“Heroic; majestic; impressively great.” Those adjectives define the word “epic.” That's why GearJunkie has chosen the term as the namesake for a new industry and outdoor-world prize. With the “Epic Award” recognition, they hope to highlight a heroic, majestic, and impressively great feat every other month for the entirety of 2012.In April, GearJunkie presented the Epic Award to Chris Skogen, founder and director of the Almanzo 100; a gritty, 100-mile race across the gravel roads of southern Minnesota, in which limits are pushed on tough, hilly courses for a true adventure event in the heartland of America. Read More
Epic Award Guidelines
Adventurers, athletes, gear designers, activists, artists, and anyone serving or lifting up the outdoors space in a real and “epic” sense will be candidates for the award, which we're sponsoring.
According to founder and editor, Stephen Regenold, GearJunkie hopes to give a nod of recognition to “a first-of-its kind, and undeniably admirable accomplishment in the sphere of outdoors adventure, design, gear innovation, athletic achievement, charity, or wilderness conservation.”
That’s the mission statement of the award, and one GearJunkie hopes can be used to define a certain ethic, creativity, and sense of adventure embodied and found no where else but in the outdoors world. Their goal is to highlight achievers in outdoor communities doing “epic” things and, as a result, motivate more people to get outside, have fun, push limits, and do good!
Epic feats! Clockwise from left: Teenage climber Jordan Romero (on his way to 7 summits); the undeniably “epic” Wenger Patagonian Expedition Race (2009); The Almanzo 100 road bicycling event; Snow-kiter on 'To Cross The Moon' expedition, North Dakota.
Candidates for the Epic Award will be submitted and judged by the editors and staff of GearJunkie, as well as readers, friends and partners in the outdoors world. They want to keep this an open forum, so they're currently inviting YOU to nominate your friends, family, or connections in the outdoors space. A quick email note to the editors is all that’s needed to get the (epic) ball in play!
2012 Epic Award Winners