National Geographic Adventure —December 2009/January 2010
The Best of Adventure 2010
Adventurers of the Year — National Geographic Adventure's seventh annual "Best of Adventure" issue recognizes 16 individuals who went to extremes in 2009 — racking up amazing achievements in exploration, conservation, action sports and humanitarian work — earning them the coveted title of Adventurers of the Year. Honored for their exceptional accomplishments in a variety of fields, the class of 2009 are BASE jumper Dean Potter; military veterans Marc Hoffmeister, Jon Koniholm, Matt Nyman and David Shebib; adventurers Gayle Hoffmeister and Bob Haines; explorer Albert Yu-Min Lin; road trippers Stephen Bouey and Steven Shoppman; surfer Maya Gabeira; astronaut John Grunsfeld; ultra runner Diane Van Deren; humanitarian/educator Khadija Bahram; filmmaker Louie Psihoyos; and scientist Katey Walter Anthony. The Adventurer of the Year honorees were nominated by an advisory board of 30 explorers, scientists, journalists and luminaries in the world of adventure. Plus: This year, for the first time, readers can cast a vote online for the honoree they believe best embodies the spirit of adventure. The winner will receive the first-ever "Adventurer of the Year: Readers' Choice Award." Voting, at www.ngadventure.com, ends Jan. 15, 2010. The Readers' Choice winner will be announced online on Jan. 19, 2010. Page 55.
The Visionary — Medical pioneer Geoff Tabin wants to cure preventable blindness everywhere, especially in the developing world, where four out of five of the 150 million people who are blind don't need to be. Many have easily curable conditions like cataract disease. Tabin's task involves grueling travel, marathon field surgeries and very little downtime. For his vision — and for past accomplishments that include helping restore sight to more than 500,000 people in Nepal, Tibet, Pakistan, India, Bhutan, China, Thailand, Vietnam and North Korea through the Himalayan Cataract Project, as well as adventure exploits like attempting the first ascent of the last unclimbed face of Everest and becoming only the fourth person to scale the Seven Summits — National Geographic Adventure magazine recognizes Tabin with a Hall of Fame award. Award-winning author David Oliver Relin ("Three Cups of Tea") profiles Tabin and his mission. Page 48.
Must-Have Gear — Climb higher, camp lighter, bike faster — great equipment should do more than perform well and look good, it should inspire you to go harder than ever before. National Geographic Adventure honors the most groundbreaking gear for 2010 with Best of Adventure awards. The 26 must-have new products, selected by Adventure editors and an advisory board of the country's leading retailers, are: Black Diamond Fusion ice ax; Black Diamond Infinity 50 backpack; Columbia Bugathermo winter boots; Dagger Axis 12.0 kayak; Eddie Bauer First Ascent Downlight Sweater jacket; Firewire Dominator with Rapidfire Technology surfboard; Garmin Edge 500 cycling computer; Helly Hansen Barrier 3L jacket; HP Envy 13 laptop; inov-8 roclite 288 GTX light hiker; Mountain Hardwear Skyledge 2.1 tent; Nokia N900 phone; Oakley Jawbone sunglasses; Olympus E-P1 camera; Osprey Raptor 6 hydration pack; Pearl Izumi syncroFuel XC trail runner; Rossignol S7 skis; Santa Cruz Blur XC mountain bike; Smith Optics Vanguard sunglasses; Somnio Runaissance road runner; Therm-a-Rest Haven Top sleeping bag; Timex Ironman Sleek 150-Lap training watch; Trek District Carbon road bike; VAEL Project Apres boots; Victorinox Swiss Army Travel Alarm 1884 Limited Edition pocket watch; Wenger Mike Horn Ranger multi-tool. Page 67.
The Wayfinders — While European mariners were still hugging coastlines and puzzling out longitude, Polynesians were sailing the open ocean, guided by navigators who harnessed the sun and stars, the wind and waves. On a trip to the South Pacific, National Geographic Explorer-in-Residence Wade Davis investigates the ancient art of wayfinding. Page 76.
The Big Trip: Argentina — Glaciers, big peaks, balmy days and vino. And right now it's all on sale. Crusted in snow and ice, Cerro Aconcagua shoots up from the fertile plains of the Mendoza province to an altitude of 22,835 feet. It's a spectacular sight, the highest peak in the Western Hemisphere towering over the finest wine-growing region in South America. And scenes like this are hardly out of the ordinary in Argentina. National Geographic Adventure writer Claire Martin uncorks a foodie experience high on adventure. Page 44.
Nat Geo in the Field: Relics Recovered — Scaling the crumbling cliffs of Mustang in north-central Nepal to explore mysterious man-made cave systems carved 700 feet high into the cliffsides, a pair of world-class climbers goes where archaeologists can't, for the benefit of science. Page 22.
* National Geographic Adventure experts are available for interviews. Contact Ethan Fried if you have questions, need additional information or would like to schedule an interview.
National Geographic Adventure, winner of four National Magazine Awards, is the fastest-growing magazine in the outdoor category and the ultimate guide to the adventure lifestyle. Published eight times a year, with a rate base of 625,000, National Geographic Adventure has 2.8 million readers. It is available by subscription (800-NGS-LINE) and on newsstands in the United States ($4.99) and Canada ($6.99). Its editorial mission supports National Geographic's mission to inspire people to care about the planet. The magazine's Web site is www.nationalgeographic.com/adventure.
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Contacts:
Ethan Fried
202-857-7037
efried@ngs.org
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