[http://active.typepad.com/.shared/image.html?/photos/uncategorized/2007/05/04/kiteboard.jpg]Combining paragliding, wakeboarding and windsurfing, kiteboarding (also known as kitesurfing) is still a debutante in the athletic world -- yet to celebrate its tenth birthday. But the high-adrenaline sport, in which you can perform tricks more than 20 feet above the water and travel at speeds of more than 30 knots, is steadily gaining disciples.

Despite its reputation as an extreme sport, kiteboarding is also about balance, technique and finesse. Perhaps that's why the ranks of women riders increase every year, along with female instructors and women-specific kiting camps.

Kiteboarding classes -- an absolute must to get started in the sport -- are available around the country. Follow these tips to help you soar across the water.

Lone Pine, Calif., is a quiet through town located along the southern section of U.S. Highway 395, the main north-south artery through the Owens Valley, connecting the Inland Empire to Reno, Nev. Whitney Portal road travels west from the center of town and climbs 13 miles and about 4,000 feet, terminating at a parking loop flanked by 1,000-foot granite walls and dotted with pungent pine trees. Here, trailheads originate which lead west into the John Muir Wilderness and to the summit of Mount Whitney, the highest point in the Lower 48 states.

During the summer months, throngs of weekend mountaineers trudge up the 11-mile trail to the coveted peak…if they are lucky enough to obtain a permit which often must be reserved months in advance. Winter on Mount Whitney is a different story. While winters in the Sierra Nevadas can be relatively calm and warm much of the time, storms can start on a whim and last for a week. And the swiftness with which storms move in and the severity with which they linger make for an unforgiving environment that can strike fear into the heart of even the most seasoned mountaineer.

Rather than the soft, 11-mile route which most folks take in the summer, winter ascents follow a shorter, steeper and far more direct route to the top. First climbed by John Muir, the mountaineer’s route is a strenuous third-class hike with areas of exposed ledges from which a fall means certain death. Hard-packed snow can make travel over rocky terrain slightly easier by creating a blanket upon which one can create tracks, but loose powdery snow will cause a would-be summiteer to sink to their waist with every step, severely slowing progress and increasing the chance of injury.

I attempted the mountaineer’s route three times over this past winter. My first two attempts were cut short by bad weather that moved in unexpectedly during the first night of camping. My third attempt was the charm. Two days of blue skies and warm daytime temps made it possible to hike in no more than my long johns and a T-shirt. The first day was a hike from the car (8,500 feet) to a relatively flat and wind-protected spot at 12,000 feet. The second day started before sunrise in order to take advantage of solid snow which allowed for the use of crampons rather than the snowshoes which keep oneself from sinking in looser snow. The final sections of the hike follow a 1,500-foot gully just to the north of the summit and then 500 feet of scrambling up boulders to the summit plateau. This last 500 feet is a “no-fall” zone, which means that a one wrong move will surely result in serious injury and possibly death. [http://active.typepad.com/.shared/image.html?/photos/uncategorized/2007/04/19/witney64]

Standing atop the summit of the highest mountain in the contiguous United States is quite surreal. To the east lies the Owens River Valley and the White Mountains, which receive far less precipitation. The lack of snow and their soft contours belie their size. But there is no mistaking the grandeur of the entire Sierra Nevada range which dominates the views to the north, south and west. One could stand for days on the summit of Whitney and count the endless snow-capped peaks and subsequent valleys. Taking in the view from the summit, it is easy to forget your everyday life and the troubles which plague society. From the top of Mount Whitney, you can gain a better perspective of our own insignificance, and life’s myriad challenges pale in comparison to the struggle to gain the summit. For a moment I felt like I had achieved a great victory, but that moment was short lived, and soon I was facing a long descent back to the car, tired, sore and wanting nothing more to get back to the same society from which I’d fled into the mountains. [http://active.typepad.com/.shared/image.html?/photos/uncategorized/2007/04/19/whitney98]

(Photos provided by Gil Weiss)

[http://active.typepad.com/.shared/image.html?/photos/uncategorized/2007/04/10/wetsuit.jpg]Whenever surfing comes up in conversation with non-surfing people, the matter of water temperature almost always surfaces. I've met several people who say, "I don't surf here (in Nor Cal) because the water is too cold!" Yes, the water temperature around Half Moon Bay, Calif. is typically in the 48 - 58 F range year-round, including in the dead of winter and summer. But, with new technology in wetsuits, this is no longer an excuse.

A wetsuit is a surfer's essential life-support system, especially for a starter who spends more time inside the water.

For more on new wetsuit technologies, accessories, and how to choose the right one for you - check out the full story here!

It is said that sometime in the late 70's, a group of Frenchmen navigated river rapids high up in the Alps with bags stuffed with lifejackets and polystyrene.  By 1981, this concept led way to the production of the first Riverboard which is now synonymous with Sledging or Hydrospeeding. Since its inception, this action packed activity has caught the attention of adrenaline junkies across the world and is now recognized as a professional sport in Europe with competitions organized every year.

The allure of white water Sledging is that operator’s intimate proximity to the river. The operator is equipped with a padded wetsuit, booties, life jacket, helmet and fins for kicking. The fins provide propulsion and steering as the operator’s chest rests on the plastic board while arms are neatly tucked inside for grip and control. No experience is necessary to learn all the skills from a competent instructor who will then guide a group down the river while negotiating the safest route through class IV rapids. As experienced as your guides claim to be, a serious degree of risk still exists when participating in such extreme activities. Be sure to thoroughly read liability waivers and be knowledgeable of your health coverage whenever traveling abroad and/or chasing your next adrenaline rush.

Check out this video which provides a closer look from a “Sledger’s” point of view:   

[http://active.typepad.com/.shared/image.html?/photos/uncategorized/2007/03/15/paddlesurf2.gif]Stand up paddle surfing is an aspect of surfing that has seen a recent resurgence. For those that are not familiar with the sport, it entails standing on a large longboard and propelling yourself with essentially a canoe paddle. Recently, it has been picked up as an alternative way to ride surf and as a means of staying in shape. The level of surfing on stand up paddle boards has sky rocketed in the last few years.

This type of surfing involves using a massive longboard — generally 12 feet long, 30 inches wide and 4-5 inches thick — with a canoe-style paddle that should be about six inches taller than you. You throw the board in the water, paddle out past the shorebreak with the paddle tucked under you, then pop to your feet with the paddle in your hand. With your feet parallel, you can then balance on the board and paddle around. Once you get the feel of it, the next goal is to propel yourself into waves.

Stand-up paddle surfers have found they can have fun even in small, mushy waves because the paddle and the massive boards add entirely new abilities and dimensions. It wouldn't be ideal for crowded conditions, because of the size of the board. But on a marginal day or during a swamped-out high tide, stand-up can make surfing possible and really fun.

[http://active.typepad.com/.shared/image.html?/photos/uncategorized/mtnbike.jpg]There are a group of guys riding their bikes the length of the Earth by following the backbone of the globe -- the world's longest continuous mountain range. The route takes them along the backroads and trails that traverse the Continental Divide. The off-road nature of this trip sounds like it would be an awesome ride and a unique opportunity to see the world and enjoy the great outdoors.

The Great Divide runs along the crest of the Rockies, from British Columbia, through the United States, and continues southward into Mexico and Central America. It divides the continent's principal drainage into that flowing eastward (to the Hudson Bay in Canada or to the Mississippi River) and that flowing westward (to the Pacific Ocean).

Unfortunately, they were busted by federal agents for biking through the Grand Canyon. They’re staying in Flagstaff for awhile to work construction and raise some cash to pay down their legal fees before moving on. The worst part is that they probably would have gotten away with it if they hadn’t posted pictures and stories about their illegal ride on their blog. After paying a $500 fine and being  in jail for two days, they had to post something on their blog about why people shouldn’t bike through the Grand Canyon. Even worse, they are banned from National Parks for five years.

Another example of why one should be careful of what gets posted on the internet (and, of course, why to not ride your bike in the Grand Canyon). But these guys are on to something very cool in riding the longest off-pavement bike route in the world. They will be leaving Flagstaff and hitting the trail again in a couple weeks; if you want to keep an eye on them, their effort is called “Riding the Spine.”

(Photo provided by Getty Images/taken by<span style="margin-left: 5px;">Kashi Leuchs)</span>

[http://active.typepad.com/.shared/image.html?/photos/uncategorized/femalesurf.jpg]In surfing, the participation and performance of women have been surging, boosting industry profits. But going on 50 years since Kathy Kohner Zuckerman (nicknamed Gidget), earned grudging respect from the guys — and two weeks after pledged to pay equal prize money to women — gender equity for the sport remains a point of contention.

The Association of Surfing Professionals men’s and women’s world tour seasons began last week on Australia’s Gold Coast, near Brisbane, with the men’s Quiksilver Pro and the women’s Roxy Pro. The contrast is stark.

On the men’s tour, 45 surfers compete in 10 events, with the Quiksilver Pro offering $300,000 in prize money. The women’s tour consists of 17 surfers in seven events. The Roxy Pro, which was won by Chelsea Hedges on Monday, paid a total of $80,000 in winnings. Layne Beachley, the seven-time and defending women’s world champion, said the surf industry needed to do more.

“There is always room for improvement, both at the elite level and at grass roots,” Beachley, 34, said in an e-mail message from Australia. “And considering the industry have made an enormous amount of money through its representation of this lifestyle, I feel that the disparity between the incomes of the men and women still have a long way to go to become ‘equal.’ ”