Romping around the Wasatch mountains as a kid taught Carl Richards that the outdoors had a certain value, albeit hard to define. Carl majored in finance and and began a career as a financial planner. He worked for some major firms before starting his own business-- managing clients’ money, public speaking, illustrating, and writing the New York Times column, The Sketch Guy. Carl felt successful. And with that came a sense of security and “stuff”-- money in the bank, a big house, international...

Bianca Valenti fell in love with surfing in the breaks of Orange County, California, when she was seven years old. Soon after, she started competing, gained sponsorships, and won competitions. Even at a young age, Bianca noticed a discrepancy in the treatment, recognition, and reward of male versus female surfers. It was discouraging and disheartening. She left the surf scene entirely but the siren’s call of riding 30-plus foot waves drew her back in. As one of the sport’s best big wave...

Len Necefer grew up splitting family time between the Midwest and the Four Corners, between auto workers and Navajo faith healers. One side of his family taught him the importance of hard work. The other showed him the necessity of connection to the natural world. These two truths have guided Len’s life. When Len returned back to the Southwest to be closer to his passion, he noticed something in the outdoor community. We were good at connecting, but not always good at putting in the hard work...

As a first generation Mexican American raised in a strict household, Bam Mendiola felt the pressure to live up to the dreams of his parents. He had to look a certain way, be successful in school, and achieve, achieve, achieve. And he did for as long as he could, but at the cost of hiding his true self. After coming out to his family and friends, Bam found empowerment through mountaineering and cemented his own powerful identity. Bam now takes pride in being his ancestors’ wildest dreams. 

Sarah Steele grew up in Geneva, Switzerland, surrounded by some of the world’s most famous peaks, as well as a multitude of people dedicated to philanthropy, service, altruism, and conservation. So when she joined the fledgling Virtual Reality team at Google, Sarah had a bold idea to harness the budding technology to protect the places that she loves — our most wild and sacred environments.

Following a miscarriage, filmmaker Hannah Maia felt that her body had betrayed her. She was angry and felt a growing discomfort in her own skin. In the past, Hannah had bike packed on the Continental Divide Trail, rafted the Grand Canyon — and yet more adulting, plus the miscarriage, had led her to less and less physical activity. To rattle herself out of this dark time, Hannah committed to swim in open water once a month for an entire year. And while filming her endeavor, Hannah moved from...

Eric Jackson has built a life and a career around kayaking, a sport that is foundationally individual. You are alone in a boat. And while kayaking is his life's purpose, Eric's responsibilities extend far beyond the river to his family, his business, and his community. But there’s a stark difference between paddling a kayak and navigating a life filled with priorities. It is the age-old outdoor sport conundrum: how do you pursue an individual sport while still being a functional part of a...

Stacy Bare’s life has always been big. He’s a big man with an even bigger personality. ROTC scholarship at age 17. Rugby through college. Served in the Army with tours in Sarajevo and Iraq for seven years. When Stacy returned from military service, his big life turned into a big problem-- alcoholism and addiction. Stacy knew the way he was navigating life no longer worked, so he sought the camaraderie of the outdoor community. However, he found that it could just as nearly kill him as save him.

Kareemah Batts is many things. A woman. A climber. An African American. A cancer survivor. An amputee. A self-described “broke girl from Flatbush.” She’s not just one thing. After being overlooked for conversations about diversity in the outdoor community, Kareemah decided to jumpstart a new conversation — she wants to expand the outdoor community’s definition of diversity and to rethink how we approach inclusivity. Because, as it turns out, diversity is a pretty damn diverse subject.

Adventurer Erik Weihenmayer went blind at 14-years-old, but rather than allow it to dictate his life, Erik has climbed Everest, kayaked the Grand Canyon, and helped other to harness their own barriers.

In order to protect the places we love, should we start acting more like those who are trying to destroy them?

Faced with the devastating loss of her partner, Jainee Dial broke free from tradition to forge a new path through grief.

Forty years of marriage ain't easy, but, if you're ready for the hard work, it can lead to knowing your true self.

Big wall climber and former wingsuit flyer Chris McNamara believes risky outdoor pursuits are essential, but what happens when something vital has the potential to kill you?

More fun than a powder day. Riskier than leaping from a mountain. Weirder than a week on the playa. Welcome to Safety Third-- Ideas forged from adventure. The first season launches May 23rd.