My Top 9 Favorite Wend Blog Posts Of 2009: Something To Do When You’re Hungover.

Okay, now that we’re on to a new year, I thought I’d list a few of our favorite things on the site from 2009. Here goes:

1.) Performance: Hipster Vs. Roadie Rap.
We were the second media outlet to post this hilarious video, and it was far and away the biggest traffic pusher on the Wend blog this last year. Words can’t express how rad this viral masterpiece is.

2.) Brewing Change: Why Craft Beer Makers Go Green
If there is one thing that we love at Wend HQ, it’s good beer. And being from the land that has over 250 microbreweries within our state’s borders means we’re live in beer heaven. Managing Editor Kyle Cassidy wrote a masterpiece on green brewing. Check it out, here.

3.) Dropping Metlako Falls: Wend Ambassador Dave Hoffman Drops a 90 footer.
Dave “The Hoff” Hoffman is one of favorites around the office. Probably one of the funniest humans on earth, and one of the most dedicated kayakers I’ve ever come across. Dropping this 90 footer put Dave in a whole new class.

4.) Wend Ambassador Heidi Swift and The Cyclocross Diaries: Spooky Mayhem Halloween Episode
Thanks to Heidi Swift and Wend cinematographer Eric Keeney, Wend officially got into the business of making original Webisodes. The 8 part series documents The Northwest’s Cross Crusade Race series, and this particular episode is full of halloween costume joy.

5.) Ban The Bag: Portland Mayor Sam Adams is Down For It.
We at Wend are serious about being activists as well as journalists. At this event, we kicked our city into gear with respect to its plastic bag policy. It was here too that I got invited to be a part of a research mission to investigate marine debris in the Atlantic ocean. I leave January 3rd.

6.) Wend Gear Review: The Buttless Neoprene Wetsuit.
If there is one thing we have at Wend, it’s a sense of humor. So much outdoor media is devoted to reviewing outdoor gear and at times it gets a bit tedious or it seems like advertisers are just paying for positive reviews. So, we decided to spoof them. So what’s better than a buttless wetsuit?

7.) Sunday Hike And Remembering Who I Am.
We’re busy people. All of the Wend team works a lot. Sometimes we can loose track of why we all started this monster in the first place. Sometimes we write essays to remind us.

8.) 105 Boats 4 Walkie Talkies, 1 Bull Horn and lots of cameras = A 350.org action.
October 24th, 2009 was a good day for the earth. 350 actions were taken all over the planet and this day counts as the most inspiring environmental action days that I’ve ever witnessed in my life. Thanks to the Epicocity Boyz for organizing the event.

9.) GoPro Helmet Cam Footage Of Adults Racing Childrens Bikes In Animal Costumes.
At our summer issue release party, Wend organized an event to get people drunk and donate money to Defenders Of Wildlife. The concept was simple. Beer is free. Pay ten bucks to enter race. Get advantage if you are dressed as a wild animal. All proceeds go to Defenders of Wildlife. Probably the funniest and most successful event we’ve ever done.

Stiv on twitter = @agentstiv