Wend Blog

Indiana Kayakers Encounter 11-Foot Python, Save Its Hide for “Conversation Piece”

A small group of friends were fishing from their kayaks on the Wildcat Creek this Sunday, when Dave Neal noticed a snake wrapped around a tree trunk on shore. At first, Neal thought nothing of it, until he saw it start to slither up a hill. That’s about the time he noticed its size, and when he decided called 911. Police later told him the snake he spotted was an… Read the rest

Naked Biker! Call 911!

The 911 calls began at 2:31 p.m. on Monday when onlookers noticed a 20-year-old woman riding her bicycle, naked, along a highway in the state of Washington. A trooper was dispatched, but was unable to locate her. Later that afternoon, at 4:20, another call came in to police. The woman, it appeared, was near the Bremerton Airport, and was now wearing “pants and pasties.” A trooper located the woman about… Read the rest

The Joy Trip Project: The Last Man on the Mountain

An interview with author Jennifer Jordan

In 1939, Dudley Wolfe was on one of the earliest expeditions to reach the summit of K2. An adventurer and one of the wealthiest men in the world, he was left for dead with a rescue team of Sherpa after a devastating avalanche. Some say he was the victim of his own foolishness, others say he was abandoned by the members of his… Read the rest

Get a Two-Year Subscription this Month, Get a Wend Klean Kanteen!

Ever felt green with Klean Kanteen envy? You know, it’s a hot summer day, you’re resting at a lookout point on your 15-mile hike, and you see a woman standing 10 feet away, leaning gently against the back of a wooden bench, a shiny Klean Kanteen hanging from her right index finger. You try to look away, but she’s smiling wryly. And you just stand there, parched, hot, boiling, in… Read the rest

September Friday Photo Contest: Sweet Surf

Surfing unites human and sea. It blends the two together in an energy-bound relationship for moments, or minutes, depending on the human and depending on the wave. To surf, it can be argued, is to feel the energy of Earth first hand, in its most untainted form. In the same way that a base jumper uses the energy of the wind to glide through the sky, a surfer utilizes the… Read the rest

Wipeout Wednesday – Animal Edition

You know what they say about pets and their owners, about how we start to look like them. Or is it the other way around?

From Stephen: (All he needs is a surf board.)

From Katherine: (Why dogs are better.)

From Jeff: (This only looks like a terrible idea.)

Wipeout Wednesday: When the Waves Fight Back
Wipeout Wednesday: Into the Watery Abyss
Wipeout Wednesday: Seeing Sparks

Leave No Trace Caption Contest Winner Week 4

This week’s shot, “City Sleeping Bags,” got some hilarious captions (go here to read them), but there can only be one winner! And that winner is Elizabeth, who captioned the above shot:

Woman: Wow, is that a French pedi?
Man: It looks to be Brazilian from my angle.
All: Giggle!

Congrats, Elizabeth! You win a pair of Chaco sandals; a pair of Smartwool socks (not to be worn… Read the rest

Fire Tornado Burns Through Brush in Hawaii

According to the Associated Press, the “fire tornado” shown in the above video was a result of “strong winds and brush fires.” The video was taken last week after firefighters attempted to contain a brush fire near the Pohakuloa Training Area on the Big Island. Apparently, they didn’t get to the fires fast enough.

[Via: Huffington Post]

Russian Donkey Parasails for Promo Tool
Kansas National Park Debate Sparks New

… Read the rest

Music Monday: The Thermals

The Thermals probably spawned during some cold gloomy winter night in Portland, just like a thousand other bands have. But only the really good make it past playing at bike messenger parties, and only a few of the best get signed with Kill Rock Stars. If you are in Portland go see them, The Decemberists and many many more at MFNW in two weeks!

Music Monday: All We Grow

… Read the rest

Need S’more Caffeine?

Caffeine. Bzzzzzz! That’s the sound of your brain and the feeling of your body when you’ve welcomed caffeine into your system.

If you like the Bzzzzzz feeling you get from, say, a giant mug of coffee, you just might be enticed by these: Caffeinated Marshmallows–appropriately named “Stay Puft.” Each mallow contains 100 mg of caffeine, which means that popping a “Stay Puft” is about the equivalent of throwing back… Read the rest

Slackline Around the World Week 11: Oh Snap! No Peas for Me in NYC

I’m hungry and tired and arrived in NYC (the end of my U.S. tour!) without any type of fan fair. Yet my spirits lifted when my slackline passed a beautiful fire escape garden. Throughout, this cross country slacktour I ate a generous amount of burritos, consumed more beer than a cartoon man on a slackline should, and ingested countless bugs, a few bats, and a hawk (it was either… Read the rest

Drinking Water ‘Round the World

Water. It’s the stuff of life. And yet it is becoming the stuff of major crisis. What with the amount of potable water shrinking over time, the public conscious is finally beginning to grasp the consequences of its wasteful actions.

Overuse of the important resource, the pollution of streams and fresh waterways, and bottled water—among other major contributors—are instrumental in the fact that many parts of the world do… Read the rest

Base Jumping Meets Tree Hugging….

Wait for the ending… wait for it!

Base Jumping… Under Water
Wipeout Wednesday: Slipping on Slackline
Wipeout Wednesday: (Almost) Free Falling

Friday Photo: Salty Sweet

This week’s Friday Photo winner is Chris Perez for submitting this shot that shows a sweet taste of the Salt River.

“Pulled off for lunch on day two of the Upper Salt River run. Snapped this shot midway into my cool down plunge.”

Congratulations, Chris! You win your very own GoPro camera and a pair of Chaco sandals–both perfect for summer sun days.

Want your own chance at winning?… Read the rest




With what sounds like a cross between TRON and ‘that guy’ riding around town with the old ghetto-blaster tied to his seat rack–Apple looks to corner the market on entertaining technology via two wheels. According to the patent issued to Apple earlier this month, this Shred-Sled could come equipped with Wi-Fi, audio, video and even voice commands to control the

… Read the rest

84-Year-Old Adventurer to Cross Atlantic on Raft

“Fancy rafting across the Atlantic? Famous traveller requires 3 crew. Must be OAP. Serious adventurers only.”

…So read the ad 84-year-old British adventurer and author Anthony Smith placed in the U.K paper the Telegraph in the hopes of finding a sufficient crew to help him row the Atlantic–a dream he’s waited almost his entire life to complete.

Smith’s ad worked. And his dream will be realized starting in January… Read the rest

The Most Isolated Man On Earth

The western Brazilian state of Rondonia contains some of the richest agricultural lands in the Amazon, attracting large numbers of ranchers, loggers, and farmers looking to capitalize on the areas resources. It’s also the home of a lone native man, who has been living on the run, in isolation for decades.

He is known by the media as the “Man in the Hole” because of the various… Read the rest

Washington Town Lowers Bike Speed Limit on Trail, Adds Yellow Centerline

In August 2008, reporter Adam McFadden wrote in an article about the Cedar River Trail in Renton, WA: “After exploring much of the Cedar River Trail, I came away with one impression: The trail is a great place to bike, take a stroll or just wander.” In April 2010, a local Renton resident, 83, died after being hit by a bike rider on the same trail. The collision between the… Read the rest

Wipeout Wednesday: Sucks to be That Guy

You know the story. You’re walking down the street one day, minding your own business, when a stray skateboard smacks you in the head.

From Jesse: (He’s going down.)

From Renae: (He’s going for a strike.)

From Gary: (He’s airborn…and he’s down.)

Wipeout Wednesday: Skateboard Spills
Wipeout Wednesday: Mountain Bikes Maim
Wipeout Wednesday: Lessons in Gravity

Filming a Buffalo One Minute, Getting Mauled by it Another

“Watch Donald get gored,” Cathy Hayes says playfully as she films her friend jogging closer to a buffalo in Yellowstone National Park. The words come out of her mouth just minutes before the buffalo she’s filming looks straight into her camera, starts bucking and kicking, and runs directly at her. As it turns out, her friend Donald was left unscathed. But Cathy was left with some serious bruises and cuts… Read the rest

Get Your KEEN’s at the Garage!

We announced it last week and we’ll announce it again–the KEEN Garage (its first retail store) is now open for business. If you haven’t had a chance to look through the Garage, you’re missing out. The space itself is modest in size but chock-full of the KEEN culture that surrounds the brand. A chalkboard behind the register announces local community events in an unassuming fashion. All shoes are displayed… Read the rest

Come See the Elements Tour & Baby the Bio-Fueled Wonder in PDX!

Tomorrow marks the finale of Grand Opening week for the KEEN Garage–and the week is ending with a bang! Thursday evening from 5 to 9 p.m., the entire block outside the Garage storefront (926 NW 13th Ave.) will be closed off to cars and open to the public. And it’s there that you’ll find The Elements Tour crew and Baby the famous bio-fueled wonder, accompanied by Gravity Free, who will… Read the rest

Traffic Jam in the Holland Tunnel? No Problem.

Mountain Unicycling by the Best of the Best
Wipeout Wednesday: Mountain Bikes Maim
Elliptical, Meet Bike…

Leave No Trace Caption Contest Week 4: City Sleeping Bags

Hot purple sleeping bags with a between-the-legs zip option and padded feet. Four funny people. A hot midsummer’s night in the city.

What do you get when you combine these elements? The above shot… ready for your silly/serious/snarky comments.

Submit a clever comment in the comments section below and hope yours is the best. Four lucky winners will receive a pair of their very own Chaco sandals; a pair of… Read the rest

Leave No Trace Caption Contest Winner Week 3

This week’s shot, “Doggie Dash,” bore witness to several awesome captions, but there can only be one winner, and that winner is… Danielle, for submitting the caption that (we think) best captured this pooch’s character in words. According to Danielle, this is what this dog was thinking:

“Ooh ooh you need someone to collect firewood? I’ll do it I’ll do it I’m good at it oh let me let… Read the rest

No related posts.

Bears Guarding Cannabis Field too Mellow to Attack Police Raiders

Police raiding a marijuana farm in western Canada stumbled across a group of more than 10 black bears that appeared to have been lured there to guard it.

Over the years, marijuana farmers have developed some novel ways of protecting their crops. From “invisible” fishhooks hanging at eyelid level to dogs and small, homemade explosives, the organizers of big-money operations utilize painful but typically non-lethal booby traps to keep… Read the rest

“Floatzilla” Participants Attempt to Create World’s Largest Raft

This weekend in Rock Island, Illinois, participants in about 1,200 canoes and kayaks linked hands and paddles together for 30 seconds in an attempt to break the Guinness World Record for the largest collective canoe and kayak raft. The standing record was set in 2008 in New York.

This Saturday’s event was aptly named “Floatzilla,” but despite its grandiose name, reports have yet to announce whether or not “Floatzilla”… Read the rest

Music Monday: All We Grow

If you’re in the mood for mellow, you’ve come to the right Music Monday selection. Today, we bring you the soothing sounds of S. Carey from his first solo album, All We Grow. As the drummer for the American Indie folk band Bon Iver, S. Carey has no need to prove his musical talents to promote his solo endeavor. But it’s not just his musical chops that set him up… Read the rest

Male Pole Dancing as Art, Sport, Entertainment

Another unique form of pole dancing that we have felt inclined to feature. We rate it right up there with bear pole dancing.

The Kind of Pole Dancing We Like to Watch
First Arab Woman Currently Trekking the North Pole
Video Footage Shows Beauty, Tribulations on North Pole Expedition

‘Victor’-y

What do you get when a design student from Montreal with a propensity for sustainable development descends upon the biking industry? Meet the ‘Victor’, a single speed concept bike created by Christophe Robillard for his final college project. Robillard set out to reframe the bicycle and has clearly accomplished exactly that. The Victor, with its matte black finish, brown leather Brooks seat, stylish fenders, white wall tires, and low… Read the rest

Wend Blog

Indiana Kayakers Encounter 11-Foot Python, Save Its Hide for “Conversation Piece”

Naked Biker! Call 911!

The Joy Trip Project: The Last Man on the Mountain

Get a Two-Year Subscription this Month, Get a Wend Klean Kanteen!

September Friday Photo Contest: Sweet Surf

Wipeout Wednesday – Animal Edition

Leave No Trace Caption Contest Winner Week 4

Fire Tornado Burns Through Brush in Hawaii

Music Monday: The Thermals

Need S’more Caffeine?

Slackline Around the World Week 11: Oh Snap! No Peas for Me in NYC

Drinking Water ‘Round the World

Base Jumping Meets Tree Hugging….

Friday Photo: Salty Sweet

U.S. Patent Issued to Apple–Smart Bike Coming Soon?

84-Year-Old Adventurer to Cross Atlantic on Raft

The Most Isolated Man On Earth

Washington Town Lowers Bike Speed Limit on Trail, Adds Yellow Centerline

Wipeout Wednesday: Sucks to be That Guy

Filming a Buffalo One Minute, Getting Mauled by it Another

Get Your KEEN’s at the Garage!

Come See the Elements Tour & Baby the Bio-Fueled Wonder in PDX!

Traffic Jam in the Holland Tunnel? No Problem.

Leave No Trace Caption Contest Week 4: City Sleeping Bags

Leave No Trace Caption Contest Winner Week 3

Bears Guarding Cannabis Field too Mellow to Attack Police Raiders

“Floatzilla” Participants Attempt to Create World’s Largest Raft

Music Monday: All We Grow

Male Pole Dancing as Art, Sport, Entertainment

‘Victor’-y