Green Gear Showcase in New York City

The Big Apple turned green this past weekend as the inaugural Go Green Expo invaded Manhattan.

At one of the largest green product expos in the country, 250 booths hawked rainforest-seed jewelry, cow-dung paper (don't get it wet), bamboo dresses, candy-wrapper handbags, fair-trade chocolate, and organic vodka (being served by a suspiciously inorganic-looking model).  Even a hybrid limo service and a “green” private jet company were on hand to proffer their services (yeah, seems oxymoronic to us too.) 

Thousands of people checked in to the Hilton to take a look, proving again that green living has indeed arrived, even in NYC.

Check out the scene, and some of my favorite products (handbags included), in the slideshow below.

—Ryan Krogh

Photos provided by: Ella Vickers, Passchal, Nahui Ollin, 360 Vodka

Blaine Breaks Breath-Holding Record

Everyone's favorite masochist is at it again. This afternoon, David Blaine broke the world record for holding his breath underwater. And, naturally, he didn’t do it quietly. Live, on Oprah, the 35-year-old magician submerged himself in a water-filled glass sphere for 17 minutes and 4 seconds.

Upon exit, his first words to Oprah were, "I feel great."

But, don't try this at home. For the last month, he’s slept inside a little tent with pumped air containing low-level oxygen, the equivalent of sleeping at 15,000 feet altitude. And then he sucked on pure oxygen just before he dove in. He's spent years dreaming up stunts like this—that test the levels of human endurance, can be accomplished in an uber-public place, and in preferably some sort of transparent contraption. He’s been buried alive outside New York’s Trump Place, stood on top of a 105 foot pole in Bryant Park, encased himself in ice for two-and-a-half days, and recently starved himself for a month-and-a-half while dangling above the River Thames in a glass cube while hecklers chucked cheeseburgers in his direction.

And although he’s finally accomplished this “lifelong dream,” thankfully, he’s not quite done. Next up: Sleep deprivation, likely followed by putting himself on the rack in Times Square. So stay tuned. If all this isn't bad enough, each month Outside rounds up the coolest, and, occasionally most unnecessarily broken records. If you're dying to know how many sheep one man can sheer in a mere eight hours, check out the May issue, on newstands now.
-Claire Napier Galofaro

Concealed Guns In The National Parks

A new line may be added to the road trip lexicon for families visiting the National Parks. In addition to "Kids, for the last time, I will stop this car if you don't quiet down back there."; and, "Hey honey, can you take a picture of me next to this moose?"; the following may be added, "Dear, can you pull the bug spray out of my pocket. Be careful of my gun."

An update to an existing regulation might allow individuals to carry concealed weapons in the National Parks.

Secretary of the Interior Dirk Kempthorne announced the plan and a 60-day public comment period that will allow people to weigh in on whether gun regulations in the National Parks should change. The Department of the Interior said in a press release that the proposed update will be on the federal register at www.doi.gov.

With the new rules, individuals would be allowed to carry concealed weapons in National Parks and on Wildlife Refuges if they are authorized to do so on similar state lands. Currently, according to the Department of the Interior, 48 states now allow the lawful possession of concealed weapons.

--Joe Spring

Derby Field (and Party) Set

On Saturday, the 134th running of the Kentucky Derby will begin with a trumpeting call to the post and end two minutes after the gates are thrown open. Mint juleps will be downed, hats will be worn, and 20 horses with names like Pyro, Cool Coal Man, Big Truck, and Bob Black Jack will scrum to the first turn.

I've got a good feeling about the probable long-shot Smooth Air, but am not not going to punch my ticket until after tonight's post position draw. Even then, the result of the most famous horse race in the U.S. is never a guarantee. Long shots often win, favorite's tend to stumble, but one thing I can guarantee is that one of the best parties in the world ("Games On" January) will take place on the Churchill Downs infield. If you're there, and careful, you might even see a blur of horses race by you.

--Jason Kerkmans

License to Cheat: Immune to Testing

Some athletes have the natural ability to cheat and not get caught. A recent study in Sweden found that when 55 men injected themselves with testosterone, 17 still passed the requisite urine test, according to a recent report in the New York Times.

The 17 men have their parents to thank for this ability. They were born without copies of a gene that converts testosterone into a substance dissolved in urine. In other words, all that extra testosterone doesn't come out in their pee. They can inject themselves until their backs are hairy and drug tests will show testosterone levels that increase as much as Clay Aiken's would after singing a Barbra Streisand classic.

Another study by the same doctors found that roughly two-thirds of Asian men and one-tenth of Caucasian men lack the genes. Since the Beijing Olympics will not test genes, and only use the standard pee test, it is possible participants with the right genetic makeup can cheat and get away with it.

The possibility exists that those athletes lacking the genes won't attempt to cheat. Of course, for this their parents would have to had given them something even more difficult to detect in athletes nowadays, the belief that cheating is wrong.

--Joe Spring

Tibetans Jailed, Chinese Protest Bias In U.S.

Today, China sentenced 30 Tibetans to prison for their roles in the Lhasa riots that began on March 14th. The prison terms for the new inmates range from three years to life according to the New York Times. The sentence is the first round of punishments against the people China believes took part in the riots. In all, the Chinese say these rioters killed 19 people and left 600 dead. A number that could not be verified independently - the only reports that followed the riots were released by Xinhua, the state-run news service. Foreign reporters were not allowed into Tibet after the protests and only now have been allowed in to "report" on the Olympic torch's Mount Everest ascent. Although, Reuters acknowledges that even the select number of foreign media personnel allowed to report from Everest have been provided with little information as to when the torch will leave for the summit.

A country-wide ban on internet sites such as YouTube further limits the opportunity of the Chinese people to understand what is occurring in Tibet. But even Chinese college students in the U.S., with access to such information, keep a patriotic view of the events, as a seperate New York Times report shows.

They push back against what they see as a U.S. bias against their home country. But then again, at least they are allowed to respond - as one student did who said, "Western media is even more biased than Chinese media" - to the very reports on TV and the internet that their countrymen don't have the right to watch.

--Jason Kerkmans

Great White Killed Triathlete

An L.A.-based shark expert, examining two tooth fragments extracted from the body of a 66-year old triathlete, confirmed a 15-to-16-foot great white killed the man off the coast of San Diego last week, according to the Associated Press. While training in Solana Beach, David Martin was lifted out of the water by the shark, pulled underwater, resurfaced to scream “shark,” and went under again.

The shark quickly fled. Several other swimmers pulled the victim to shore, but it was too late. The retired veterinarian quickly died of blood loss from the massive injury that crossed both legs. Scientists theorize that the shark mistook Martin’s black wetsuit for a tasty sea lion. A member of the Triathlon Club of San Diego and 40-year resident of the area, Martin was a dedicated athlete, frequently using the beach for training.

His peers reported having never encountered a shark in years of swimming in the area. While sharks are not uncommon in the San Diego area, shark-enthusiasts note this is the first fatal attack in Southern California in almost 50 years. As a precaution, people were urged to stay out of the water for 72 hours.

-Claire Napier Galofaro

Fat But Fit: Myth or Reality?

It seems like perfect logic. After that run, it should be OK to eat a bag of Cheetos. The fat will remain, but you're exercising and in shape.

But before you grab that cheesy, buttery goodness, you should be aware of this disturbing news, courtesy of Reuters. The "fat but fit" theory we've been hearing so much about lately seems to be...not so true.

Overweight people don't cut their risk of heart disease unless they also drop the extra poundage. According to the most recent information from scientists, you have to work out and lose weight.

We can help by suggesting a new way to increase cardiovascular fitness, by training for one of the country's best century rides. You'll be down a belt notch in no time, provided you reach for something healthy after the ride.

--Emily Matchar

Ducking Political Tomatoes, At a Book Festival

It was hotter than hell at the UCLA Festival of Books over the weekend, but it didn't stop almost a hundred and fifty thousand people from showing up. For books. To read. Who knew?

It wasn't all intellectual warm fuzzies however. Heated debates, audience heckling and stern words were exchanged when neo-con David Frum and McCain loyalist Dan Schnur took the stage with lefties Eric Alterman and Arianna Huffington. I just tried to steer clear of the metaphorical tomato throwing that went on every time each side tried to make a point.

Huffington, the blog-master of the lefties exclaimed in her perfect Zsa Zsa Gabor lilt, that some topics just weren't up for debate, "Global warming is a fact and it's happening. That's it." Yes, dahhhlink!

Over at the can't-we-all-just-get-along panel, Blurring Boundaries, Pico Iyer, Tony Cohan and Jenny Price, spoke reverently about the thrill of becoming immersed in other cultures to learn more about themselves. While moderator Thomas Curwen lamented the tragedy of going to a remote part of Greenland to find the kids were all listening to "50 Cents" (I think he meant Cent), Iyer said he never would have seen the Metallica documentary, Some Kind of Monster, now one of his favorite films without travel. What could be better cultural immersion than that!?

Current administration bashing ensued from famed rebel rouser Gore Vidal and beloved sci-fi iconoclast Ray Bradbury, but over at the Shooting the Tube panel all Steve Hawk, Steven Kotler, Kem Nunn and David Rensin wanted to talk about was why surfing is so hard to talk about. "It's something you do," Hawk waxes. "Telling you about the perfect wave I just surfed is really boring. It's about doing it, man."

Too true. Because after 2 days in the Los Angeles heat, all I wanted to do was hit a beach with perfect waves, and a great book.

--Amy Feitelberg

New D.C. Bike Share

Next month, D.C. will unleash the first bicycle-sharing program in the U.S. that allows members to pedal around on a borrowed bike for up to three hours at a time, according to The New York Times. For a yearly $40 fee, SmartBike participants will have 24-hour-a-day card-swipe access to any of 120 three-speed bicycles parked in 10 central city spots. D.C. is teaming up with Clear Channel Outdoor to run the bike share, which they say will reduce pollution, congestion, and the overwhelming stress on the city’s public transportation system.

Paris and Barcelona recently launched similar programs and Amsterdam’s bike share has been going strong since the ‘60s. While those city’s shares have thousands of bikes available, D.C. expects their version to grow rapidly.

If you use one, just don't return it late. Tardy bike-returns will be punished with demerits, fines, and program-expulsion.

Caught With Home Brew In His Car

Between global warming and gas now moving upwards of $3.50 a gallon, many of us get the cold sweats just from putting our keys in the ignition.

Floyd S. Butterfield has relieved his worry over high fuel prices and the guilt of warming the planet with a new kind of moonshine. He's home brewing ethanol in his backyard. The 52-year-old California inventor has developed the E-Fuel 100 MicroFueler.

The size of stackable washer-dryer, the machine should be available before the end of the year for about $9,995, according to an article in the New York Times. With government alternative fuel tax credits, the actual price could be less than half. The MicroFueler uses sugar along with a special time-release yeast to make ethanol, which the company says could cost as little as $1 a gallon. And a gallon of ethanol will release only about one-eighth the amount of carbon of gasoline.

--Emily Matchar

Clean Team Wins Trial and Yellow Jersey in Georgia

The Colorado-based Slipstream-Chipotle cycling team won the Tour de Georgia's time trial fourth stage on Thursday. It was the first team time trial stage race held on U.S. blacktop in 15 years according to the Associated Press. And by the end of today's fifth stage, Slipstream's Trent Lowe had grabbed the yellow jersey with a ninth place stage finish. And heading into what may be the race's most decisive stage tomorrow, Slipstream riders are occupying the top three spots overall. It's all more good news for a team that has well publicized its anti-doping ethics policy and that one month ago was invited to this summer's Tour de France. Another American team competing in Georgia but one that ultimately won't roll down the streets of Paris this year is Michael Ball's Rock Racing outfit, which Outside senior editor John Bradley profiled in the May issue, on newsstands now.

--Jason Kerkmans

Face Scanners At Airports

While TSA officers are romancing American passengers this summer, Brits will be subjected to a high-tech security check. Passengers will be screened with face-recognition technology, according to the Guardian. UK and EU citizens holding new biometric passports can pass through unmanned security checkpoints, where a scanner will match their face to the picture on their passport.

Officials insist that the machines can do a better job than human eyeballs at preventing identity fraud. That, and without all the ogling and searching, things will speed up.

While it has been tested on pre-registered business travelers, this summer will be the first time the technology is used on the masses. Perhaps airports on this side of the pond will learn a thing or two from those enterprising, albeit slightly less flirtatious, Brits. Until then, check out our guide to navigating the unfriendly skies in the quickest, easiest manner.

Brazil to Foreigners: We Own the Amazon

International NGOs and other foreign organizations in Brazil's Amazon rainforest will soon be controlled by the Brazilian military. A new law, currently being drafted, will assert Brazil's sovereignty over the region, which is treated by some as a sort of free zone. Foreign individuals and groups will have to register with regional military command and seek permission for their activities.

The Justice Minister Tarso Genro said the new law would crack down on the large number of Amazon NGOs acting as fronts for illegal activities like bio-piracy,  according to a Reuters story.

As the Amazon Basin is home to one-third of the earth's species and a number of vulnerable native tribes, it certainly needs protection. But it's unclear exactly how this bill will affect the numerous human rights groups working in the region, like Greenpeace.

--Emily Matchar

Ballooning Priest Lost at Sea

A Brazilian priest is lost at sea after strapping himself to 1000 helium party balloons and setting off over the ocean to break the 19-hour party-favor flight record, according to the Times.

Had the whole unfortunate affair not ended quite so tragically, we would likely have a hearty chuckle over his ambitious endeavor. This flight—a culmination of jungle and wilderness survival courses—was to raise money for a spiritual rest-stop for truckers. 

The massive pile of brightly-colored inflatables was spotted bobbing in shark-infested waters last night. Rescue workers hoped to find Father Adelir Antonio di Carli, missing since Sunday, bobbing along with them. But, he was nowhere to be found.

Father di Carli was a seasoned and well equipped ballooner. He made a similar jaunt to Argentina earlier this year and on this trip brought enough food and water to stay alive for days. His parishioners, likely joined by Brazilian truckers and the owners of the local party supply store, have maintained a vigil for his safe return.

-Claire Napier Galofaro

PETA: $1 Million for Artificial Chicken

Eager to see the demise of animal killing in the name of dinner, PETA is offering a $1 million prize to anyone who can create a commercially viable lab-grown meat substitute.

The meat should be indistinguishable in flavor, texture, and cost from real chicken, and must be created in sufficient quantities to sell 100 pounds in 10 states. The winning product needs to be ready for sale to the public by June 30, 2012.

"We have overcome our own revulsion at flesh-eating to champion a breakthrough that will mean a far kinder world for animals," said PETA President Igrid Newkirk in the LA Times.

While this is sure to raise of chorus of "Down with Frankenfoods!" from some, I'm game to try it, so long as it comes with mashed potatoes and gravy on the side. Oh, and if it's a foul substitute, I'll join the chorus.

Now it just needs a name. Fauxltry? Arti-fowl?

--Emily Matchar

American Climber Kicked Off Everest

The Everest season has hardly begun and already there is a casualty in China’s bid for control of the mountain. An American mountaineer was booted from Base Camp for stashing a ‘Free Tibet’ banner in his bag.

Media reports identified him as William Brant Holland, who was climbing with Himalayan Guides Treks and Expeditions. Nepalese police and soldiers, who are demonstrating a heavy presence in Base Camp, escorted Holland back to Katmandu. 

The Chinese are preparing to summit Everest this spring with the Olympic torch and have shut down the north side of the mountain entirely and basically declared martial law through Nepal on the south side. If the torch relay so far is any indication, this is just the first incident in a long line of protests that will likely come to a head when China brings the torch to Tibetan soil.

—Ryan Krogh

Green Face-Off: Clinton v. Obama

With John McCain's nomination for three Republican party sealed, Clinton and Obama are left bickering for the Democratic nomination. Clinton calls Obama an elitist. Obama calls Clinton a compromised Washington insider. Ahhhhhh snap.

Strong words indeed, but since this back-and-forth tells us about as much about the nominees as a dance-off would, we went a little deeper.

Aside from the personality and experience differences the competing candidates focus on exploiting, there are policy differences. Outside dug into Obama and Clinton's past environmental votes. Then interviewed Obama and Clinton about their green stance. Read them and then make a more informed decision.

And if you want to look toward a future Green Face Off, here's McCain's interview  and environmental record too.

--Joe Spring

Happy Earth Day

In case you hadn't noticed the grove of trees growing out of the Google logo this morning, we'll go ahead and wish you happy Earth Day. Here's a few fun Earth Day festivities around the world:

1) In Bangkok, everyone's invited to group meditation at Dhammakaya Temple, where the Assembly of 100,000 Monks aims to create world peace through inner peace. 

2) In Calgary, Alberta, citizens are getting out for a 22-minute trash pickup today (April 22, get it?). That may not sound like a long time, but if each of the city's approximately 100,000 citizens did it, that would be almost 37,000 hours of cleaning time.

3) In LA, the Wilshire Center Business Improvement Corporation is hosting a car-free expo, with a bike raffle, concerts, and a "musical yoga experience." Your guess is as good as mine.

4) Baltimore Green Week kicks off April 26, with an EcoFestival in the park, tours of green homes, and group hikes.

5) Also on April 26 is Salt Lake City's Party for the Planet, with food, music, and animal meet n' greets at the Hogle Zoo.

For the rest of us, Google has an interactive Earth Day map, where readers across the globe are sharing their environmentally-minded plans ("building my own electric car," says Mike in Idaho; "Take short showers!" admonishes Rosalie in Texas). What are your plans?

--Emily Matchar

The Surf Family: A Camper, Nine Children, and No School

Leaving a successful medical practice to roam the country with a wife and nine children in a 24-foot camper is not most people's idea of the American Dream, but for Dr. Dorian “Doc” Paskowitz, surfing across the country while raising his (rather large) family was a dream come true.

Now the Paskowitz’s bizarre odyssey is hitting the silver screen in Doug Pray’s new film, Surfwise, a documentary chronicling the itinerant upbringing of the Paskowitz clan  which opens May 9.

Through interviews and home video, the Paskowitzes’ nomadic life comes into sharp focus—a life of deliberate vagrancy led by Doc Paskowitz, a man who found enlightenment through clean-living, surfing, and a focus on physical and spiritual well-being.

It was this vagabond life that led Doc—Kelly Slater in tow—to Tel Aviv last October for his Surfing for Peace concert, a slightly bungled attempt to bring peace to the Middle East through surfing and music, which Jimmie Briggs chronicled for Outside in February. The concert is one example of a life full of off-beat ideas—and painfully original ideals—that is sure to light up the movie screen.   

“Most parents say ‘Go to school. Don’t go swimming with sharks, that’s dangerous,’” says Salvador Paskowitz, Doc’s 7th son, in Surfwise. “Our parents said ‘You can go swimming with sharks, but you’re not *#^%ing going to school—that %^#*’s dangerous.’”

Need we say more?

—Ryan Krogh

Everest Goes Silent

Following Chinese directions there has been a forced censorship on the Nepalese side of Everest, akin to China's ban to the north, according to MountEverest.net.

Reports from Base Camp have been trickling out one day after the Associated Press reported that Nepal has authorized its military and police guards to use deadly force on anyone seen protesting during China's Olympic torch relay. It's a curious turn of events, considering China's plans for the torch relay don't include a route through Nepal.   

One unidentified Canadian climber has confirmed that satellite phone calls are permitted on certain days, but only under soldiers' surveillance. Following last week's elections in Nepal, a new army major was reportedly put in charge of security on the south side of Everest. Since then, camp searches have been carried out, communication gear has been confiscated, and a "unprecedented censorship of their reports was imposed," leaving some in the area to question whether the election itself was orchestrated by China.

Confused by the politics around Everest? Submit a question to columnist Nick Heil who spent more than a month at Base Camp reporting for his new book, Dark Summit: The True Story of Everest's Most Controversial Season.

--Jason Kerkmans

20 Days Across Canadian Wilderness

On Friday, two decorated adventurers will set out to cross country ski for 20 days and 150 miles through the Canadian wilderness. During the 2008 Canadian Arctic Trek for Earth Health, Ed Viesturs and John Stetson plan to get a close-up look at look at how global warming is reshaping the Arctic and the lives of the Inuit people.

The team will post daily updates edviesturs.com.

The dedicated earth-conscious athletes - Stetson is a veteran sled dog musher and Viesturs recently became the first American to ascend the world’s 14 tallest mountains without supplemental oxygen - hope the trek will focus attention on the interconnectedness of life on earth. "We live in a fish bowl," Viesturs says. "And we need to keep our little home clean."

--Claire Napier Galofaro

Photo Finish In Boston Marathon

Dire Tune of Ethiopia won today's women's race at the Boston Marathon by the slimmest margin ever - two seconds - over Russian Alevtina Biktimirova, according to the Associated Press. In the men's race, Robert Cheruiyot of Kenya strode his way into the record books with a win of his own. His 2:07:46 time was just 32 seconds off his own Boston Marathon record. It was his fourth Boston title - making him one of just four men to have cut the finish tape four times.

In addition to the excitement of finishing in such close and historic fashion, Tune and Cheruiyot are also taking home record winnings. For the first time in marathon history, both winners received $150,000 checks. That works out to about $5,725 per mile or, for Cheruiyot, about $1,172 per minute. In all, 25,000 runners, including Lance Armstrong, left the starting line, with the leaders in pursuit of a total purse of $796,000. Making this year's Boston Marathon the richest of the World Marathon Majors.
--Jason Kerkmans

Kayak Police

For inspector Andrew Willis, the daily beat involves a kayak, surfboard, and a pair of shorts. Willis, a California Coastal Commission official, patrols the 280-mile stretch of California coast from Pacific Palisades to San Clemente, watching out for illegal development and habitat destruction. Willis, 30, uses binoculars to scout for signs of unapproved building and landscaping - backyard decks, docks, and paths which can damage the habitats of native birds and other wildlife. He also makes sure public beach accesses remain open, and watches out for any kind of dumping or industrial pollution. In the line of duty, Willis sometimes has to tangle with moneyed LA and Orange County residents who are less-than-pleased to hear that their new hot tub blocks a public walkway, or follow up on tips phoned in from nosy neighbors eager to foil the Jones's plan for a new cedar deck.

Read today's LA Times story to learn more about Willis, who could have easily made it into Outside's Best Jobs list, out now in our May issue.

--Emily Matchar

Still Dominating at 35: Deena Kastor

Olympic bronze medalist Deena Kastor won the women's time trials for the marathon. The 35-year-old, who holds the record  for the fastest woman's marathon in U.S. history, passed the leader in the last half mile to take first place.

Kastor has dominated the women's field of U.S. marathoners in recent years. Her victory compliments her teammate Ryan Hall's win on the men's side. Both train out of Mammoth Lakes, CA.

Want to get advice on how to start training like Hall? Check out our half-marathon training program put together by his coach, Terrence Mahon.

The other two Olympic womens qualifiers in the marathon were Lewy Boulet and Blake Russell.

--Joe Spring

A Boat, A Camera, and the Bering Sea

Photographer Corey Arnold mixes commercial fishing and photography. In this recent photo slideshow/interview with NPR, he talks about the challenges of spending months out at sea in order to capture images that tell a story.

Arnold's unique approach of combining his work as a commercial fisherman with photography allows him to capture a world most people can barely imagine. In this NPR interview, he tells stories of 40-foot seas, Black Monday, and the most dangerous aspect of working on a crab boat.

Arnold's photographs are featured in an article on the Deadliest Catch in our May issue, on newsstands now.

--Joe Spring

Bye Bye Old Nalgene

The iconic Nalgene bottle, perhaps one of the most popular camping accessories of all-time, is no more, at least in its polycarbonate form. The company announced Friday that it will phase out it’s Outdoor line of containers “in response to consumer demand,” instead focusing on it’s Everyday line of water bottles (photo).

The announcement comes only a few days after the National Toxicology Program deemed there is “some concern” with bisphenol-A (BPA), a chemical found in polycarbonate plastics like many Nalgene bottles. The chemical has caused concern because of experiments showing it can act like a hormone, resulting in low birth-weights and delayed puberty.

“Based on all available scientific evidence, we continue to believe that Nalgene products containing BPA are safe for their intended use,” said Steven Silverman, general manager of Nalgene. “However, our customers indicated they preferred BPA-free alternatives and we acted in response to those concerns.”

The company’s Everyday line of water bottles, which are BPA-free, hit store shelves this past week.

—Ryan Krogh

Darwin Evolves

Charles Darwin has gone digital. The 19th century English naturalist's entire archives are now online, courtesy of the Cambridge University Library. The archives are so big that one person, downloading one image per minute, would need two months to view it all, according to a BBC article. The archive includes some 90,000 pages of field notes, sketches, and photographs, including the 1842 draft of his theory of evolution, which completely revolutionized the world of science and, well, everything else.

If creationists wind up pushing evolution out of science classrooms, this latest adaptation of Darwin will at least ensure that their kids can read about it online.

--Emily Matchar

Kayaking for Gold, Alone

Former Olympic teammates Bret Heyl and Scott Parsons have been kayaking the same whitewater for 15 years, including four years ago after they walked out together for the 2004 Summer Games' opening ceremonies in Athens. It was a moment, Parsons told National Public Radio, that was, "one of the most incredible feelings I've ever had."

But this year, as both Parson and Heyl prepare at North Carolina's whitewater training center, the two slalom kayakers know that only one of them has a chance to get invited to Beijing. As NPR reports, due to a change in Olympic rules intended to draw more competitors from other countries, only one whitewater kayaker from each nation will be able to qualify for the 2008 Games.

So, whether it's Heyl, Parsons, or someone else - the challenge of bringing home the gold will be on one set of shoulders.

--Jason Kerkmans