) 265-2692 See Adventure Sports Journal with their new show booth at these great events! www. advent ur espor t sjour nal. com
27
PADDLING
RUNNING
March 1 — Chinese New Year Run / San Francisco / OnYourMarkEvents.com
March
February
26 — 34th Annual Santa Cruz Paddlefest / Steamer Lane and Cowell Beach / Come race and surf at the best ocean playground on earth! / All crafts and ages / SantaCruzPaddlefest.com
1 — Jed Smith Ultras / American River Parkway, Sacramento / buffalochips.com/ 7 — Chanoko 50K, 31K, 5-Mile jed-smith-ultras Trail Runs / Folsom Lake SRA / 2 — Super Sunday Run / California TotalBodyFitness.com State University, Sacramento / runsra. 14-15 — Shamrock’n Half, 5K, 10K, org/super-sunday-run Leprechaun Dash / Sutter Health Park, 8 — Escape from Folsom Trail Runs / West Sacramento / ShamrocknHalf.com Folsom Lake SRA / TotalBodyFitness.com 15 — St. Patrick’s Day 5K / Downtown 8— The “tiny” Half Marathon, 10K, 5K Santa Rosa / SRcity.org/2175/St& Kids’ Run / Galt / OnYourMarkEvents. Patricks-Day-5K com 15 — Go Green / Santa Cruz / 10K, 5K, 8 — Valentine Run/Walk / Country Club Kids’ 1K / FinishLineProduction.com Plaza, Sacramento / valentine.run 21 — Napa Valley Trail Marathon. 22 — Lost Trail Half Marathon & Half Marathon & 10K / Calistoga / 5K / Granite Beach, Folsom SRA / Envirosports.com TotalBodyFitness.com 21 — Run For Mercy 5K & Family Walk 23 — Almond Blossom Run / Ripon / / Roseville / MercyMultiplied.com/rfm OnYourMarkEvents.com 21 — Mighty Dog 5K & 10K Trail 23 — Surfer’s Path 10K/5K / Santa Runs / Granite Beach, Folsom SRA / Cruz & Capitola / Coastal courses TotalBodyFitness.com feature ocean views and a beachfront 21 — She.Is.Beautiful 5K & 10K / Santa finish / RunSurfersPath.com Cruz / RunSheIsBeautiful.com
May 9-10 — Reno River Festival / Reno, Tahoe / RenoRiverFestival.com 30 — Donner Lake Loop / Donner Lake / TahoePaddleRacing.com
July TBD — Annual Jay Moriarity Memorial Paddleboard Race / Capitola / JayMoriarityFoundation.org
August 29 — Downwinder / Lake Tahoe / TahoePaddleRacing.com
September 19 — Tahoe Cup Lake Crossing / Lake Tahoe / TahoePaddleRacing.com
22 — Point Mugu Trail Run / Point Mugu /XterraPlanet.com/pointmugutrailrun
Join Badwater in Armenia! Badwater® Presents
August 30-September 4, 2020 Six Day / 160-mile Trail Running Stage Race across the undiscovered Republic of Artsakh! Four hotel nights & three nights camping. All but two meals provided: local, tasty, and organic! Luggage transport each day: no wearing all your gear! Running through Two Thousand Years of History! 50 runner limit.
www.BADWATER.com
28 — Feb/March 2020 28 ASJ ASJ—June/July 2012
7 — Way Too Cool 50K / Cool Breathtaking trails with amazing views. / NorCalUltras.com
28 — Golden Gate Headlands Marathon. Half Marathon & 10K / Sausalito / Envirosports.com 29 — Seize the Moment Run for Epilepsy / Crocker Park, Sacramento / STMrun.com/
April 4 — Romancing the Island Marathon. Half Marathon & 10K / Angel Island State Park / Envirosports.com 4 — American River 50 Mile Endurance Run / Calistoga / 25- & 50mile / NorCalUltras.com 11 — Giant Race / Sutter Health Park, West Sacramento / race-sfgiants.com 18 — Ridge To Bridge / Marin County / RidgeTrail.RallyBound.org 18 — Run.Sweat.Love / Santa Cruz County Fairgrounds / Walk, jog or run this fun 5K / RunSweatLove.com 19 — Zoo Zoom / Sacramento / SacramentoZooZoom.com 19 — XTERRA Black Mountain Trail Run / San Diego / TrailRace.com 25 — American River Parkway Half / Carmichael / ParkwayHalf.com 25 — Mt. Tam Wild Boar Half Marathon & 10K / Mt. Tamalpais State Park / Envirosports.com
2020 Race & Event Calendar 9 — Quicksilver Endurance Runs - 100K & 50K / San Jose / QuicksilverRunning.com
26 — Race to Educate / Carmichael / RaceToEducate.com
10 — Mother’s Day 5K & Happy Kids 3K / Granite Beach, Folsom SRA / TotalBodyFitness.com
26 — Big Sur International Marathon / Big Sur / BigSurMarathon.org
May 2 — Armstrong Redwoods Trail Run / Guerneville / PacificCoastTrailRuns.com 2 — Miwok 100K / Stinson Beach / Miwok100K.com 2 — Ripon’s Run Half Marathon, 10K & 5K / Ripon / OnYourMarkEvents.com 2 — T9 Mermaid Run East Bay / Fremont / MermaidSeries.com 2 — Wild Wild West Marathon / Lone Pine / plus 50K, 50mi, & 10mi / LonePineChamber.org/events 3 — Fair Oaks Sun Run / Fair Oaks / FairOaksSunRun.com 3 — Aztec 5K Run/Walk / Oakland / OnYourMarkEvents.com 9 — Dirty Secret Trail Run / Cool / DirtySecretTrailRun.com 9 — Miracle Miles for Kids 10K Walk/ Run / Morro Bay / MM4k.com 9 — Muir Woods Marathon, Half Marathon, & 7 Mile / Stinson Beach / Challenging trail run / EnviroSports.com
16-17 — Oakdale Chocolate Festival Run / Oakdale / OnYourMarkEvents.com 16 — XTERRA Malibu Creek Trail Run / Malibu / TrailRace.com 17 — Graniterock River Run / Hollister / runsignup.com/Race/CA/Hollister/ GraniterockRiverRun 17 — Surfer’s Path Marathon, Capitola Half Marathon & Relay / Santa Cruz & Capitola / Scenic, coastal courses / RunSurfersPath.com 17 — Gold Country Half Marathon & 5K / El Dorado Hills / runsra.org/goldcountry-run 23 — Armed Forces Half Marathon / Concord / ArmedForcesHalf.com 25 — No Excuses 5K / William Land Park, Sacramento / noexcuses5k.com 30 — Bishop High Sierra Ultras / Bishop / 20mi, 50K, 50mi, & 100K in the scenic foothills of the Eastern Sierra Nevadas / BishopUltras.com 31 — Truckee Running Festival: Waddle Ranch Trail Half, Legacy 5K & 10K / Truckee / TahoeTrailRunning.com
June
21 — Burton Creek Trail Runs / Tahoe City / 6K, 12K, Half Marathon / TahoeTrailRunning.com
6 — Marine Corps Mud Run / Camp Pendleton / MarineCorpsMudRun.com 7 — Women’s Fitness Festival / Sac / WomensFitnessFestival.com 7 — Squaw Valley Half and Run to Squaw 8 Miler / Olympic Valley / SquawValleyHalf.com 20 — Rock Tahoe Half Marathon / Lake Tahoe, NV / EpicTahoe.com 20 — Marina Bay Running Festival / Richmond / MarinaBayHalfMarathon.com 21 — Run in the Name of Love / Carmel-by-the-Sea / Run4Love.org
27 — Western States 100 / Squaw Valley / wser.org
July 4 — Santa Cruz Sunrise Rotary Club’s Firecracker Run / Santa Cruz /SantaCruzFirecracker10Kand5k / runsignup.com/Race/CA/SantaCruz/ SantaCruzFIrecracker10Kand5K 4 — Run to The Beach / Tahoe Vista / 5K & 10K / TahoeTrailRunning.com
California
2020
26 — Badwater Salton Sea / AnzaBorrego State Park / 81 miles / 40 teams of two or three ultrarunners / BadWater.com
DIRT
MOUNTAIN BIKE SERIES
State MTB XC Championship Series X-C Bike Series • All Ages & Levels • Kids Course Race 1: Sun, Apr 19
Race 2: Sat, May 23
Sea Otter Classic - MTB XC Monterey, CA
Ridin’ High at the Ranch Susanville, CA
Race 3: Sun, May 31
Race 4: Sat, June 4
Osborne Hill Grass Valley, CA
Pioneer/Hoot/Dascombe Nevada City, CA
(inc. E-bike category)
(partner w/NC Fat Tire Fest)
June 13 • Nevada City Fat Tire Festival • Nevada City • Festivities: 5pm-10pm
RACE INFO: YBONC.ORG/EVENTS
ONLINE REG: BIKEREG.COM
www. advent ur espor t sjour nal. com
29
RUNNING, cont. 6-8 — Badwater 135 / Furnace Creek Lone Pine / “The World’s Toughest Road Race” / BadWater.com
8 — Angel Island Marathon. Half Marathon & 10K / Angel Island State Park / Envirosports.com 9 — Marlette 50K and 10 Miler / Lake Tahoe’s East Shore / TahoeTrailRunning.com
11 — She Rocks the Trails / Auburn / 10- & 25- mile options /NorCalUltras.com
15 — XTERRA Trail Run 5K & 10K (10K RRCA NV State Championship) / Incline Village, NV / TahoeTrailRunning.com
12 — Big Chief 50K / Northstar / TahoeTrailRunning.com/big-chief-50kultra-trail-run
22 — Headlands Hundred / Sausalito / 100mi, 75mi, Triple Marathon, 50mi, Marathon / PacificCoastTrailRuns.com
25 — Fab 40s 5K / Sacramento / fab40s5k.com
23 — Good Dog - Dirty Dog 5K/10K / Folsom SRA / TotalBodyFitness.com
26 — Blood, Sweat & Beers / Auburn / BloodSweatBeers.com
September
26 — Biofreeze San Francisco Marathon / SF / TheSFMarathon.com
6 — 9/11 Run to Remember / Sacramento / sac911run.com
August
12 — Emerald Bay Trail Run / Lake Tahoe / TahoeTrailRunning.com
TBD — Race for the Arts / Sacramento / RaceForTheArts.com
13 — XTERRA Laguna Beach Trail Run & Triathlon / Crystal Cove State Park / TrailRace.com
1— Truckee Half Marathon / Truckee / Plus Half Marathon & 5K / TruckeeMarathon.com
13 — Delta Harvest Run / Brentwood / OnYourMarkEvents.com
1 — The Watsonville Strawberry Jam 13 — Buffalo Stampede / Sacramento / 1K and 5K Fun Run/Walk / Watsonville / BuffaloStampedeRun.com FriendsofWatsonvillePCS.org 18 — Moonlight Madness / Cottonwood 8 — Twilight Trail Adventure / Auburn / Valley, Las Vegas, NV / Half marathon / 5K & 10K options / NorCalUltras.com DesertDash.com
PLAN YOUR TAHOE SUMMER ADVENTURE Lake Tahoe Mountain Bike Race:16 Mile Beginner loop; 24 & 36 Mile XC & 4-hour options; race as a team or solo.
June 20 Big Chief 50K: Single loop 50K. Trail race on the amazing trails between Lake Tahoe & Truckee.
TA H O E
July 12 BigBlueAdventure.com 30 ASJ — Feb/March 2020 30 ASJ—June/July 2012
19 — She.Is.Beautiful / Santa Barbara / 18 — Folsom Blues Breakout 13.1 / Folsom / Plus 5K, Relay, & Kids’ 1K / RunSheIsBeautiful.com FolsomBluesHalf.org 19 — Gold Rush Growler 10 Mile 20 — Surfer’s Path Hang 10/5 / Santa Cruz & 5K Trail Runs / Granite Beach / & Capitola / Coastal run featuring ocean TotalBodyFitness.com & harbor views / RunSurfersPath.com 19 — Lederhosen 5K / Olympic Valley / 24 — Run For a Safe Haven / TahoeTrailRunning.com Sacramento / RunForaSafeHaven.com 20 — Clo Cow Half Marathon, 10K & 25 — Dirty Wookie 10K / Reno / 5K / Petaluma / CloCowHalf.com DesertSkyAdventures.com 26 — Big Sur Trail Marathon, 26 — Carrera De Los Muertos / Half Marathon & 5 Mile / Big Sur / Downtown LA / LosMuertos5K.com EnviroSports.com
October 3 — Skyline to the Sea Marathon, Half Marathon, & 50K / Saratoga / PacificCoastTrailRuns.com 4 — Great Trail Race / Truckee/ Tahoe City / Mountain bike or run / GreatTrailRace.com 4 — Urban Cow Half Marathon, Relay & 5K Run/Walk / Sacramento / UrbanCowHalf.com 10 — Ruth Anderson Memorial Endurance Run / Lake Merced, San Francisoc / UltraSignUp.com
26-27 — SLO Ultra Trail Races and SLO County Ultra Games/ Lopez Lake, San Luis Obispo / 50K, Half, 5K / SLOultra.com 31 — BGCSF Halloween 5K / San Francisco, Sports Basement Presidio / SportsBasement.com
November 6-11 — Tun Tavern Ten Virtual 10K & 10Mile Run / Your Location / mccscp. com/TunTen 7 — Bootleg Beatdown Trail Run / Boulder City, NV / DesertDash.com
11 — Graniterock’s Rock & Run 5K and 10K / Santa Cruz / runsignup.com
7 — Rio Del Lago 100 Mile Endurance Run / Folsom / NorCalUltras.com
17 — Napa Wine Country Marathon. Half Marathon & 10K / Calistoga / Envirosports.com
7 — Quarry Crusher Run Chula Vista / Chula Vista / QuarryCrusherRun.com
2020 Race & Event Calendar 8 — T9 Mermaid Run San Francisco / Golden Gate Bridge / 5K, 10K, Sirena 10mi, Virtual Run/ MermaidSeries.com 14-15 — Monterey Bay Half Marathon / Monterey Bay / MontereyBayHalfMarathon.org 26 — Run to Feed the Hungry / Sacramento / RunToFeedTheHungry.com 26 — Marin Turkey Trot / Novato / MarinTurkeyTrot.com 27 — Black Mountain Friday Trail Run / Sloan Canyon, Henderson, NV / #optoutside on Black Friday / DesertDash.com
December
23 — Alpenglow 20k Freestyle / Tahoe April SKIING & XC / TahoeXC.org 4 — Tom’s Classic XC Ski Race / Bear SNOWBOARDING March Valley / Last XC ski race of the season / BVAdventures.com 1 — The Great Ski Race / Tahoe City to February 5 — Mammoth Marathon / Mammoth 1 — Alan Bard Memorial Classic / Mammoth Lakes / FarWestNordic.org 8-9 — Bjornloppet XC Ski Race / Bear Valley / The oldest race in the West. 5K (new), 10K & 20K courses; skate & stride / BVadventures.com 9 — Tahoe Donner XC Challenge / Tahoe Donner Cross Country Ski Center / Ski the fastest route to multiple checkpoints. / tahoedonner.com/xc
5 — Death Valley Trail Marathon and Half Marathon / Death Valley National Park / Scenic wilderness trail / EnviroSports.com
14 — Valentine’s Day Snowshoe Tour / Tahoe Donner Cross Country Ski Center / Guided snowshoe hike under the stars. / tahoedonner.com/xc
6 — California International Marathon / Folsom / #1 Boston Qualifier / RunCIM.org 12 — Hark the Herald Half Marathon & 10K / Angel Island / EnviroSports.com
15-23 — Alpenglow Mountain Festival / Lake Tahoe / A 9-day celebration of human powered sports / Guided backcountry tours, nordic skiing, films & revenue / AlpenGlowSports.com
13 — Santa Run Silicon Valley / San Jose / SantaRunSV.com
22 — Big Air Competition / Mt. Shasta Ski Park, McCloud / skipark.com
13 — Jingle Bell Rock / Santa Cruz / FinishLineProduction.com
22 — Glowstick Parade and Carnival / Tahoe Donner Downhill Ski Resort / An on-mountain light parade and carnival for kids. / tahoedonner.com/downhill
June 27
Truckee / TheGreatSkiRace.com
5 — Masters Clinic: Skate / Bear Valley / BVadventures.com 6 — Toyota US Revolution Tour / Mammoth / MammothMountain.com 7 — Buffalo Banked Slalom / Mt. Shasta Ski Park, McCloud / skipark.com 8 — I-Did-A-Run Dog Pull Fundraiser / Tahoe Donner Downhill Ski Resort / Benefiting the Truckee-Tahoe Humane Society / tahoedonner.com/downhill
Lakes / FarWestNordic.org
12 — Billy Dutton Uphill / Squaw Valley / FarWestNordic.org
SWIMMING
April
19 — ICE Breaker 1/2mi, 1mi, & 2 mi Open Water Swims / Granite Beach, Folsom SRA / TotalBodyFitness.com
June
15 — California Gold Rush Festival / Royal Gorge, Soda Springs / FarWestNordic.org
13 — Golden Gate Bridge Swim / San Francisco / WaterWorldSwim.com
21 — Rail Jam / Mt. Shasta Ski Park, McCloud / skipark.com 22 — Sierra Skogsloppet XC Ski Race / Tahoe Donner Cross Country Ski Center / Annual XC ski race supporting local school programs. / tahoedonner. com/xc
14 — Alcatraz Sharkfest Swim / San Francisco / 1.5mi from Alcatraz to Aquatic Park / SharkFestSwim.com 27 — Tahoe City Swim / Tahoe City / TahoeSwimming.com
28 — Gunbarrel 25 / South Lake Tahoe / See page 20 / tahoesouth.com/events
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Choose up to 8 of the famous Alta Alpina Passes
February 20, 21, 22 & 23
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World’s Toughest Double Century: The 8 Pass Challenge 198 miles / 20,300 ft
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October 3 - 10, 2020
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Support the Arthritis Foundation by joining us for our 20th tour and be a Champion of Yes.
Twenty years of riding for a cure. 20 years. 160 days. 3800 participants. 2 million miles. $20 million raised. Register today at arthritis.org/CaliforniaCoastClassic
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SWIMMING,cont. October
July
4— Alcatraz Swim with the Centurions / San Francisco / WaterWorldSwim.com
11-Aug 1 — Open Water Swim Clinics / Santa Cruz / runsignup.com/Race/CA/ SantaCruz/OWSClinics Clin
4 — San Diego Sharkfest Swim / San Diego Harbor / SharkFestSwim.com
IJuly
TRIATHLON / DUATHLON
April 4 — IRONMAN 70.3 Oceanside (Charity entry for Challenged Athletes Foundation) / challengedathletes.org/ events/ironman-70-3-california 18 — REAL Mountain Bike Triathlon / Granite Beach, Folsom Lake SRA / TotalBodyFitness.com
February
19 — ICE Breaker Triathlon & ICE Breaker Dash Triathlon/Duathlon / Granite Beach, Folsom SRA / TotalBodyFitness.com
8— Double Duathlon & Happy Kids Duathlon #2 / Granite Beach, Folsom SRA / TotalBodyFitness.com
19 — Millerton Lake Triathlon (Crow’s Nest) / Millerton Lake / Sprint & Olympic, 5K & 10K Runs / SierraCascades.com
29 — Lake Tahoe Sharkfest Swim / Incline Village, NV / SharkFestSwim.com
22 — Happy Kids Duathlon #3 / Granite Beach, Folsom SRA / TotalBodyFitness.com
May
September
March
19 — Alpine Fresh Water Swim / Truckee / TahoeSwimming.com
August 23 — Lake Tahoe Open Water Swim / Tahoma / TahoeSwimming.com
5 — Golden Gate Sharkfest Swim / Sausalito / SharkFestSwim.com 12 — Alcatraz Invitational / San Francisco / 1.27mi open water swim / South-End.or 27 — San Francisco Bay Area Swim / San Francisco / SwimAcrossAmerica.org
32 ASJ—June/July ASJ — Feb/March 2020 32 2012
7 — Pasadena Triathlon, Duathlon, & Angel 5K / PasadenaTriathlon.com 7 — Happy Kids Duathlon #4 / Granite Beach, Folsom SRA / TotalBodyFitness. com
17 — Herbalife24 Triathlon / Los Angeles / Herbalife24tri.la 17 — Morgan Hill Sprint Triathlon / UVAS Reservoir, Morgan Hill / 3/4mi swim, 16mi bike, 5mi run / USAPevents.com
June 6 — TRI for FUN Sprint Triathlon and Super Sprint Triathlon/Duathlon #1 / Rancho Seco Park, Herald / TotalBodyFitness.com 7 — TRI for KIDS Triathlon #1 / Granite Beach, Folsom SRA / TotalBodyFitness. com 7 — Orange County Tri Series / Lake Mission Viejo / 1.5K swim, 40K bike, 10K run / OCTriSeries.com
1-3 — Wildflower Experience / Lake San Antonio Shore, Bradley / WildflowerExperience.com
14 — Monte Rio Triathlon / Sonoma County / Plus Aqua Bike, 10K, & 5K run / VineMan.com
9 — Folsom Lake International Triathlon / Granite Beach, Folsom Lake SRA / TotalBodyFitness.com
27 — Tahoe Off Road Triathlon / Tahoe City / AdventureSportsWeekTahoe.com
10 — Mother’s Day Triathlon/ Duathlon, 5K & Happy Kids 3K / Granite Beach, Folsom SRA / TotalBodyFitness.com
28 — Dip and Dash Swim-Run & Team Challenge / Santa Cruz / 3 distance options / FinishLineProduction.com
2020 Race & Event Calendar
July
20 — SuperKid Triathlon / Santa Cruz / FinishLineProduction.com
11 — TRI for FUN Triathlon #2 / Rancho Seco Park, Herald / TotalBodyFitness.com
27 — Santa Cruz Triathlon / Santa Cruz / SantaCruzTriathlon.org
12 — TRI for KIDS & REAL Triathlon #2 / Granite Beach, Folsom SRA / TotalBodyFitness.com 18 — Great American Triathlon / Sacramento / GreatAmericanTriathlon.com 18-19 — Donner Lake Triathlon / Truckee / Half Tri, 70.3, Olympic Tri, Sprint Tri, Kids’ Tri, Aquabike / DonnerLakeTri.com
August 8-9 — TRI for FUN / KIDS / REAL Triathlon #3 / Granite Beach, Folsom SRA / TotalBodyFitness.com
27 — Pacific Coast Triathlon/ Duathlon / Crystal Cove State Beach / OCTriSeries.com 27 — Golden State Triathlon & Super Sprint Triathlon / Granite Beach, Folsom SRA / TotalBodyFitness.com
October 3 — T9 Mermaid Triathlon & Duathlon / Capitola / International Tri, Sprint Tri, Sprint Du / MermaidSeries.com 18 — San Diego Triathlon Challenge / San Diego / ChallengedAthletes.org
MISCELLANEOUS
9 — Tri Santa Cruz / Santa Cruz / FinishLineProduction.com
February
15 — XTERRA Lake Tahoe / Incline Village, NV / BigBlueAdventure.com
Feb 15-23 — Alpenglow Mountain Festival / Lake Tahoe & Truckee / See Event Profile on page 22 / AlpenglowSports.com
22 — Alcatraz XXXX Escape from the Rock Duathlon / Alcatraz to SF / EnviroSports.com 22 — 22nd Annual Granite Bay Triathlon / Granite Beach, Folsom SRA / TotalBodyFitness.com
20-23 — Banff Centre Mountain Film Festival World Tour / Santa Cruz / Exhilarating films from the 44th Banff Centre Mountain Film & Book Festival / RioTheatre.com
22-23 — Lake Tahoe Triathlon / Tahoma / LakeTahoeTri.com
June
23 — Oakland Triathlon / Jack London Square / OaklandTri.com
12-14 — Spoken Wild / Sedro-Woolley, WA / A weekend retreat to rekindle your wild spark! / SpokenWild.com
September 11-13 — Graniteman Challenge / June Lake, Mammoth Lakes, Lee Vining / HighSierraAthletics.com/graniteman 12 — Women’s Triathlon Festival / Granite Beach, Folsom SRA / TotalBodyFitness.com 13 — Ironman 70.3 Santa Cruz / Santa Cruz / Ironman.com
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2-4 — Kulapalooza / Rockport, WA / A weekend retreat for outdoor women / Kulapalooza.events
See more events and post YOUR events online at ASJMAG.COM — and check out our next issue’s Festival Guide coming out in April.
TRY IT AND LIKE IT XC SKIING
with A Single Track Mind
with Bear Valley Adventure Company
Skills Coaching / 1-day Core Fundamentals / 2-day Core Fundamentals
Special learn to cross country ski package at Bear Valley
For more dates and clinics go to ASingleTrackMind.com
MTB Skills Coaching
October
WHEN YOU AREN’T RACING... PROFESSIONAL MTB CLINICS
MARKETPLACE Valley Adventure Co. Learn the skills Bear Cross Country Skiing of a pro from Snowshoeing a pro! Sledding & Tubing
Feb 27 & March 22 For more dates and clinics go to BVAdventures.com
Naturalist-Led Kayaking Trips BlueWaterVentures.org 831•459•8548
Ask
About our marketing packages We offer a wide range of promo tools to boost your business’ visibility. We’ll customize a plan that’s just right for your budget and objectives! staff@adventuresportsjournal.com www. advent ur espor t sjour nal. com
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WILEY X OMEGA SUNGLASSES WITH CAPTIVATE LENSES
Wiley X is a California eyewear company that is creating a buzz in the outdoor industry with its new lens technology. Known as CAPTIVATE, these lenses are different from anything we’ve seen before. By filtering out certain parts of the visible light spectrum that cause visual confusion, especially where blues merge with greens and where greens merge with reds, the lens effect is quite noticeable. The result is colors that appear brighter and more in focus. The lenses also block out harmful UV and HEV rays that damage our eyes in outdoor environments. Wiley X has quite an impressive R&D department at their Livermore headquarters, and we were able to see how CAPTIVATE lenses are tested for safety. We were impressed with the attention to detail and quality. Overall if you are in the market for a pair of sunglasses you should try on a pair of Wiley X Omegas or one of their other styles. You won’t be disappointed. MSRP: $160.00 • wileyx.com
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF’S PICK BY MATT NISWONGER
Gear We Love Goodies for your active lifestyle GREGORY QUADRO PRO HARDCASE 22” This compact hardcase roller is ideal for the adventurous traveler. Stowable in an airplane’s overhead compartment, it also can expand an additional two inches for even more storage. The high-impact polycarbonate construction is solid and protective, and an integrated combination lock adds security. One thing we especially love about this roller bag is the removable ActiveShield zippered TPU coated compartment which keeps dirty or wet clothing and gear separate from everything else. We adventure sports enthusiasts can use all the vapor, odor, and dirt protection we can get for our apparel and gear while traveling! Gregory’s proprietary Quadro spherical wheel system boasts unparalleled mobility while the soft-molded, wide-grip retractable handle offers superior leverage and mobility. Backed by the Gregory Lifetime Guarantee. MSRP: $219.95 • gregorypacks.com
ZIPSTITCH This award-winning product enables anyone to treat minor cuts with ER quality technology and avoid expensive and inconvenient trips to get stitches. Be prepared on your next adventure with this great addition to your first-aid kit! ZipStitch is small and easy to transport wherever you go. It’s the perfect addition to your first aid kit for your car, travel, camping, kids’ sports, hiking or your home. Zip Technology has been proven as a more effective technology than stitches or staples for some of the most challenging wound closure cases in surgery. ZipStitch is made with hypoallergenic materials. It is FDA cleared and its technology has been clinically proven in over a dozen clinical studies to be safe. MSRP: $29.99 • zipstitch.us
OUTDOOR RESEARCH MEN’S HEMISPHERES JACKET
OR hit it out of the park with this one. Superior mobility and breathability in a waterproof jacket? Thank you! No matter what your snow-filled adventure, you’ll feel liberated in this stretchy, all-weather protection. Inspired, designed, and tested by the OR athlete and ambassador team, the Hemispheres is built with trusted waterproof GORE-TEX Fabric with Stretch Technology for uninhibited movement. Generous hemto-pit vents allow for control of your temperature regulation when you’re working hard, while the wire-brimmed halo hood conforms to your head or adjusts over your helmet, keeping you snug when it’s really coming down outside. Finally, high pocket placement ensures that you’ll never have to unbuckle the waist belt of your harness or pack to access the snacks. MSRP: $599.00 • outdoorresearch.com
SWIFTWICK PURSUIT TWELVE SKI SOCK LOWA INNOX PRO GTX LO WS This new athletically inspired lace-up model is lightweight, breathable, and nimble, while also supportive, waterproof, and durable. It’s the perfect women’s shoe for any time you want to move fast and light, such as fastpacking and speed hiking. The Innox Pro GTX Lo Ws is 100% vegan and comes in a variety of colors to choose from. Each shoe weighs just 290 grams. As with every Lowa we’ve ever reviewed, we were impressed by the right-out-of-the-box comfort and fit. No blisters, no breaking-in period. Go light ... go Lowa Innox. MSRP: $195 • lowaboots.com 34 ASJ — Feb/March2012 2020 ASJ—June/July
This sock STAYS PUT in your ski or snowboard boot like no other, allowing you to revel in the pursuit of powder instead of being distracted by the annoying feel of a slippery sock. The PURSUIT is made of fine-gauge merino wool that provides warmth in the winter and absorbs moisture without feeling soggy or losing the ability to regulate temperature. It features a reinforced heel and toe for maximum durability. A medium cushioned footbed combines with a smooth upper for a perfect fit in today’s high-tech ski and snowboard boots. Its wide four-inch cuff comfortably stays in place all day long on the slopes. MSRP: $34.99 • swiftwick.com
O’NEILL 4/3 HYPERFREAK WETSUIT WITH TECHNOBUTTER 3 Surfers know the best swells usually come during the winter months. With ocean temps hovering in the low 50s though, having a good wetsuit is mandatory if you want to take advantage of winter’s bounty. Traditionally that meant squeezing into a stiff 5/4 neoprene winter suit that constricted every movement and made paddling a chore. Luckily, those days are long gone. I couldn’t believe it when I first wore my O’Neill 4/3 Hyperfreak on a chilly day at my favorite spot in Santa Cruz. Hands down I was warmer than I had ever been while surfing cold water in the winter. What’s crazy is I felt like I was surfing naked. The Technobutter 3 neoprene was so stretchy it did not restrict my movements at all. It’s no exaggeration to say it feels like wearing nothing. My old wetsuit used to have me shivering in between sets, but my new Hyperfreak keeps me toasty even when the waves are few and far between and I’m just sitting there on my board. With patented AQUA seam technology that uses solvent-free glue, the Hyperfreak is pretty much a second skin layer with zero cold-water leakage coming in from the back or armpit seams. The front upper zip entry will take a little bit of practice if you are used to the traditional back zip design, but once again the stretchy Technobutter 3 neoprene saves the day, making the Hyperfreak a breeze to put on and take off once you get used to it. Surfing is an extremely difficult sport to master, that’s why it’s important to stack the odds in your favor with the right wetsuit. If you are in the market for a new wetsuit and you want to test yourself in Northern California’s chilly waters, check out the Hyperfreak 4/3 or the super toasty Hyperfreak 5/4. MSRP: $319.95 • us.oneill.com
4 Days 300 Races 70,000 Enthusiasts
Years
APRIL 16-19 | 2020
seaotterclassic.com
MONTEREY, CALIFORNIA, USA
30
S E A OT T E R C L ASS I C
www. advent ur espor t sjour nal. com
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One Place You Can’t Go In A Four Wheel Camper
The GALAXY Leader in Pop-Up Campers 36 ASJ—June/July 2012
www.fourwheelcampers.com
Photo courtesy of Travis Burke
