An Adventurist Editorial: The Stephen Fossett Debates

We should have all seen this one coming from a mile away–

Going into days 5 and 6 for the ongoing search of legendary adventurer Steven Fossett, people are starting to take their focus off of the search and more onto the debates surrounding these types of events when they occur–

First it began with how great of an adventurer Steven Fossett is.  Over the past few days this focus has slowly moved to the motives of a “Risk-Taker” and if Stephen Fossett’s family should be charged for the search currently taking place.

Both of these items are highly debatable and both of them generally always surround a high profile search, especially if the person involved was also a part of anything that has a certain risk-factor to it or has been the focus of media attention in the past.

Personally, I began taking notice of these debates around December of last year when three climbers became lost on Mt. Hood.  The ensuing search, that garnered massive media coverage, soon became a debate for a cause. 

It may be the cause of the general media’s focus to always provide something new to a highly viewed (and rated) story.  Running out of new leads, they hop back on the bus and get everyone involved in raging debates that once again spark interest to previous stories of the same general nature.

Two questions always emerge:  Should the families of the person being searched for have to pay for this service?  And secondly–the risk involved.  How could they do this to their families and loved ones?  What is it about risk that triggers these people to always endanger their lives? Read more

The Adventurist Forums Take Off!! Adventurist Polls Launched!

I posted yesterday that I have started my own Adventurist “Community” so to speak.  It is open and it is Progressing.

The first member of The Adventurist Forums happened to be my good buddy Kraig from over at The Adventure Blog.  He also gets the designation of making the first post in the community to get things kicked off proper and well.

So what is so exciting about The Adventurist Forums?  Now we all have a place to share our thoughts and views!  All of the following topics have their own areas:

• Climbing
• Mountain Biking
• Hiking
• Camping
• Kayaking
• Training
• Adventure Racing
• Expedition Notes
• Extreme Sports
• Mt. Hood
• Mt. Everest
• The Environment
• General Sports
• Random News

As you can see, there is quite a bit there to go through.  Feel free to post what you like in the areas that suit your interest.  Have a question?  Post it, someone will have an answer!

Here are some of the good things being said about The Adventurist Forums so far:

Awesome! Nice move adding the forums Jason. Hopefully they’ll become quite a place for all kinds of discussion.

And Another:

for the record, this is probably one of the coolest forums I’ve ever been on, looks wise at least.

The rest will come in time, I have no doubt!

I have recently introduced The Advenurist Polls as well.  The first Poll is up.  Stop over and check it out.  I will be using the results of these Polls on The Adventurist.  I will be posting a new one weekly.  Should be fun to see what everyone out there is thinking.  Now stop on over, sign up, and take part in hopefully what will become the best Adventure Forum out there–The Adventurist Forums.

Adventure-X: Defining Adventure and Extreme Sports

I have put my new Adventure-X column up in the Outdoor Recreation area of Topix.  This weeks column takes a look at Adventure and Extreme Sports and what characterizes each. 

Many of you will already know that I am the current Editor of three seperate areas on Topix.  I currently Edit the Outdoor Recreation, Extreme Sports, and Mountain Climbing areas for their site.  This is a great news source.  Go check them out–actually have a little fun while your over their and type in your zip code in the search–find out what is going on in your neck of the woods–

Want a little teaser to this weeks Adventure-X column?  Read on.

Adventure-X:  Defining Adventure and Extreme Sports

Extreme Sports have been around since the mid-eighties. Not the sports themselves, but rather the term “Extreme Sports.” This term usually brings up an automatic picture of someone hitting the vert or grinding out a line on their deck. Not to long ago, though, things looked a bit different.

When Extreme Sports first gathered it’s famous name (attributed to an article in Outside Magazine) the sports involved looked a bit different than they do now. The ”Extreme Sports” angle was predomminantly geared towards adults–where now it is definately defined by the younger generation.

Extreme Sports essentially took off and focused on high-risk activities: Skydiving, scuba diving, hang gliding, rock climbing, storm chasing, and a new invention–bungee jumping. All of these activities were defined by their inherit risk factor as well as being non-team sports and taking place in the outdoors.

If you would like to read the rest of this column, Click HERE to go on over to Topix.  If you would like to read about Adventure-X and past columns then click HERE.  At the Top of this screen, you may notice a heading titled “Adventure-X”.  I will be posting the newest columns here each week.  This should prove to be a nice way to archive this special column for Topix.  Thank-you once again for your continued support.  I have been hearing some really good things about this and hope it will only get better.

Cheers-

Jason A. Hendricks, Editor

The Adventurist: A Slightly Different Look and more..

I have finally been able to take a little time and do a bit of “streamlining” with the site.  I think it is a bit easier to navigate once you find your way around.

The first major change–you will notice that the two side-bars on my site have now been switched.  This should allow for a bit easier navigation.  I have also done away with the “Top Stories” area.  These are the stories that are the most “clicked” on this site, and really useless to anyone other than myself.  The next thing to go was all the different stats buttons and ratings. Once again, most of these items were for my own knowledge about who was using the site, where they were coming from, ect.  It didn’t really add anything to your experience.  I have also expanded the “Recent Post” area.  It now features the latest 15 articles put up, rather than 5.

Links Updated

Every so often I go through the links area just to make sure that, for one thing, they are all still working.  You would be amazed at how fast sites come and go.  I deleted a couple of them that were not relevent to what I was doing here, but I also added a few more that were. 

additions:  Topia Road, Out and About, and Topix.  Topia Road is a new online publication dedicated to skiing and snowboarding.  Has some great articles and will be of interest to those of you that Ski or Snowboard.

Out and About is a blog dealing with Outdoor Adventure and Sports written by Julie Jagg of the Santa Cruz Sentinal newspaper.  Great site that offers a bit of everything–especially if you live in California and the surrounding areas.  Julie currently has an article up on The Adventurist that you will find right beneath this post.

Topix happens to be a web based news site.  Their strength is the community built around their site.  Many of you will already know that I am the Editor of three different areas on Topix.  I currently edit the Mountain Climbing, Extreme Sports, and Outdoor Recreation areas.  I have included links to all three.  I did have the RSS feed for the climbing area up on the site, but I felt that a link was sufficent.

Speaking of RSS feeds

You will notice that I have taken this area way down from 7 to 2 at this time.  I have kept Alan Arnette’s and The Adventure Blog’s–the rest are gone.  This is not a done deal.  Some the the RSS’s I featured are once again not being updated on a continous basis–or–their content has changed a bit from what I find useful.  The feeds I did take away, I have ensured that they do have links up on the site to the info that was previously carried there.  I don’t feel that staring at the same story title for two months was helping out the cause here.  I will be adding new material as I run across it though.  I have my eye on a couple of new ones, as well as at least one of the old ones to possibly put back up.

On to other news…

I currently have articles up on Adventure Sports Weekly as well as Topia Road that I have written.  They are both up if you want to check them out. 

Adventure-X, my new syndicated column featured on Topix, has recieved pretty good reviews and quite a bit of traffic.  Looks like this will be an ongoing project.  You will notice a link at the top of this page titled “Adventure-X”.  This will take you to the articles being done on Topix.  I will be putting up a new column once a week and you will be able to find it in this area.

That about does it.  I hope the new look is ok, I am interested in hearing feedback regarding this.  Likes, dislikes ect..Let me know.

 Jason A. Hendricks, Editor

The Adventurist Launches a New Column on Topix

I have been very, very busy for the last couple of weeks.  Some of you may have noticed a slight drop-off in the articles put up on here, but I have actually been pretty good about at least getting something up everyday.  I have a few projects going that I would like to take a few minutes to tell you about.

Adventure-X

First off, I announced a week or so ago that I have become an editor over at Topix.  I am in charge of updating the Mountain Climbing, Extreme Sports, and Outdoors Recreation areas over at Topix.  As an Editor over there, I thought it would be nice to add a little personal touch, so I have began a weekly column called Adventure-X in the Outdoor Recreation Area of Topix. 

This column will be a weekly feature over at Topix.  I have a lot of very neat ideas that I am going to try to do with this as we explore the outdoor world and some of the issues of today.  The first column, Adventure-X:  Defining Ourselves Through What We Do, has already been posted.  I will be adding a link at the Top of The Adventurist called “Adventure-X” that will explain a bit more about this project, as well as take you to the weekly column.  At this time, this is a Topix exclusive, with possible syndication in the future to other media outlets.  It will not be a feature on The Adventurist, but I will definately put up the links to the pieces as I put them up.

An Article on Topia Road

Besides the Adventure-X column, I also have an article getting ready to be featured over at Topia Road.  Topia Road is a new online magazine specializing in snowboarding and skiing.  Pat Moore, the Editor, is a two-time National Champion in NASTAR Snowboard Racing and has been ranked Number 1 in the country for his age group.

My article, Skiing the World’s Highest Peak, should be up on their site anytime now.  This article takes a look at the history of skiing and snowboarding on Mt. Everest.

It is a pleasure to be working with these guys and I am wishing them continued success on this project.  Stop on over and check them out.

Adventure Sports Weekly

As if this weren’t enough, I will also have an article in this week’s Adventure Sports Weekly.  The new issue should be out tomorrow.

My article, So You Want to be an Adventure Racer, takes a look at what is expected and what could be done to get yourself involved in these amazing Adventure Races.

If you haven’t checked out Adventure Sports Weekly yet, I highly reccomend this Online Sports Magazine.  Editor Wina Sturgeon is an internationally known sports writer.  She has covered the Olympics for Sports Illustrated as well as worked with many other publications.  It is a pleasure to be working with her on this project and I wish her continued success.

The Adventurist All Over the Place

So now you know what has been going on–I have been busy, but it has been alot of fun.  I have been working with some very talented people and definately moving forward.  Hope you check out my items around the Net, and thanks for your continued support.

Jason A. Hendricks, Editor

This Week in Adventure Sports Weekly–08/22/07

The new issue of Adventure Sports Weekly has been released.  One thing I truly do like about this new magazine is that it is so varied…there is something there for everyone.

This week, Adventure Sports Weekly takes us to the XTERRA Mountain Championships Off-road Triathalon–one of the biggest events of it’s kind in the world.  There were roughly 600 participants at this years event, which is also a qualifier for the World Championships held in Hawaii–this is a pretty good read and involves a first-person account of the event from one of it’s participants..Jeff Harrison.

Next we get an inside look at the youngest PRO Skater in the world, Nyjah Houston.  At 11 years old, he already is riding on the Pro Circuit and has all the usual sponsors to foot the bill.  Many of you will probably recognize Nyjah from the recent X Games–his waist-length dreads are hard to miss.  Greg Baerg from Lat34 fame is credited with the article–and actually had a chance to speak with the young Nyjah about his future and his present..quite entertaining and I am sure we will be hearing much, much more out of this youngster in the years to come.

Next up comes Adventure Sports Weekly’s Climbing Editor Patrick Welsh.  His weekly column dealing with his personal climbing experience–He is a climbing expert working with Black Diamond, has become an Adventure Sports Weekly staple and highly entertaining at that.

This week’s column, “Hanging by a Thread“, takes a look at the unpredictable nature of climbing…His title says it all.  Scary, but many of us know where he is coming from.

Probably the most entertaining piece in this weeks issue happens to cover a sport that gets little coverage in the press…haha…The Roller Derby!

Some of us who grew up in the late 80’s and early 90’s may remember the Roller Derby being on TV weekly.  That was the hayday..but this sport has started a new growth spurt in recent times.

This article comes to us from Jen Phillon, a member of the Death Dealers Roller Derby team and gives an account of a recent night at the Derby and the amazing comeback that ensued.  Great Piece that brought back alot of fun memmories.

Overall, I think this may be the strongest issue I have read to date.  Covers a lot of different things.  As I have mentioned earlier, I am in the process of writing some material myself for Adventure Sports Weekly..so we can all look forward to that in the future…Go check it out and tell me what you think.

Nine More Land on K2’s Summit Via West Face Route

The rush to the summit was all of that and more.  Yesterday I wrote of the first Ascent of K2’s West Face to the summit. Vadim Popovich and Andrew Mariev claimed this historical first ascent, but nine others remained in higher camps waiting for a possible weather window. 

That weather window opened up this morning.  All nine climbers successfully summited K2 via the West Face.  The climbers are as follows:

• Nickolay Totmjanin
• Alexey Bolotov
• Gleb Sokolov
• Eugeny Vinogradsky
• Victor Volodin
• Gennady Kirievsky
• Vitaly Gorelik
• Pavel Shabalin
• Iljas Tukhvatullin

Popovich and Mariev are reportedly sitting at Camp 1 at this time and recuperating.  The remaining nine that summited today are now resting at Camps 5 and 6 before going to lower ground a bit later.

The Russians have been laying an assault on K2’s West Face for more than two weeks–many of the climbers had lay low at Camps 5, 6, and 7 for roughly 4-5 days awaiting a chance at the summit and for the bad weather to break just enough to scramble to the top.  The 4 to 5 day wait had the members bunkered down in the K2 Death Zone–which could possibly be a survival record as well, but this has not been confirmed.

It looks like all are safely headed to lower ground.  Let’s hope they all get back without incident and they can all relish in this historic First Ascent.

For more on this breaking news, head on over to ExplorersWeb.

The Next Big Thing: The Adventurist Teams Up With Adventure Sports Weekly

The old saying goes –when opportunity knocks, you had better answer the door.  Well, in a sense I have answered the door.  A couple of days ago Editor Wina Sturgeon from Adventure Sports Weekly contacted myself and was interested in discussing what I do here at The Adventurist.

After a lengthy discussion about our sites, our future goals, and what we are both looking to achieve, it became real evident that we have more than a little in common.

Adventure Sports Weekly is destined to not only be the first of it’s type on the Internet, but also a leader in the Adventure Sports industry.  Adventure Sports Weekly, the Brainchild of Editor Wina Sturgeon, who many of you might know through her extensive Olympic coverage for Sports Illustrated,  will be the first Online Magazine devoted solely to the Outdoor sporting world. 

I have been very open and straight-forward with all of you, my readers, about trying to put together the best site on the internet dealing with Adventure.  Keeping that in mind, we have decided in a sense to team-up.

Over the course of the next few days and weeks ahead The Adventurist and Adventure Sports Weekly will be sharing some content.  Their dedication to the sanctioned sports side of the outdoor world, IE..Mountain Bike Racing, BMX, Skateboarding, Climbing ect..will actually be bringing something to the table that I have desperately been wanting to add.  Adventure Sports Weekly offers top notch sporting news live from the field, allowing for exclusive coverage and content that just isn’t found anywhere else on the Internet.

I will also be working with Adventure Sports Weekly offering new articles, and maybe even a weekly column I have in the works in the world of Adventure.

This is a very exciting opportunity for myself personally.  I have dedicated myself to the Adventure world and writing.  With Adventure Sports Weekly I now have the opportunity to not only garner a bigger readership, but to also bring about a new direction….a bigger direction that hopefully will help build upon what I have already been able to do.

The adventure sporting field is getting ready to explode.  I have done this now for almost a year, and just about daily there are new sites emerging.  More coverage is being given in the media to these athletes that have pretty much remained under the table.  Just a couple of years ago, you would have never had the opportunity to see JEEP: King of the Mountain on a nationally televised program.  It is building.  It is growing.  More people are noticing and the money is slowly starting to come into these fantastic outdoors sports.

I am happy to say that I am very comfortable in knowing that I have aligned myself up with perhaps the leader in news coverage for these types of events.  Hopefully this relationship will flourish and all of us involved can bring even more exposure to the great athletes and sporting events throughout the years to come.

So what exactly does Adventure Sports Weekly bring to the table?

• It is ran by one of the top Sports Journalists in the world.  Editor Wina Sturgeon has written for Sports Illustrated and The New York Times, to only name two.  She has nearly 40 years of experience at being at the top of the game.  She knows how to do things, and do them right.
• Experience.  Being a leader in the sports writing industry, Wina Sturgeon brings her vast knowledge to a growing field.  She automatically brings  her credibility and dedication to an area that has been lacking in national coverage.
• National Coverage.  Simply put.
• Adventure Sports Weekly is currently the only publication of its kind on the Internet.  It is new with a very big potential in the future to not only lead the way, but to be THE way.
• Future.  Adventure Sports Weekly is currently developing a system to bring top-notch video coverage of these sporting events as they happen–this will make it not only the leader in the Adventure Sports industry, but will also raise the bar on what the internet can bring to you, the viewers.
• Credibility.  I have been straight-forward in telling all of you my eventual goals of writing in this industry full-time.  This gives me a great opportunity to work with some of the best people in the industry and hopefully build on what I have already been able to accomplish.  It is a fantastic opportunity and one that I never would have been able to do without all of the continued support and guidance from you, my readers.  So THANK-YOU very much!
• Oh yeah– and Lastly, Adventure Sports Weekly is FREE.  Can’t get much better than that.  All the great news coverage and articles are completely free to you the reader.  Eventually this will also include the great video coverage that is currently in developement.

I am hoping to recieve your continued support and that you will enjoy what the future has in store.  The Adventurist will still be covering everything it normally does…with a bonus of adding new content from time to time from some very special events.  Also, if you enjoy my writing, keep your eyes peeled to Adventure Sports Weekly, as I will be bringing some further exciting articles their way in the very near future.  Let’s all show Adventure Sports Weekly our support in what they are trying to achieve and welcome them in to The Adventurist family.

Harassment on the High Peak: When an Everest Guide Does You Wrong

For many of us, coming up with the $40-50,000 to take a once in a lifetime gamble on Mt. Everest seems like a lifetime away.  What if you spent that kind of cash only to be told that you weren’t climbing?  What if you spent that kind of cash, the guide tells you “No Go”, then deliberately grabs your belongings and scatters them throughout camp?  While he is at it, he might as well do it in front of not only your team, but a film crew to boot and show the whole world how worthless you really are..

This is the news coming from Betsy Huelskamp.  Many of you may remember Betsy as the tough and rugged mountain climbing biker chic that began an Expedition this year with Russell Brice’s Himex Team.  If any of you followed the Expedition’s climbing blogs on Everest this season, then you would have probably thought of Betsy as Himex did:  slow, didn’t know anything about mountaineering–including how to put her crampons on…as well as a bit self-involved.

Well, Betsy has decided to fight back.  The picture she paints is quite different than what Himex would have you believe.  She breaks down everything from the beginning stages where she first contacted Russell Brice about joining the expedition, and Russell seemingly accepts at a reduced rate of nearly 50%–to the final decision to not let her go for the summit push, and the subsequent temper tantram that ensued and left Betsy’s belongings scattered throughout the camp.

If this sounds like odd behavior coming from a guide on Mt. Everest, then perhaps you should reevaluate who you align yourself up with for that big Everest Adventure. Read more

Shark Attack on a Sea Kayak

No, this isn’t a reference to a new Dr. Seuss book–this is actually a true story. 

On July 21, Dan Prather was out doing a little fishing on his sea kayak along with 16 other people.  They happened to be fishing a remote island about a mile south of San Francisco.

Suddenly Dan was in the water.  He surfaced to find the front end of his sea kayak lodged in the mouth of what he thinks was a Great White…so what does Dan do?  He climbs right back on his Kayak…then falls back off once again.

Dan finally makes it back on to his Kayak for the second time, and it seemingly scares the shark away.

This is a great story coming by way of Canoe and Kayak Magazine.

When Dan finally high-tailed it back to shore (the shark had punctured a small hole in the front end of the kayak)..a fellow fisherman asked him if he had any luck fishing, he said, “Yeah, caught a shark…”

Swing on over and read this interesting and ARTICLE.  I think that this is one fishing trip where I would have been glad to get the smallest catch.

Next Page »