Ten Days Left to Vote For the People's Choice Adventurer of the Year! VIDEO

Here's to living adventurously. And voting for the People's Choice Adventurer of the Year. There are just ten days left to cast your vote once a day. Voting ends January 18, 2012, at midnight.

Vote Now!
http://adventure.nationalgeographic.com/adventure/adventurers-of-the-year/2012/vote/

You can also read interviews and see photos of each candidate.

We'd like to give special thanks to our Adventurers of the Year Advisory Board. They helped us stay on top of the year's brightest adventure accomplishments. We hope you will check out their respective work and organizations.

National Geographic Adventurers of the Year Advisory Board

Colin Angus and Julie Wafaei Angus, adventurers-authors, Angus Adventures (2007 Adventurers of the Year)

Kraig Becker, Editor, The Adventure Blog

Fitz Cahall, Editor, The Dirtbag Diaries

Natalie Cash, Senior Producer, Wildlife Conservation Society

Steve Casimiro, Editor, Adventure Journal

Ted Endo, Surf Editor, The Inertia

Alex Honnold, Rock Climber (2011 Adventurer of the Year)

Trip Jennings, Kayaker/Filmmaker, Epicocity Films (2008 Adventurer of the Year)

Lorie Karnath, President, The Explorers Club

Pete Mortimer, President, Sender Films

Rebecca Martin, Executive Director, National Geographic Expeditions Council

Andrew Skurka, Hiker/Expeditioner (2008 Adventurer of the Year)

Bryan Smith, Kayaker/Filmmaker, Reel Water Productions

Gregg Trennish, Adventurer/Biologist, Adventurers and Scientists for Conservation (2009 Adventurer of the Year)

Sadie Quarrier, Senior Photo Editor, National Geographic magazine

 

Adventurers of the Year 2012: Surfer Carissa Moore

Over the next two weeks we will introduce each of the new Adventurers of the Year here on our blog. Be sure to cast your vote every day for the People's Choice Award.

See photos of all the Adventurers of the Year!

Surfing likes its legends. When the surf media started comparing a teenage girl from Hawaii with the sport’s reigning superstar and 11-time world champion, Kelly Slater, some of the passionate fans of the sport labeled it as hype. Carissa Moore made the first step toward proving the doubters wrong this year when she became the youngest person ever to win the world title. Her aggressive but fluid riding turned heads. Later his month Moore will be the first woman in the modern era to compete in the men’s Triple Crown of Surfing. Not bad for a 19-year-old.

In 2010, the then 18-year-old Hawaiian began making her case for greatness when she was accepted onto the Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) Women’s World Tour. Moore won two events, earned a nod as Rookie of the Year, and graduated from high school. She was just getting her bearings on surfing’s center stage. By 2011, Moore crushed the female competition in surfing’s main events. During the ASP World Tour, she placed first in three events and never placed lower than third to win the overall title. In her two years on the tour, she’s already raked in $225,000 in purse money and attracted top-notch sponsors such as Red Bull, Roxy, and Nike.

Even though the women’s ASP World Tour ended early due to lack of sponsorship dollars, Moore’s season continued when she got wild card slots to surf alongside the world's best male surfers on the male tour at the Reef Hawaiian Pro at Haleiwa and the Van’s World Cup of Surfing at Sunset Beach, both on her home turf of Hawaii. The events are in November.

“I’m kind of nervous, but I’m also really excited,” says Moore. “I’m being realistic about what is going to happen. The guys I’m surfing against have a few more years and more experience on me, so I probably won’t make a heat, but if I do, great. That would be awesome.”

—Fitz Cahall

Now read the interview with Carissa Moore and be sure to vote everyday for your favorite adventurer

World Champ Surfer Carissa Moore Listens to Eminem, Bieber Like Other Teens

By Tetsuhiko Endo; photograph by Jason Kenworthy

Carissa Moore is the youngest woman to ever win the world championship of surfing. She’s the first Hawai’ian to do it in 30 years, first woman to grace the cover of Surfer magazine in over ten, and she has a diploma from the Punahou School in Honolulu, the alma mater of that other notable Hawai’ian, Barak Obama. Not bad for a 19-year-old.

Moore has been surfing’s golden child almost since she began riding waves in the mid-90s. After winning 11 junior world titles, she spent the latter half of her teens competing against boys until turning pro. I’ve had the pleasure of observing her surfing from the water on a couple of occasions this year. She exhibits a power and fluidity on waves rare among both men and women. It reflects not only intense training, but a once in a generation knack for the complexities of how to move over a constantly changing mass of water. Perhaps most tellingly, she retains a certain playfulness and spontaneity that is evocative of that other great competitive surfer ... Kelly Slater.

Whether her career will go on to mirror his, only time will tell, but Adventure was able to snag her for a short interview recently to see what keeps her running on all cylinders.

Adventure: Has it been hard to stay motivated after doing this for most of your life?
Carissa Moore: Not really. Both my love for the sport as well as my love of a challenge drives me to compete.

“Burn out” is often a problem for young athletes, how have you avoided it?
CM: With my balanced life. I was kept in high school full-time, and generally lived in a well-grounded atmosphere. Given my upbringing, it would have been almost impossible for me to burn out.

What’s the best part of your job?
CM: Spending time in beautiful places with awesome people.

What’s the worst part?
CM: I can't complain about a single thing.

Do you maintain a certain diet to help keep you in shape?
CM: I eat a lot of vegetables and protein, while staying away from too many carbs and sweets.

What made you want to finish high school?
CM: Not finishing high school was never an option for me. I look forward to one day attending college in order to kick start my second career. I’d like to be a teacher some day.

Do you think being a professional athlete from a young age makes you grow up faster?
CM: The life lessons that you learn on the road definitely contribute to an advanced maturity. You also learn a lot from both the sponsors and media that surround the sport.

What do you think should be the role of sex appeal in the way women’s surfing is marketed?
CM: If done the right way, I think sex appeal is just a bonus that would help market the sport.

What do you always take with you when you travel?
CM: My father.

What’s in your i-Pod right now?
CM: Eminem and Justin Bieber ... it's somewhat contradictory, but it works.

Favorite books?
CM: A book about long-distance swimmer Lynn Cox called Swimming To Antarctica.

When was the last time you were scared?
CM: When I had my ear pierced for the third time three days ago.

You are known for your sunny demeanor. Do you have any pet peeves?
CM: Whenever my little sister uses my clothes without asking.

As Stand-Up Paddleboarders Race Around New York City, a Sport Takes Off

By Samantha Cook; photographs courtesy O'Neill Sea Paddle NYC

“Every day is paradise,” said stand-up paddleboard athlete Annabel Anderson as she looked out into the water from Pier 40 on the west side of Manhattan. Anderson quit a stressful corporate job to dedicate herself to stand-up paddle boarding, and its obvious that she has no regrets.

Last Friday at 6:45 a.m. Anderson, along with over 200 other enthusiasts, was preparing to participate in the fifth annual O’ Neill Sea Paddle NYC, a 26.5 stand-up paddleboard race around Manhattan. The race benefits Surfer’s Environmental Alliance and autism charities.

Unlike surfing, stand-up paddle boarding can be done in any body of water. It’s also much easier to learn. As a result, the sport has become increasingly popular. This year’s race had its greatest number of participants, about 20 percent more than last year.

“Stand-up paddle boarding is the fastest growing sport right now,” said Andrew Mencinsky of Surfers' Environmental Alliance. “We have participants who are coming from Chicago—where there is no ocean— Tennessee, Utah. There’s paddle boarding going on almost anywhere there’s a lake, pond or river.”

Shark Jumping the Surfer Viral Video—Amazing or Mundane? Surfrider Weighs In

You probably saw this video over the weekend of the spinner shark jumping over the surfer at New Smyrna Beach, Florida? It's a rare moment caught on video—and one that might make you wonder just what you'll encounter out in the deep blue this 4th of July holiday. We asked the Surfrider Foundation weigh in so we don't miss riding a single wave this weekend.

Matt McClain, Surfer, Director of Marketing & Communications
Surfrider Foundation

The video was certainly interesting...inasmuch as that sort of jumping behavior, while common, hasn’t been well documented on film—and certainly not in proximity of surfers.

As far as surfers recreating in the ocean in proximity to sharks... well, it is the ocean! Most surfers recognize that we share our surf breaks with sharks. Most of the time they tend to be fairly benign species—leopard sharks, nurse sharks, angel sharks, etc., but also occasionally include larger species of predatory sharks, including tiger and white sharks.

Most of the time, we surfers never even know these sharks are there. On those few occasions, where surfers or swimmers do encounter sharks the sharks behavior typically ranges from mild curiosity to flat out disinterest. I think most seasoned surfers understand this and as such, take the presence of sharks in stride.

Bottom line is that while the threat of shark attack always exists, surfers and bathers have much, much, much greater chance of getting hurt or killed traveling to and from the beach, then they do while they are in the water.

Surfer Andy Irons' Toxicology Report Released: Death Caused By Cardiac Arrest, Evidence of Mixed Drug Use

By Tetsuhiko Endo, editor of The Inertia

On Friday, June 10th the Tarrant County Medical Examiner’s office released the toxicology report for Philip Andrew “Andy” Irons. It states that his primary cause of death was a sudden cardiac arrest associated with coronary artery disease with a 70-80 percent stenosis (abnormal narrowing) of one of his arteries. It further states that his secondary cause of death was “acute mixed drug ingestion.” According to the report, the following drugs were found either on his person or in his system: Alprazolam (Xanax), Zolpidem (Ambien), cannabinoids (marijuana), naproxen (anti-inflammatory), cocaethylene (a chemical produced in the body when cocaine and alcohol are mixed that’s linked to causing heart attacks in people under forty), methamphetamine, methadone, and cocaine. The report includes a lengthy “comments” section explaining how cocaine and methadone can impede the work of the heart—thereby making their presence in Irons’ body “significant.” It concludes with the following: “the primary and underlying cause of death is ischemic heart disease due to coronary artery pathology (heart disease). Drugs however, particularly, methadone and cocaine, are other significant conditions contributing to death but not resulting in the underlying cause.”

Some, like Dr. Vincent Di Maio, an award-winning forensic expert and media stalwart hired by the Irons family, believe that drugs did not contribute to Irons’ death. Others, like the numerous doctors anecdotally consulted for this piece, side with the medical examiners in Tarrant County citing the myriad and well-documented ways that prolonged drug use can debilitate the heart. In life, Irons’ rock star combination of savant surfing and personal brashness polarized the surfing community like few other public figures, so it is grimly fitting that his death should do the same.

The premature death of a famous and monetarily influential person is always a tragedy, but never just a tragedy. It is many things to many people: a PR nightmare, the scoop of a lifetime, an inconvenience for a tour that seeks legitimacy, the instant canonization of his legend, a damning comment on celebrity culture, a cautionary tale, the tragic loss of a father, brother, husband and son, an ode to self destruction, an episode better left forgotten, an opportunity to change.

What makes Irons unique is not that he self-destructed; it’s that he did so in full view of his sponsors, the media, and his fans—while he was still one of the best surfers in the world. His story presents an interesting study in the way the surfing world, and action-sports cultures in general, function as they mature into full-blown consumer industries.

Continue reading this story on The Inertia >>

For World's Coldest Surf Competitions, Surfers Take on Frigid Swells in New Zealand, Scotland

By Tetsuhiko Endo; Photograph courtesy Cory Scott, O'Neill

When you hear the term “surfing competition” what images come to mind? California, palm trees, tropical blue water, guys with blonde hair who begin every sentence with “dude...”? That’s pretty spot on. However, wetsuit company O’Neill works on a slightly different paradigm.

Every year they run the O'Neill Cold Water Classic Series. It features the most southerly competition in the world in Gisborn, New Zealand, the most northerly in Thurso, Scotland, and the most flannel-shirted in Santa Cruz. Last week, Australian Adam Melling took home top honors in New Zealand, beating out a cadre of two of his countrymen and one Brazilian—proving that warm water surfers can adapt to colder temperatures if they have the right motivation ($20,000 and the trophy, a hand-carved Maori weapon called a Tewhatewha).

Although the water in New Zealand was only 68 degrees, necessitating no more than a three millimeter wet suit, the surfers will have to bring their thickest neoprene to Scotland where a cold winter has left the water temps hovering at a frigid 45 degrees. That means five millimeters covering your entire body—feet, hands, and even head. It's worth it though: the prize is a medieval sword, a la William Wallace. If you want to watch the frigid action, tune in to the web cast of the Scotland leg April 13th through the 19th.

Australia Adventure Guide: The Gold Coast's Surfing, Hiking, and Creeping "Fellas"

A longboarder in Queensland along Australia's Gold Coast; Photograph by Ben Moon/Aurora Photos. See more Australia photos

By Tetsuhiko Endo

When Australia appears in the news, chances are you are seeing Queensland. Cyclones, crocodiles, floods, and an encyclopedic list of venomous creatures make it an easy place to deride. But a place with this many hazards is also a place that remains fundamentally untamed and the rewards it holds for the savvy adventure traveler are second to none.

I’ve come to the Gold Coast, the Southeast corner of Queensland, to try to pack as much excitement into one week as I can, and have not been disappointed. I begin my stay at the Swell Resort in Burleigh Heads —a complex of holiday apartments that come with all the comforts of hotel rooms (towels linens, soap), but also include full kitchens, living areas, and central air conditioners that can conquer even the balmiest sub-tropical days.

From this base, I spend a few days surfing from Burleigh’s eponymous headland, the cradle of modern Australian professional surfing, to Snapper Rocks, one of the world’s most prized high performance waves, to Byron Bay, the hippy enclave that thumbs its nose at any hint of commercialism. Though not as teeming with venomous beasties as the coast farther north, certain winds and currents will sweep pseudo jelly-fish called Blue Bottles into the waters of the Gold Coast. Their stings aren’t dangerous, but they are painful enough that I complain to a fellow surfer.

“Awe, they’re not that bad, mate.” He responds. “Just make sure you avoid the Purple People Eaters. Those fellas really hurt.”

Surfer Anastasia Ashley on Big-Wave Surfing Hawaii's Waimea Bay

 
Photograph courtesy Daniel Russo

January 20 and 21 saw the biggest waves of the winter to pound Hawaii so far. Those surfers who were skilled enough and brave enough waxed up their big boards and headed to spots like Jaws in Maui, Outer Log Cabins, Oahu, and, of course, the spiritual home of big wave surfing, Waimea Bay. While big-wave surfing has traditionally been a masculine activity, a few women join the lineup those days, including Adventure favorite Maya Gabeira and 23-year-old Anastasia Ashley. Ashley was born on the North Shore and now divides her time between the islands and California. Adventure got a hold of her for a first person account of what it’s like to paddle out and catch a few monsters at such a legendary spot.—Tetsuhiko Endo

ADVENTURE: When did you know you wanted to start riding Waimea?
Anastasia Ashley: I actually didn't start surfing out there 'till last year, when I found an old board under my house that was left by someone—an old 7'10’’ big-wave board. Out of curiosity I wanted to try riding it because I’d never ridden a board that big. I took it out on a small day at Waimea and felt super under gunned, so I then decided I needed a bigger board. I ordered one from Rusty and have been stoked to surf the bay ever since.

What was it like paddling out for the first time?
It was definitely surreal seeing the waves from the water—they’re so big!

How do you mentally prepare yourself for any big swell?
Definitely by just being physically prepared. I always get a good night’s sleep and make sure to eat some healthy food to keep me powered.

Walk me through surfing a wave at Waimea Bay.
Being out at Waimea is pretty crazy. The paddle out is actually pretty minor, besides the initial shore break. but if you mistime that you can be very much screwed. The most intense part, on the other hand, is the drop. It feels like you’re dropping in forever! The wave behaves one way around 15 feet, but it definitely changes once the swells hit the 18-foot plus mark. It jacks up out of the deep water and turns really, really intense.

Maya Gabeira once told me that there is a certain loneliness to being a woman who rides big waves because you are constantly surrounded by men. What is your take on that?
I agree. I feel like that is true in any aspect of surfing, big waves and small waves. It's definitely a man's lineup. But I also think it's definitely changing!

Are you considering doing any more big-wave surfing this year?
Yeah, of course! It's all swell dependent, so I’ll hopefully surf a few more days out at Waimea, and some outer reefs.

Surfing Photographer Chris Burkard on Capturing That Incredible Shot (Photos)

By Tetsuhiko Endo; Photographs courtesy of Chris Burkhard

What were you doing when you were 24 years old? While most people are entering the work force or moving into their first apartments, photographer Chris Burkard is winning the Red Bull Illume contest. The Illume is a yearly competition that endeavors to choose the best action sports photos from around the world. It doesn’t matter what sport is being practiced so long as someone’s well-being hangs in the balance. This year, Burkard took top honors with a pulled-back shot of a surfer in Chile that, true to his signature style, evokes a beautiful and haunting sense of place.