THIS CONTEST HAS ENDED
2019 ADVENTURE GRANT WINNER
We’re incredibly proud to announce that Sara and Emma completed their adventure and set a new FKT on the Wind River High Route! Congrats!
“My dream adventure is a 100-mile traverse of the Wind River Range from North to South, with 29,000 feet of elevation gain and approximately 65 percent off-trail navigation. The goal is to set a new overall FKT of the Skurka Route with two other women. The trip would require ultralight, expensive gear, apparel, logistics compensation (i.e., gas, crew help), food, potential compensation for extra hired photography/documentation, and unexpected miscellaneous expenses. Also, I plan to engage with the local community of the Wind River Reservation before beginning the endeavor, such as requesting a blessing from native elders and the hearing of cultural stories/history regarding the region. As a writer, my adventures play a huge role in my content and overall creative practice. I want to be able to communicate stories of the land along with my own first-person experience of the range, all the while presenting the words in a manner that continues to redefine mountain literature and its standard of language.”
— Sara Aranda, 2019 Adventure Grant Winner
ADVENTURE GRANT FINALISTS
“When I first started paddleboarding, I put my dream adventure into action: I was going to paddle all 50 states, in part to prove that you can paddle anywhere. I made rules: If I paddled across a state boundary on the water, it would only “count” from the state where the launch was. A new state required a new paddle from a new spot, preferably a different body of water with a different topography and experience. So far, I've completed 41 states, plus Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico, and help from GearJunkie and NordicTrack will see me through the final nine. I want to build up my strength to SUP surf in Hawaii; to make it OABI, as they say in Detroit; and end the adventure under an Alaskan sun. The 50-state SUP goal is a dream adventure, but not just for me. I hope that by documenting my travel and my paddles, and talking to people in the parking lots and on the water, I am encouraging others to paddle, too, and to show people that everywhere has water worth paddling.”
— Margaret Littman, finalist
“Solo rowing my 17-foot wooden Swampscott dory to Alaska and back from Puget Sound. I’m a cheapskate, so it shouldn’t be too expensive. I will be camping out in the boat and on land: bivvy and tarp, tent, etc. I will bring my own food and camp cooking gear and will also rely on fishing and other natural forage in the marine environment. I will carry about 5 gallons of water at all times. I will also resupply a few times along the way. Lots of journaling and pictures, sketching, etc. Minimal electronics. I will have 406 EPIRB, handheld GPS, and a cellphone. Most navigation will be with maps, charts, and compass — old school. I am 65 this year. I have been on the water most of my life. I have been a wilderness and fly-fishing guide since the mid 1990s. I have rowed from 6 to 12 miles a day on many rivers and bays, from coastal New England and the Adirondack Mountains to Alaska, Kamchatka Russia, and the Olympic Peninsula. Haven’t lost anyone yet.”
— Bob Triggs, finalist
“The Tour 14er! The Ultimate self-powered Colorado adventure. My goal will be to summit the 58 highest peaks of Colorado (the 14ers) by foot while bikepacking between the peaks themselves — all self-powered and self-supported. The goals of the trip will be to set a stout new record for the challenge (28 days), promote the idea of this type of trip for others to take on, and collect beta for an upcoming guidebook I plan to publish! Leaving from Boulder, Colorado, in late July, I’ll pedal my bike south to the first mountain in my way, Pikes Peak, and summit “America’s mountain” by foot. Then, I’ll come back to the bike and continue on to the next mountain while camping along the way. Traveling in a generally clockwise direction, I’ll continue that pattern of (bike/hike/camp) through the Sangre de Cristos, San Juans, Elks, Sawatch, Mosquito/Tenmile, and Front ranges — ending triumphantly on the top of Longs Peak!”
— Justin Simoni, finalist
“I would like to complete the “ultimate Arizona challenge,” which would consist of climbing the 20 tallest peaks in Arizona and descending the 15 deepest canyons in Arizona while bikepacking the length of the Arizona Trail. Some of the peaks/canyons are a considerable distance away from the AZT, so I would connect the peaks/canyons by singletrack and dirt roads. The NordicTrack would be help me train for the long effort, and the $5,000 grant would make the trip possible by covering food and gear costs.”
— Andy Wentzel, finalist
“I’ve always enjoyed fearlessly pushing myself physically to see what my body is capable of. Just a few years ago, I was literally running to the top of Angel’s Landing, racing to the top of Mayan ruins, and jumping off of waterfalls. I truly was fearless and loved it. In 2017, my husband and I had our first daughter, and my hips and knees declined. I did physical therapy for a year, and afterwards I found myself scared to just run around the block. I lost all my courage and that feeling of being free when I conquered something hard and terrifying. I miss that person inside of me, so I want to challenge myself again. March of 2018, we went to Kauai to celebrate my college graduation. We were determined to hike the Kalalau Trail, but I was too scared of hiking it with all the strength I had lost. With the help of the NordicTrack gear to prepare me mentally and physically, I want to return to Kauai to hike the trail of my dreams, and I am ready to find that strength and courage in me again.”
— Briana Wipfler, finalist
“Greetings! My dream adventure is to climb the three highest peaks in Oregon in 3 days while fundraising for Do Good Multnomah to help homeless Veterans in Portland, Oregon, area. South Sister, Mt. Jefferson, and Mt. Hood combined are over 30,000 feet in altitude, and my goal is to raise at least $1 per foot in altitude, which would provide emergency shelter and transitional housing to veterans who experience homelessness. Veterans are three times more likely to be homeless than non-veterans, and as a veteran myself I make it my daily work to help as many as possible. I have already climbed two of the three mountains (South Sister and Mt. Hood) with Jefferson being the unconquered, most difficult task ahead. I’m in decent shape for my age, but I am under no illusion that I won’t need to train heavily for this challenge. Time off work, supplies/food/transportation, and the fundraising will all take time and money to solidify. This challenge will take place this summer! Thanks for considering! ”
— Philip S. Branscum, finalist
“Hey there, folks! Believe it or not, down in Mexico lives the third-highest peak in North America. It’s called Pico de Orizaba, and it sits at an impressive 18,491 feet. I have been dreaming of climbing and skiing this peak for years. My college program tried to climb it before I started school but never went again. Some other athletes who I look up to made a video of their trip, which got me inspired to try it myself. I also would like for this trip to be a fundraiser for cancer research! I was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma in December of 2018, and I am currently in the middle of my chemotherapy. After I’m done I will train as much as I can to be prepared to tackle this climb in the fall of 2019. Help make this dream happen!”
— Alex Bogner, finalist
SHOW OFFICIAL RULES
Entry into the GearJunkie Adventure Grant Contest (herein “Contest”) begins at 12:00:01 a.m. Central Time (“CT”) on 1/14/19 and ends at 11:59 p.m. CT on 3/15/19. People entering the Contest (herein “Entrants”) may do so by uploading an original story about an adventure planned for 2019 on the Adventure Grant Microsite (herein “Site”) and submit their email address. As an option, Entrants may share a photo when they upload their story and submit their email address. Sharing a photo does not gain a bonus entry of any kind or affect their chances of winning. Participation in this Contest is subject to, and all entrants must comply with, all policies, terms, and conditions imposed by GearJunkie LLC (herein “Sponsor”) and ICON Health & Fitness, Inc. (herein “Promotion Parties”), as well as those set forth in these Official Rules. If the entry submitted complies with these Official Rules and those policies, terms, and conditions imposed by Sponsor, it may be posted and may be viewed by anyone visiting the Site. Entry may not include any intellectual property of third parties, including copyrighted material or third-party trademarks. Entries must be suitable for publication/broadcast at Sponsor’s sole discretion.
Entrants may enter the Contest by uploading a story to the Site one (1) time throughout the contest. Entries must be submitted by an individual, eligible Entrant only; no group entries allowed. All entries must be submitted by 11:59 p.m. CT on 3/15/19.
ELIGIBILITY: This Contest is open to legal residents of the United States and the District of Columbia who are 21 years of age or older. Employees of Sponsor and Promotion Parties, and all other service agencies involved with design, execution, or fulfillment of this Contest, and members of the immediate families (defined for these purposes as parents, children, siblings, and spouses) or households (whether related or not) of any of the above are NOT eligible to participate.
GRAND PRIZE: The Adventure Grant (Contest) Grand Prize consists of a NordicTrack machine to be selected by the winner and $5,000 to be used towards their trip. Must be twenty-one (21) years of age and a resident of the United States to win.
PRIZES: No cash redemptions or other prize substitutions permitted, except by Sponsor, who may substitute a prize of equal or greater value if an advertised prize becomes unavailable. All prizes will be awarded provided they are properly claimed in accordance with these Official Rules and a sufficient number of eligible entries are received. Actual/appraised value may differ at time of prize award. The specifics of the prize shall be solely determined by the Sponsor.
THE CONTEST IS OFFERED IN THE FIFTY (50) UNITED STATES AND THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA (“D.C.”). SUBJECT TO ALL FEDERAL, STATE, LOCAL, AND MUNICIPAL LAWS AND REGULATIONS. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW. DO NOT ENTER THIS CONTEST IF YOU ARE NOT TWENTY-ONE (21) YEARS OF AGE OR OLDER AS OF 1/14/2019 AND A LEGAL RESIDENT OF AND CURRENTLY RESIDING IN ONE OF THE ELIGIBLE UNITED STATES OR D.C. THIS CONTEST WILL BE CONSTRUED AND EVALUATED ACCORDING TO U.S. LAW.
HOW TO ENTER: The Sponsor’s Contest requires readers upload an adventure story on the Site and submit their email address to enter. An “adventure story” is any written story that depicts outdoor adventure or travel. Entrants have the option to submit a photo on the Site. The photo is optional. It does not count as an entry and does not impact the selection of the winner. Entrants can enter the Site one (1) time throughout the contest.
Entry may not include any intellectual property of third parties, including copyrighted material or third-party trademarks. Entries must be suitable for publication/broadcast at Sponsor’s sole discretion. No crude, inappropriate, offensive, or blurry photos will be accepted as entries. Nor will any photos depicting illegal activity. The entry must fulfill all Contest requirements, as specified, to be eligible to win a prize. Entries that are not complete or do not adhere to the rules or specifications may be disqualified at the sole discretion of GearJunkie. You may enter only one (1) time, and you must enter with the information requested. You may not enter more times than indicated by using multiple email addresses, identities, or devices in an attempt to circumvent the rules. If you use fraudulent methods or otherwise attempt to circumvent the rules, your submission may be removed from eligibility at the sole discretion of GearJunkie.
JUDGING AND WINNER NOTIFICATION: Contest winners will be selected by a bracket style vote on GearJunkie’s social media channels. All finalist are required to provide photo to be used in the voting. Entry photos must be appropriate, relevant, not blurry, etc., to be considered. Potential winners will be notified via the email address they used to enter the Contest. Winners may be required to sign and return a liability/publicity release (where permitted) within ten (10) days of receipt of notification or the potential winner will be disqualified and the prize will be forfeited. The Sponsor shall have no liability for a winner’s failure to receive notices due to winner’s spam, junk email, or other security settings or for winner’s provision of incorrect or otherwise non-functioning contact information. If the selected winner cannot be contacted, is ineligible, fails to claim the prize within fourteen (14) days of the time the award notification was sent, or fails to timely return a completed and executed declaration and releases as required, the prize may be forfeited and an alternate winner selected.
EMAIL OPT-IN: By entering the Contest, you agree to receive email newsletters periodically from GearJunkie and ICON Health & Fitness, Inc. (Sponsors). You can opt out of receiving this communication at any time by clicking the “unsubscribe” link in the newsletter.
PHOTO RIGHTS: Entrants retain all rights to any photo they submit. By entering the contest, all Entrants consent to and grant non-exclusive license to The GearJunkie LLC, ICON Health & Fitness, Inc., and Promotion Parties, without further notification, compensation, or attribution to the Entrant or any other party, to use, reproduce, modify, create derivative works from, print, publish, post, transmit, distribute, perform, adapt, enhance, display, and otherwise make use of and distribute the photos.
PHOTO RELEASE: We encourage Entrants to upload adventure photographs to the Site. The GearJunkie LLC and ICON Health & Fitness, Inc. may use these photographs in future publications or other materials, including social media.
TERMS: GearJunkie reserves the right, in its sole discretion to cancel, terminate, modify or suspend the Contest should (in its sole discretion) a virus, bugs, non-authorized human intervention, fraud, or other causes beyond its control corrupt or affect the administration, security, fairness, or proper conduct of the Contest. In such cases, GearJunkie may judge submissions from all eligible entries received prior to and/or after (if appropriate) the action taken by GearJunkie. GearJunkie reserves the right at its sole discretion to disqualify any individual who tampers or attempts to tamper with the entry process or the operation of the Contest or website or violates these Terms & Conditions.
GearJunkie has the right, in its sole discretion to maintain the integrity of the Contest, to void entries for any reason, including, but not limited to the following: multiple entries from the same user from different IP addresses; multiple entries from the same computer in excess of that allowed by Contest rules; or the use of bots, macros, scripts, or other technical means for entering. Any attempt by an Entrant to deliberately damage any website or undermine the legitimate operation of the Contest may be a violation of criminal and civil laws. Should such an attempt be made, GearJunkie reserves the right to seek damages from any such person to the fullest extent permitted by law. By entering the Contest, you agree to receive email newsletters periodically from GearJunkie. You can opt out of receiving this communication at any time by clicking the “unsubscribe” link in the newsletter.
LIABILITY WAIVER: As a condition of participating in the Contest, Entrants agree to the following: “I understand that ‘adventure’ and other outdoor activities involve risk to both persons and property. There are many variables (including, but not limited to, weather, fitness level, terrain features, and outdoor experience) that must be considered prior to hiking. In no way shall I hold The GearJunkie LLC, ICON Health & Fitness, Inc., or any Sponsor responsible for any harm or injury caused to myself or my guests while hiking for the Contest.”
LIMITATIONS OF LIABILITY: In the event of a dispute regarding the identity of an Entrant, GearJunkie will consider the corresponding entry to belong to the authorized account holder of the email address submitted at the time of entry. “Authorized account holder” is deemed to be the natural person who is assigned to an email address by an Internet access provider, service provider, or other online organization that is responsible for assigning email addresses for the domain associated with the submitted email address.
Sponsor and Promotion Parties reserve the right, at their sole discretion, to disqualify any individual it finds may be tampering with the entry process or operation of this Contest or Site, acting in violation of the terms of the Site, acting in a non-sportsmanlike or disruptive manner, or acting with intent to threaten, abuse, or harass any other person. Any attempt to deliberately damage any Site or undermine the legitimate operation of this Contest may be unlawful and subject to legal action by the Sponsor or its agents.
TAX INFORMATION: All applicable federal, state, provincial, local, and other taxes on prizes and any other costs and expenses associated with prize acceptance, and use not specified herein as being provided, are the sole responsibility of the applicable winner.
PROMOTION HOST & WINNERS LIST: The GearJunkie LLC, 2836 Lyndale Avenue South, Suite 100, Minneapolis, MN 55408. Any questions, comments, or complaints regarding the Contest must be directed to The GearJunkie LLC. Please email contact@gearjunkie.com and be sure to include “GearJunkie Adventure Grant” in the email subject line.
WINNERS LIST: For the names of the winners, please contact us at contact@gearjunkie.com. In the body of the email, type, “Please email me the winners list for the GearJunkie/NordicTrack Contest.”
This promotion is in no way sponsored, endorsed, administered by, or associated with Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Pinterest, LinkedIn, or Google. By entering the Contest, Entrants are providing their information to only the owner of this Contest and not to Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Pinterest, LinkedIn, or Google.