The Riding the Spine crew has stashed their bikes in Huanúco and are currently in Arequipa organizing a rafting trip down the Cotahuasi River with John Yost and his son JJ Yost who has been riding with them since Panama. Russell Kramer, who had previously pedaled with the group through Central America is flying down to be the safety kayaker for this epic adventure.

Contrail is a concept bicycle device that attaches above the wheel of a bike and covers the bicycle wheel with a layer of chalk. The chalk then creates a trail or mark on the surface of the road, turning the bike into a sort of large drawing utensil. The concept, developed by Pepin Gelardi of Studio Gelardi focuses around the idea of safety in numbers. By using this device, bicyclists will have a clearer path on which to ride safely and out of the way of vehicular traffic.

Thousands of bike punks across the nation converged in Richmond, Virginia, “one of the dirtiest yat[yet] charming places on earth…”, for 6th running of Slaughterama, an event teetering on the fringe of bike culture, put on by a group called Cutthroats. A day of events centered around brutal drunken bicycle competitions including bike jousting, foot-down, and an event called “whiplash”….to name just a few.
Too good to be true, some would say. Others might prefer to participate from the safety of their own personal computer. Either way, you gotta love these videos:

Get rid of all the convenient things about a bicycle: that pesky second wheel, gears, coasting, cargo racks, etc. and find yourself the most challenging self-supported bike touring route on the globe.

Yes, Gracie Sorbello, you are amazing.

Winner of the 2009 Evolution of Balance Award, Gracie Sorbello plans to be the first person to UNICYCLE the Great Divide Mountain Bike Route, starting in Banff, Alberta and traversing the mountains on 95% dirt roads for 2,700 miles, all the way to Mexico.

Enter Adventure World’s ‘Misadventure Essay Contest’ and win a pair of inov-8 trail running shoes.

In the spirit of Roald Amundsen, Adventure World magazine invites you to share a personal essay about an adventure gone wrong…or right! Maybe you forgot a tent, got lost in the wilderness or had a bizarre animal encounter…but the result is an unforgettable experience.

Have dreams of an epic adventure but find yourself a little short on cash? Jeff Blumenfield is coming out with a new book, titled, “You Want To go Where: How to Get Someone to Pay for the Trip of Your Dreams,” explains how you can outfit your expedition with outdoor gear/apparel and even raise thousands of dollars with the right idea and proper advance preparation. The book will be released June 1st, and is currently available on Amazon.com for pre-order.

This year’s Abu Dhabi Adventure Challenge will be held from the 4th to the 9th of December. The innovative nature of this demanding sporting and cultural odyssey, with its unique emphasis on fairness, accessibility and camaraderie, represents adventure racing’s most exciting opportunity to race against the world’s most international field.

          As requested, we have launched a dynamic new website allowing us to offer the best coverage of adventure sports in between issues. On top of that, we are offering a year subscription for less than 10 bucks.
          In this issue you´ll read about a legendary Iditarod Champion and adventure races in the U.S. and abroad. Prepare for your next adventure and check out a full line up of trail running shoes reviewed. And so much more…..

For more than 30 years, “13” has proved to be a rather lucky number for one Alaskan family. In 1978, Dick Mackey won the Iditarod on his 6th try wearing bib number 13. Then in 1983, son Rick takes the title back for the Mackey family on his 6th try wearing bib number 13. Flash forward 24 years, little brother Lance becomes the king of the Mackey family and the Iditarod, you guessed it on his 6th try wearing bib #13! That year, Lance won his first of three straight Iditarod titles. The road to the winner’s circle was not an easy one for Lance. Though it might sound like mushing is in his blood, he still overcame unbelievable odds to not only join the ranks of his father and brother, but to surpass them. The Iditarod has been called one of the ‘last great races on earth’. It is over 1150 miles of the most gorgeous and treacherous terrain one could imagine. It starts in Anchorage, AK and ends in Nome.

It was our first adventure race and I had lost plenty of sleep in the weeks before thinking about the numbers: 3 days to cover 200 miles, reaching elevations of 14,435 and dropping to just 108 feet in the last 60 miles. A good 45 miles of the race does not fall below 11,500 feet. As the organizers presented the map and introduced the course the night before the race, they promised it would be cold and we would suffer. Oh yeah, we would be skirting an active volcano that was spewing ash over the trail; it happened to be Carnival and we should not be surprised if locals threw water balloons or eggs at us. Don’t worry, it´s tradition.

The 3-day Untamed New England Adventure Race, North Americaís AR World Series Qualifier for 2009, is setting records for expedition race participation in the Northeast United States. With 40 teams and 150+ participants, Untamed New England will dwarf previous expedition races in the region with participants coming from across the US, Canada, and even Europe.

The April numbers are available for the USARA National Rankings.
Presented By:

…

Just got done chatting with Paul Romero via FaceBook in Kathmandu, Nepal. They just got back and are at the hotel refueling after an epic adventure. They are meeting with Sherpas later today …

The American Lung Association’s tenth annual State of the Air Report has released its list of cities with the Ozone and Particle Pollution being the 2 most widespread pollutants. These 2 pollutants can cause symptoms ranging from shortness of breath, asthma attacks, chest pain, heart attacks and even premature death.

Some of the facts include:
• 6 out of 10 Americans live in areas with unhealthy levels of air pollution.
• 40.5 million Americans live in counties where the outdoor air failed all three tests.

   Coming out late May, her book, “Just a Little Run Around the World,” chronicles the extraordinary adventure of this 62 years old, grandmother of two who set out on a 20,000 mile run to raise money for cancer charities after her husband died of prostate cancer. 1,790 days later she arrived back in Tenby, South Wales, succesfully circumnavigating the globe by foot.

Vasque is pleased to announce the 2009 Vasque Trail Team has captured extraordinary race wins and set course records only a month into the official start of the team’s season.