Extreme Sports

McKenna, VanMeter win Iron Dog by more than an hour

Holding a bottle of champagne in one hand and his 3 1/2-year-old daughter, Asa, in the other, Marc McKenna tipped the bottle up, took a big swig and then shook it up and sprayed family and friends who had surrounded him to celebrate his and Dusty VanMeter's victory in the Iron Dog on Saturday.

By land and sea: More epic Alaska adventures

This month, we tried to pull together accounts of some of the memorable Alaska outdoors feats of 2010 -- while acknowledging that we were sure to miss a few and asking readers for submissions. And responses did, indeed, trickle onto our website and into our newsroom.

Outdoor enthusiasts make the most of Alaska

Photos: Paddle surfing Turnagain Arm

Outdoor enthusiasts make the most of Alaska

Outdoor accomplishments are difficult to measure. Nobody keeps score. Climbers and paddlers don't employ publicists or statisticians. Comparing a harrowing climb against a successful hunt or a big fish landed doesn't make a whole lot of sense. Given all that, the 2010 feats featured here don't pretend to be comprehensive.

Kiteboarders end bid to cross Bering Strait

Two kiteboarders hoping to make an unprecedented Bering Strait crossing have abandoned their bid after waiting in Wales for nearly a month for ideal conditions that never materialized.

OUTDOORS

Kayakers, rafters have a splashing good time

Can an event charging no admission that takes place on a sunny Saturday in a beautiful setting, offering thrills and spills followed by free beer, grub and music possibly fail? Evidently not. Saturday saw perhaps the biggest collection of Southcentral paddlers in the three-year history of the event.

Photos: Six-Mile-Fest whitewater competition

Rescuers unable to reach 'extreme hiker' on glacier

Severe weather on Monday prevented the rescue of a weakened "extreme hiker" stranded on a glacier near Haines without food, forcing him to spend another night out, according to the Coast Guard.

Endurance race wild card: weather

For weeks, Southcentral endurance skiers and winter bikers have kept an eye glued to weather reports. Would the cold, dry stretch during the early part of the year extend into mid-February?

ALASKAN WET DOG

Adventurers prepare for 2,000-mile race on jet skis

Following in the footsteps of the Iditarod and the Iron Dog, the new Alaskan Wet Dog Race is envisioned as a nearly 2,000-mile jet ski journey from the Port of Anchorage, down Cook Inlet, around part of Kodiak Island to the Alaska Peninsula and returning to Anchorage about three weeks later.

Skydiver hurt in leap off MacKay Building (4/16/2002)

A visiting Canadian sky diver leaped from the MacKay Building around midnight Sunday and learned a harsh lesson when his parachute failed to open completely.