Wend Blog

Human evolution and technology has led many to believe that we are the dominating species on planet Earth. While our shelters are lavish, our cars are enormous and our weapons are strong, these advancements have, in a way, made us oblivious to the power of the fellow species among us....

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Yesterday morning, an awesome new feature was added to Google Maps. That’s right, folks, you can now map your bicycle route. Not only does the sweet new addition show streets that are known to be bike-friendly, but it also factors in car traffic and hills. So, a word to our two-wheeled...

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Freddy Mercury loves to ride his bicycle; he loves to ride his bike. So does Wend. And we also love watching people crash and burn. So crank up the Queen and enjoy our devout Wipeout Wednesday aficionados.  Bicycle crashes they’re coming your way So forget all your duties oh yeah. Fat-bottomed girls they’ll be falling...

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The largest relay race in the world, otherwise known as “The Mother of All Relays,” is a runner’s haven and a non-runner’s hell. So, why do so many different types of people (runners and non-runners alike) participate in it? This is the question that Hood to Coast the movie sets...

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The Scottish certainly know how to celebrate in style. In honor of the best ski season in Scotland since 2001, over 200 skiers and snowboarders headed over to CairnGorm Mountain for a record-breaking run. What, you might ask, made this run so memorable? All 235 intermediate-to-advanced skiers and snowboarders were dressed...

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This weekend’s weather proved that spring is well on its way, as is the spring issue of Wend! Here is a shot from our Survival Kit photo shoot, which included gear from: GoLite, Columbia, Terramar, Keen, Saucony, Kuru, Exoficcio and Smartwool, among others. More photos will appear in the magazine...

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Directed and shot by cinematographer Sean Mullens, Birthright is a humbling film that successfully tells a complex, thought-provoking story in less than six minutes. The character is engaging and the scenes are artfully shot and beautifully edited. This one is definitely good enough to warrant breaking your “I only watch...

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After a west Colorado rancher reported his suspicion that wolves had been on his land, rumor quickly spread among local residents. It has not yet been confirmed if a pack of wolves has indeed found a new home at High Lonesome Ranch in De Beque, Colo., but locals are concerned, considering...

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Days before his tragic death while attempting to climb Mt. Edgar in China last June, renowned alpinist Jonny Copp tapped into his poetic side and penned his last poem, Border Country. The poem is strangely foreboding of the tragedy to ensue several days later. Here it comes to take me down,...

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Sailing on an ancient junk boat in Vietnam, riding a rickshaw in Japan or seeing the pyramids on camels – there are thousands of odd and intriguing forms of transportation around the world. Here are some of the strangest: 1. Bamboo Train, Cambodia Between Battambang and Cambodia’s capital, Phnom Penh, you’ll find...

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Scotland’s We Were Promised Jetpacks fuses indie, punk, and pop melodies throughout each of their songs, creating an album perfect for any Monday morning pick-me-up. Throughout the band’s newest album, The Last Place You’ll Look (hitting the U.S. on March 9th), soft guitar tones and chimes offset the meaty vocals while...

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A few days ago, a Colorado family’s teacup dog went wandering — only to encounter a hungry mountain lion. Naturally, when the little dog decided to head home, the mountain lion followed, only to find four more “guard dogs” upon arrival. The family’s Jack Russell Terrier, as well as four...

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There’s an old adage that eyes are the window to the soul, but we here at Wend HQ prefer the windows to the outside world (though, that’s not to say we don’t appreciate our eyes). When we have spent hours on end staring at our computer screens getting some work...

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Great photo essay here from photographer Marcus Riga, who recently took a road trip down the west coast with Knolly team riders Curtis Robinson and Alan Crisp. This dispatch comes from the rider-built trails at Black Rock, near Salem, OR, where they camped out for a week getting to know...

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The 88 Bikes Foundation, along with Keen Hybrid.Care, has been hard at work on spreading two-wheeled love to children in developing countries. Project4, their latest installment, donated 300 simple, sturdy bikes to orphans in Ghana, Nepal, and Vietnam. To facilitate the success of the program and the happiness of the children,...

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Competition can bring out the best and worst in people. We pour our hearts out during every game, match, round, or meet and leave everything on the line. Sometimes we win, sometimes we lose and other times we lose when we win. In a time of triumph, common sense is...

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A few months ago, we brought you into the den of Lily, the first American Black Bear to have a live webcam showcasing her hibernation and the birth of her cub. Now it’s time we show you Apollo, a rare White Kermode bear, otherwise known as a “spirit bear,” the...

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Amidst the sex, drugs, and rock and roll of the 1960’s, another, quieter, movement was blossoming across the United States. Beyond the festival fields and marching grounds, on the sun-baked faces of majestic cliffs, the golden age of rock climbing had been born. Throughout the decade, the sport was pushed...

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Residents of Lajamanu of the Northern Territory in Australia have been worrying about more than a light drizzle when they’ve stepped outside in the last couple of days. An ordinary umbrella would do nothing to protect an individual from the massive downpour they are dealing with — because it’s raining...

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Last week we told you about the new law allowing firearms in National Parks. Now, “famous bearded director,” Ken Barnes is directing a film about America’s “latest great idea.” Follow me on Twitter @lostcascadia Related posts:The National Parks, America's Best Idea Chimpanzees Make Movie for the BBC China Renames Real Mountain Because of Movie...

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Buraka Som Sistema is fresh-sounding urban music that harmonizes the sounds of kurduro–also known as Angolan Dance–to generate move-busting grooves on the dance floor. This suburban band from Portugal has just released their first mix CD, Fabriclive 49. PLANET sums the mix up well: “These escalate the energy level to another...

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In the summertime, across America, battalions of ice cream trucks fill the warm air with the seemingly sweet sounds of one unmistakable jingle: Turkey in the Straw. Ice cream, apparently, is best served with a side of racism. Originally called Zip Coon, the popular American folk tune that has now...

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Big, interesting trucks are a ubiquitous sight when traveling. Do you remember your first encounter? Was it a rust-covered Russian kamaz that screamed past your taxi on a treacherous mountain road in Central Asia? Or was your first a more ponderous experience, like seeing an ancient truck coughing its way...

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This week’s Friday Photo winner is Cheryl Willson, for this shot from the Cascade Sled Dog club’s 2008 Frog Lake II Sled Dog race on Mt. Hood in Oregon. Here’s what Cheryl had to say about the event: My family looks forward to going to the Frog Lake Sled Dog races every...

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Watch in horror as French downhill skier Yannick Bertrand takes a slalom gate to the groin while tearing down the mountain at top speed during his December, 2007 super-g attempt in Kvitfjell, Norway. But be warned: the hit is hard. You can actually hear the sloppy crunch of precious parts. If...

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A proposal by a Canadian archeological firm seeking to test underwater survey equipment in Larsen Sound–an arctic waterway off the coast of Northern Canada–might not be approved on the basis that the location is considered to be the most likely final resting place of two long-lost ships abandoned in the...

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Paddle to Seattle: Journey through the Inside Passage is a feature documentary chronicling the progress of two intrepid adventurers paddling handmade wooden Pygmy kayaks from Alaska to Seattle. Follow me on Twitter @Kyle_Cassidy Related posts:Paddle to Seattle: 1,300 Miles in Handmade Kayaks Riding the Spine Guys Finish Their Journey Paddle Surfing Related posts:Paddle to Seattle:...

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Environmentalists are once again grappling with small business owners around Yellowstone National Park’s gateway communities over the issue of riding snowmobiles on park grounds. According to snowmobile advocates, the current winter use plan, which caps snowmobile use in the park at 318 machines per day, will devastate local economies. But some...

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Everyone loves dolphins, especially when you’re at sea for a long time. Change in scenery is rare when you’re crossing an ocean and any sort of mammal sighting is the event by which you define the day. Several times, while laying below deck in my bunk, I’d hear the cry,”DOLPHINS!!”...

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Poppy the springer spaniel could easily be mistaken for a flying dog. After running off the edge of a cliff in pursuit of a seagull, the dog fell 300 feet into the sea below. Miraculously, Poppy survived the fall and was able to swim to the closest shore where rescue crews...

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