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

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.

ExplorersWeb on a Roll: Discredits ‘First Swim at North Pole’

Earlier this year Lewis Gordon Pugh made a pitch for global warming . He allegedly took the first swim at the Geographic North Pole citing that this endeavor could not have been done 10 years ago, but that the melting ice attributed to global warming had now made this feasable.

The Adventurist reported on this as well right after it happened.  ExplorersWeb reported on the swim–but then quickly retracted the story.  Nobody knew why until now.

It seems that ExplorersWeb has found information that this attempt may have actually not been the first actual swim at the North Pole.  Actually it looks as if this has actually taken place a number of seperate times with plenty of witnesses to boot.

For some reason ExplorersWeb has been on a role with some of these adventure “Firsts” and making sure credit is being given when due.  They cite that Lewis Gordon Pugh’s website claims that he was indeed the first to swim at the North Pole, yet they have many claims otherwise by different individuals–at least going back as far as 1996.

I encourage all of you to swing on over and read their account of this event and the sudden controversy surrounding it. 

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.

Free-Solo Climbing? Magazine Looking to Interview YOU!!

Would you like to be interviewed for a magazine?  A good friend of mine is currently seeking Free-Solo Climbers to interview for an upcoming magazine with Free Solo Climbing as the focus of this special issue.

With the recent death of Michael Reardon making headlines around the world, it has brought this sport into the headlines like never before.  Want to speak out and be a part of this experience?  Send a short note to my email in the box below.  (It goes directly to my email)

As if this isn’t cool enough, there is going to be a Michael Reardon tribute, photos, and interview, with the tribute written by myself, as well as an interview with the man known as “Spiderman”, Alain Robert–who has scaled some of the world’s toughest climbs, as well as tallest skyscrapers…YIKES!

Let me be absolutely clear.  I am currently looking for Free Solo Climbers (Only) to take part in a special magazine dedicated to this sport.  If you are a Free Soloist..Contact me!  Through this process, the goal is to help demystify a sport that gets a lot of bad press.  This could very well be a crucial piece of the puzzle in the sport we all love.  Now get to writing….

[contact-form]

American Climber Michael Reardon Tragedy Update

 American Free-Solo Climber Michael Reardon has has been lost at sea.  He had just finished up a monster climb, was standing on a rock outcrop, taking some celebratory photos, when a wave caught him from behind and drove him into the sea.

Efforts are ongoing as a massive search for his body is now in place–  It has been noted that officials have claimed that this is more a recovery effort, than a search and rescue, as Michael Reardon, a this time, is feared dead.

A few more details are beginning to come out.  Here is the latest update from Rockclimbing.com:

Valerie O’Sullivan, a photographer from Killarney who had accompanied him on a number of climbs, told The Times that his death had shocked the climbing community in Ireland.

“He was standing below a climb he had just completed and the photographer, Damon Corso, was about 30ft away taking pictures of him. Michael was on a real high after the climb. He was about 10ft above the sea and he let go and had his hands out, celebrating, to say he had completed the climb of his life. But then a wave just came in. The wave hit him on the knees and he lost his balance and slipped on the algae. He was shouting for help but there was nothing Damon could do.”

Miss O’Sullivan said Mr Corso raised the alarm from his mobile telephone. “It is very unpredictable and there are some very powerful waves,” she continued. “It’s a bottomless pit made up of caves and caverns below the water. It is treacherous”.

Michael Reardon was swept into the sea yesterday around 5pm.  Shortly thereafter the Irish Coast Guard was alerted, who have been continously combing the area for any signs of his body.

Ventura County, California in state of shock

The Ventura County Star out of Ventura County, California is running an article today about Michael Reardon.  This article is a pretty good read as it not only talks about Michael’s climbing background, but also about his relationship in the Oak Park Community from which he lives.  Michael was well known not only as climber but also as an instructer to younger people just beginning to learn the ropes of what it was that made Michael so great.  You may read this article here:

Oak Park Climber Missing Abroad

Michael Reardon was the coverboy of the April/May issue of Urban Climber Magazine.  This issue takes a look at Michael climbing some of the toughest routes at Joshua Tree.  It offers beautiful photos of his majestic climbs, as well as this quote that will leave you stunned:

I don’t care about the size of my house or the age of my car.  My thoughts when climbing are of the last time I hugged my daughter and the warmth of my wife’s foot touching mine under the covers at night.

Perhaps in this tragedy this will offer his family a little bit of comfort in knowing that they were with him.  He leaves behind his wife Marci and their 13 year old daughter Nikki.  Our thoughts and Prayers are with his family in this tragic time of loss.

Lewis Gordon Pugh SWIMS at North Pole

Lewis Gordon Pugh, 37, A british adventure swimmer, has become the first person to ever swim at the North Pole.  Doing the stunt to bring awareness to Global Warming in the Arctic, Pugh dove into the 29 degree water.

His swim lasted aproximately 18 minutes and 50 seconds and went for a distance of 0.6 miles.  The water, at 29 degrees, is the coldest known temperature that a human has ever been able to swim in.

I hope my swim will inspire world leaders to take climate change seriously. The decisions which they make over the next few years will determine the biodiversity of our world.

I want my children, and their children, to know that polar bears are still living in the Arctic. These creatures are on the front line up here.

I am obviously ecstatic to have succeeded, but this swim is a triumph and a tragedy: a triumph that I could swim in such ferocious conditions but a tragedy that it’s possible to swim at the North Pole.

Pugh’s swim was conducted in a free-flowing waterhole.  The hole was used to demonstrate the effects the climate has been having on the arctic.  He went on to explain that over the next years, waterholes like these will become more prevelent in the Arctic.

Lewis Gordon Pugh is best known for having swam on 5 of the seven known continents of the world, as well as being the first person to ever swim the Sognefjord, Norway’s longest fjord.