“There was a lot we didn’t know when we picked ‘Play’ as the topic for this issue. We didn’t know that a pandemic would put much of the world on lockdown, or that the Olympics would be postponed. But, in the time of COVID-19, play is an escape. So please consider this magazine a reprieve from months of scary headlines and social distancing. Lean back and enjoy—it’s OK.” —Corinne Iozzio, Editor-in-Chief

HELL? YES! 

“The 54 athletes standing around keep their hats on, for the most part. Each has spent good money to embark on exactly the type of endeavor most people would pay to avoid: running or skiing, whichever suits their fancy—for 40 miles. At night. In Minnesota. In January. While pulling a sled of 30-plus pounds of supplies. This torturefest is called the St. Croix 40 Winter Ultra, and its participants find pleasure in the hardship,” writes Sarah Scoles. While these athletes might be outliers on a global scale, they are not alone in their love for this type of competition. Scoles takes readers inside the fascinating world of endurance athletes and along for the 40 treacherous miles of the St. Croix 40. 

PINEWOOD DERBY RACING, AND THE DADS WHO CAN’T GET ENOUGH 

Many will recall derby cars from childhood when they built and raced homemade masterpieces for merit badges. But some kids never outgrow those days. In fact, the National Pinewood Derby Racing League is just one of about 10 such leagues across the US. “We’re talking middle-aged dudes with serious big-dad energy who go to great lengths to craft the perfect car—forget prefab kits. Bandsaws shave down the frame components to a quarter of an inch wide; precision lathes trim acrylic wheels; syringes grease nail axles with synthetic oil. All to cross a tiny checkered finish line just one-ten-thousandth of a second faster,” Andrew Zaleski writes.  

SURFING’S BIG BREAK 

“As surfing prepares for its global spotlight, it is experiencing a seismic shift from a laid-back, go-with-the-flow mindset to one shaped by innovations and data analysis, physiological testing, and technology. Specialists in fields such as nutrition, psychology, and orthopedics are working with US Surfing coaches like Bret Simpson to develop Olympic training regimens that increasingly resemble those long favored by everything from basketball to volleyball,” Bonnie Tsui writes. Even though surfing has to wait another year to make its Olympic debut, PopSci takes an in-depth look at the advancements in the sport and the technologies fueling its 21st-century progress. 

GAMERS, START YOUR ENGINES 

James Baldwin is among the best esports drivers in the world, and one of several dozen who make a living competing in the digital-racing domain. After winning the second season of the reality competition show World’s Fastest Gamer, Baldwin is attempting to make the shift to a real track, and he’s not the only one taking that leap. The racing world is starting to pay attention to gamers as both potential participants and consumers. PopSci takes a behind-the-scenes look at Baldwin’s journey and the process of turning gamers into racing stars.  

PLUS: Who Should Get to Compete as a Woman?; History of Puzzles; Anatomy of a Laugh; Lawn Games for the Summer; Wheelchairs for Olympic Competition; Gaming the (Board-Game) System; Behind the Cover; and more

Wild Escapes | Forgotten Skills | Survival Stories | Heartbreak Hunts

“I hope the stories we’ve gathered here inspire you to get outside, whether it’s for a few hours at the range, a week in the backcountry, or an evening with friends and family around a warm fire.”

 —Colin Kearns, Editor-in-Chief

THE LOST ARTS

From fishing to woodsmanship and hunting to survival, there are plenty of tried-and-true methods that have been pushed aside for newer methods. Just because some outdoor skills fall out of favor or fashion, they still get the job done. In fact, many of them are more effective than ever—not to mention they can make a day in the wild that much more fun.

SEASONS WITH BEAR

Every hunter who has ever trained and loved a dog has a story. In a heartfelt and moving essay about the bond between a hunter and his dog, Field & Stream contributor Hal Herring reflects on the time he spent afield and at home with the best hunting buddy he’s ever had. “There were wonders still to come for us—a son and daughter, a small farm, new adventures, lives unfolding and expanding, other dogs, and other hunts. But there was never another time like that one, never another dog like Bear, never that much freedom,” Herring says.

THE SEARCHERS

When hunters and anglers go missing or get seriously injured, the men and women of search and rescue get the call—and quickly get to work. Like many SAR teams, the Missoula County Search and Rescue is comprised of volunteers—32 men and women who work across the river and ground, with K-9, rope, air, and avalanche units, and who put in 4,000 hours of work. They invited Field & Stream to follow along on a simulated mission, which led to a stunning photo essay.

TOUGH BREAKS

Knots fail. Leaders snap. Lures pop free. Whatever the reason, if you spend enough time on the water, you’re going to lose fish—probably some big ones. Field & Stream talked with six of the best anglers about the best lessons learned from their tough breaks. Bernie Schultz talks about the hard hits in his 35 years of pro fishing and his tips for getting largemouth bass in heavy cover, Steve Scepaniak recounts one of the more heartbreaking misses he’s witnessed in his 28 years of guiding and the lesson he learned to reel in more muskies, and more.

PLUS Steelhead Wellington; Best New Fishing and Hunting Gear; Lose Yourself in the Outdoors; the Trick to Fast-Flying Birds; Gone, for Good; and more

Wild Rivers—“That’s what’s so appealing about fishing and hunting the smallest streams and biggest rivers. You can reap the rewards only after putting in the time. Rivers are always changing. They act more like living organisms than static landmarks…. To be successful on these waters, and near them, you must learn to read their habits and be willing to adapt as conditions change.” —Alex Robinson, Editor-in-Chief

PADDLE YOUR WAY TO PARADISE 

Rivers were the original highways and backroads that allowed hunters and trappers to crisscross this country. But somewhere between horse-drawn buggies and four-wheel drive with GPS navigation, we forgot about traveling waterways to find uncharted hunting areas and unpressured game. From a raft hunt in Alaska to four rivers that are flush with spring turkeys, the editors of Outdoor Life take you on a tour of the stories, gear, tactics, and remote rivers that will carry you to better ground.

HELL OR HIGH WATER

“I’m here for the bass—and the rapids. We could find more-pristine whitewater out West, but there’s no river with a better story. The New River is a comeback kid,” writes Senior Editor Natalie Krebs. Despite decades of environmental damage, the country’s oldest river remains resilient—and flush with smallmouth bass. But to access the best fishing, you’ll need a boat, the skill to row it, and the will to take on West Virginia’s whitewater.

GODFATHER OF THE BIGHORN 

In the 1970s, the Bighorn River was one of the best-kept secrets in the fishing world. Local angler Phil Gonzalez helped put the river on the map, but not in any way he could have imagined. In 1978, he was fishing with friends on the river when a game warden, brandishing a shotgun, arrested Gonzalez and confiscated the 5-pound rainbow they had caught. The arrest and subsequent court case made national headlines and shaped the river’s future. Decades later, Shooting Editor John B. Snow joined Gonzalez on the Bighorn to hear how his life became intertwined with one of our greatest trout fisheries. “As we floated downstream, I listened to him dissect the river. Each twist, side channel, and run had decades’ worth of stories,” writes Snow.

WHEN GOBBLERS GO GHOST

Every turkey hunt is a head trip as much as it’s a pursuit of beard and spur. The gobbler that was so vocal on the roost at dawn has suddenly clammed up. Did you blow a sour call? Or did he move away? While most callers are questioning themselves and the turkeys, Mike Chamberlin at the University of Georgia can tell you precisely why that gobbler went quiet. Hunting Editor Andrew McKean sat down with Chamberlin to go through the new research that might cause you to rethink everything you know about turkey calling. What you learn will make you a smarter and, hopefully, more successful hunter.

PLUS Access Rights and Wrongs; Willow Creek; American Silver; Hunting Nutria in the Louisiana Bayou; Reviving a .270 Winchester; Turkey Hunting Gear Guide; Essential Rowing Tips; and more.

BONNIER CORP. SIGNS NEW LICENSEE 

FOR OUTDOOR LIFE BRAND

April 28, 2020 (New York, NY)—Bonnier Corp. continues to expand its Outdoor Life licensing program and has partnered with Tidy Dog Pet Products, a leading pet product manufacturer, to produce natural jerky dog treats, Elise Contarsy, senior vice president of Bonnier Consumer Products, announced today. The Knoxville, Tennessee-based company will produce Outdoor Life Tennessee Pork Dog Jerky, high-quality treats composed of pure pork shoulder, limited ingredients and no preservatives.

“Pet nutrition is a category where we see tremendous opportunity for the Outdoor Life brand.  Dogs have been long-trusted companions for a wide range of sporting activities, and we are excited to begin this expansion into the pet space with Tidy Dog,” Contarsy says. “They are a growing, innovative company, while Outdoor Life is an iconic brand with a high level of consumer recognition and trust for pet owners and aspiring pet owners. This is a natural extension of the brand and a perfect fit for both parties.”  

“We’re proud to partner with Outdoor Life as their first licensee in the pet industry,” says David Price, CEO of Tidy Dog Pet Products. “We immediately saw the potential of this historic brand in the pet space, and are eager to grow our footprint together.” 

Tidy Dog will begin distribution of Outdoor Life Tennessee Pork Dog Jerky in the third quarter of 2020. The product will be available online, in mass and specialty pet retailers, and in veterinary clinics.

Bonnier Consumer Products Group is actively exploring new opportunities for expansion of the Outdoor Life brand and onboarding additional licensees. For information about available categories, please send all inquiries to Richard Oren, [email protected].

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Cycle World Issue 1 2020 is available now.

SHARPEST BLADE 

Honda’s history is deeply rooted in racing, and the long-awaited redesign of Honda’s open-class superbike exemplifies what the company has learned through years of handcrafting works machines. Cycle World’s Road Test Editor takes readers behind the scenes on the magazine’s exclusive first ride on the Honda Fireblade SP. Everything about this Fireblade is built to strive for the perfect lap and reassert Honda’s domination in the World Superbike championship, not to mention bring MotoGP technology to the masses. PLUS: DEMOCRACY OF TECHNOLOGY When a stunning new model appears, wouldn’t you like to know how it came to be? Cycle World’s Technical Editor, Kevin Cameron, certainly does, and he’s specifically curious about the Fireblade. To him, Honda Racing Corporation seemed to be the key, and he went all the way to HRC’s shop in Japan to get a glimpse inside HRC to see how its work influences production motorcycles. 

FROM SCRATCH

Max Hazan didn’t really mean to become a custom motorcycle builder. After a bad racing accident left him with plenty of time on his hands building a bike was just a project to keep him busy, but after a bit more tinkering and a trial year in LA, he started to gain momentum. A decade later, Hazan has a list of enthusiastic patrons waiting as he completes bikes at the rate of six months per build. Cycle World got a look at his latest task: a near-complete racing-inspired build with a unique, highly modified S&S Knucklehead V-twin as the powerplant. “Nobody could build this bike but Hazan—and perhaps nobody would try. It’s a balance of taste and style—always thinking about how to make the bike better, not just add more to it,” says Morgan Gales, Custom and Culture Editor. 

RICKEY GADSON MEETS THE TRIUMPH ROCKET 3 R

At the end of 2018, rumors began to swirl that Triumph Motorcycles was working on a new Rocket 3, the company’s biggest and most powerful motorcycle. This caught the attention of 11-time motorcycle drag racing champion Rickey Gadson as much as it did the editors of Cycle World—so they teamed up. No longer is the Rocket a cruiser with a tractor engine. “It’s now a street bruiser; and everyone who looks at it knows it,” Gadson says. After a street test, Gadson hit the Silver Dollar Motorsport Park for a track day to show readers how to get the quickest quarter-mile on the 2020 Rocket 3 R. 

INFLATION 

The full-face helmet is only about 50 years old, and today many riders wouldn’t ride with anything less. Could wearable airbag protection in your riding jacket or race suit become the new safety standard? Gear companies Dainese and Alpinestars have each been developing programs and products for over two decades, resulting in the Dainese’s D-Air and Alpinestars’ Tech-Air Project. What you get is the latest safety technology derived from MotoGP racing, millions of real-world testing miles, and thousands of analyzed air-bag deployments—all optimized with algorithms specialized in detecting accidents found in real-world scenarios, even at a standstill. While the price point is still a barrier, as KTM Factory MotoGP Racer Pol Espargaro says, “Once you’ve tried the D-air, it’s something you can’t do without.” 

PLUS: The Lensman, a Photo Essay; The Story of Harley-Davidson’s lost KRTT Prototype; a Q&A with Markus Schramm; and more

What Came Before?

The Origins Issue of Popular Science is available now. 

THE MISSING MICROBE

An estimated 95 percent of Mongolians are, genetically speaking, lactose-intolerant. Yet in the frost-free summer months, they may be getting up to half their calories from milk products. PopSci chronicles archaeogeneticist Christina Warinner’s quest to get to the bottom of this. Warinner is convinced that the Mongolian affinity for dairy might be made possible by a mastery of bacteria 3,000 years or more in the making.

SHOULD RIVERS FLOW FREE ONCE AGAIN? 

America was shaped by its rivers—more than 250,000 in all—and since Colonial times, we have bent them to our will. Dams fueled America’s growth by choking its rivers, but lately, people have started to notice the toll this has taken on wildlife. About 40 percent of the approximately 800 varieties of freshwater fish in the US, and more than two-thirds of native mussels, are rare or endangered, in part because man-made barriers have altered their ecosystems. Is it time to restore nature’s infrastructure?

AGE-OLD CLIMATE SOLUTIONS 

Agriculture is the single largest contributor to greenhouse gas emissions. So, to curb their climate impact, farmers are turning back the clock to tap ancient techniques that catch more carbon than they spew. From a stead in North Carolina where 100 acres are dedicated to silvopasture (using trees to cover cow pasture and siphon CO2 from the sky) to a farm in Iowa that stopped plowing and begun planting cover crops, methods that help cancel out carbon emissions are gaining traction across the industry. This type of pollution trapping could get us most, if not all, of the way to the goals of the Paris Agreement. “I feel like I’m farming with a clear conscience,” says fifth-generation Iowa farmer Justin Jordan.

BIGGEST DIG EVER 

The initial 143-mile leg of the UK’s HS2 high-speed rail project will connect London with northern towns en route to Birmingham, but it will also run through more than 60 historic sites. “It’s very difficult to dig a hole anywhere in the UK without finding something that directly relates to human history in these islands,” says archaeologist Caroline Raynor. From late Bronze Age settlements to a battlefield from the Wars of the Roses, HS2’s route is filled with history that researchers, archaeologists, excavators, and more are rushing to preserve and analyze—while also struggling to find space to hold it all.

PLUS: Dogs, a Love Story; How Do We Know What Dinosaurs Look Like?; Products that Were Perfect on Their First Try; Why Are We Nostalgic?; History of Garbage; and More

BONNIER CORP. SIGNS LICENSING PARTNERS FOR OUTDOOR LIFE BRAND

March 17, 2020 (New York, NY)—Bonnier Corp. has partnered with several leading manufacturers to produce Outdoor Life licensed apparel and lifestyle products, it was announced today by Elise Contarsy, Senior Vice President, Bonnier Consumer Products Group.  

Bonnier Consumer Products Group plans to showcase the range of Outdoor Life products from licensees, and meet with retail buyers, at the June 2020 Outdoor Retailer Summer Market in Denver, Colorado. “Whether it’s fishing, hunting or a weekend camping trip, Outdoor Life is the authoritative voice for the outdoor adventure-seeker,” Contarsy said. “Outdoor Life has been a trusted resource in the outdoor space for over 120 years, and the branded products produced by these partnerships will allow us to continue to connect with enthusiasts in a meaningful way.” 

Bonnier Consumer Products Group is proud to announce the following licensees:  

• The Levy Group Inc.: sportswear, outerwear, bags
• 540 Brands: graphic T-shirts, sweatshirts, headwear
• Balanced Tech Corp.: base layer, underwear, sleepwear, cold-weather accessories
• Sunshine Leisure Products Co. Ltd.: camping and beach chairs, tables, cots
• Master Cutlery LLC: hunting knives, axes, related knife-edge products
• Lifetime Brands Inc.: hydration, coolers, tableware, cutlery, cookware

Bonnier Consumer Products Group is looking forward to this meaningful expansion for the Outdoor Life brand and will continue to onboard additional licensees. For additional information about available categories, please send all inquiries to Richard Oren, [email protected]

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ABOUT BONNIER CORP. 

Bonnier Corp. is one of the largest special-interest publishing groups in America, with more than 20 multichannel brands extending into all platforms, including magazines, digital media, events and product licensing. Bonnier Corp.’s brands include Popular Science, Saveur, Field & Stream, Yachting, Flying, Salt Water Sportsman, Cycle World, Working Mother and Outdoor Life. Bonnier Corp. is owned by Sweden-based Bonnier AB, a multichannel media conglomerate operating in 12 countries.

New York, NY (March 12, 2020) Bonnier Corp. has signed an exclusive licensing-agency agreement for Popular Science with Evolution USA, it was announced today by Elise Contarsy, Senior Vice President, Bonnier Consumer Products Group. 

Evolution will be actively seeking new licensing opportunities for Popular Science in a wide range of industries. Additionally, Evolution will work to expand distribution for the recently launched Popular Science line of STEM toys that are now in production.

“Popular Science is a legacy brand that has both an active fan base and a nostalgic appeal to consumers,” Contarsy said. “Evolution is an innovative group that offers us the opportunity to maximize and accelerate the brand’s exposure to potential licensing partners. We could not be happier about this partnership, and we’re looking forward to seeing where Evolution can help take Popular Science.”

“We are extremely excited to partner with the entire team at Bonnier Consumer Products Group for the strategic expansion of the Popular Science brand,” said Travis J. Rutherford, Evolution’s co-founder and Chief Revenue Officer. “The strength and deeply established consumer awareness of the brand via the magazine and online subscriber base lends itself perfectly to a wide range of tech-forward, branded consumer products, including audiovisual and speakers, power solutions, electronic accessories, lighting, home appliances, home security, home furnishings and housewares, personal care and automotive.”   

Evolution is seeking both big-box retail and manufacturing partners, and will premiere the new brand-expansion initiative at the upcoming International Licensing Expo at the Mandalay Bay Hotel in Las Vegas, May 19-21, in Booth C-142. Popular Science was recognized at last year’s Expo as License Global’s “One to Watch,” which serves to recognize and reward innovation from new Licensing Expo exhibitors. For additional information, contact [email protected].

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ABOUT BONNIER CORP. 

Bonnier Corp. is one of the largest special-interest publishing groups in America, with more than 25 multichannel brands extending into all platforms, including magazines, digital media, events and product licensing. Bonnier Corp.’s brands include Popular Science, Saveur, Field & Stream, Yachting, Flying, Salt Water Sportsman, Cycle World, Working Mother and Outdoor Life. Bonnier Corp. is owned by Sweden-based Bonnier AB, a multichannel media conglomerate operating in 15 countries.

ABOUT EVOLUTION

Evolution is a leading brand-monetization agency, headquartered in Calabasas, California, servicing the popular culture, media, gaming, toy, personality, character and lifestyle industry verticals. Evolution offers bespoke turnkey solutions, including strategic brand planning, market analysis, contract negotiations, legal support, product development, retail development, royalty collections, contract compliance and inventor relations, as well as providing manufacturers a full-service licensing-acquisitions team. Evolution monetizes and enhances brand value via licensing, direct-to-retail partnerships, collaborations, experiential retail and direct-to-consumer sales.

The agency’s clients include Gaumont Television USA, Skydance Media, Stampede Ventures, Pressman Films, Bonnier Corp., ITV Studios, Rovio, TinyBuild Games, System Era, Klei Games, Tilting Point, OLO Industries and the Ella Fitzgerald Estate, among others.

PRESS CONTACT

Cathy Hebert, [email protected], 212-779-5023