Outside February 2014

A Superb Pitch Man Like any editor, I have my idiosyncrasies when it comes to evaluating story ideas. It’s a running joke that I shoot down anything that takes place underwater. I have no interest in scuba diving, and I can’t be bothered with the state of our coral reefs. Don’t ask me to explain. Just know that your exposé on the Mariana Trench will be a tough sell. That’s not to say that underwater stories, or other topics that I habitually veto (see: dogs, fringe sports, dam removal), never get green-lighted. One of my favorites of the past couple of years, “Open Your Mouth and You’re Dead” (March 2012), is about free diving. I’m convinced that a fantastic yarn involving Quidditch (“Quoosiers,” June 2012) got assigned because I was…

FOLLOW THE LEADER —GORDY MEGROZ GERMANY HAS dominated Olympic bobsledding for years, winning eight gold medals at the past five Games. How do you beat them? Hire BMW to build your sled. In 2011, the U.S. Bobsled and Skeleton Federation asked the automaker to develop the fastest bobsled ever built. Engineers used technology similar to what’s in BMW’s Formula One race cars to craft a hull from carbon fiber and synthetic laminate (instead of the more commonly used fiberglass), to reduce weight and vibration and allow the sled’s driver to rattle less and focus more. They also scanned the bodies of two of the team’s bobsledders to produce mannequins for testing and to fine-tune the sled’s ergonomics for more precise steering. So how much faster are the new models? BMW…

—G.M. THE MALCONTENT TED LIGETY, 29 ON THE SLOPES: Gold medal trifecta! Ligety takes the giant slalom, super-G, and combined. OFF THE SLOPES: Despite newfound glory, opts to continue his war against the sport’s governing body over ski regulations, composing a novella-length blog post that includes 93 technical footnotes. Immediately after the Games, announces he has signed the entire Austrian team to Shred Optics, his ski-gear brand. THE MAVERICK JULIA MANCUSO, 29 ON THE SLOPES: Beats expectations—again—by medaling in the super-G and downhill. OFF THE SLOPES: Après hot-tub selfie on Instagram earns her a rebuke from the U.S. Ski Team for showing “too much side boob.” Stays one step ahead of the paparazzi by tweeting that she is back together with ex-boyfriend and Norwegian superskier Aksel Lund Svindal before they…

For the 30 men competing in the first-ever Olympic halfpipe skiing event on February 13, at Russia’s Rosa Khutor Resort, winning a gold medal will almost certainly require landing a trick called the unnatural double cork 1260. What’s involved: two off-axis flips with three and a half rotations in the skier’s unnatural spinning direction. “From a difficulty standpoint, the unnatural dub 12 is right at the top,” says Josh Loubek, head judge of the Olympic halfpipe competition. So far only three skiers have pulled it off in competition. This is how it breaks down. THE CONTENDERS DAVID WISE, OF RENO, NEVADA, WAS THE FIRST TO LAND THE TRICK WHILE COMPETING, IN 2011, AND IS THE GOLDMEDAL FAVORITE. FELLOW AMERICAN ALEX FERREIRA AND CANADIAN JUSTIN DOREY ADDED THE TRICK TO THEIR…

—G.M. IF KIKKAN RANDALL wins cross-country gold on February 11, as most pundits predict, it will be a first for the U.S. and the first Olympic medal won by an American in the sport since Bill Koch took home the silver in 1976. Her biggest accomplishment, though, might be convincing people that crosscountry skiing is entertaining. With streaks of pink in her blond hair and a penchant for feather boas, Randall, 31, brings snowboarder-punk flair to an other wise staid sport. She also races the sprint, an event that wasn’t part of elite competition until 2001. (It debuted at the Olympics in Salt Lake City.) Compared with the 30-kilometer grind that has always defined cross-country, the sprint is a kilometer and a half of fury, where six athletes go elbow-to-elbow…

Skaters wear speed suits with built-in knee and shin guards and cut-resistant materials like Kevlar in vulnerable spots like the neck, armpits, and groin. 1500-METER START LINE The 500 meter is a pure sprint, so the start is crucial. “The racer who gets ahead first usually wins,”says U.S. Short Track National Team coach Stephen Gough. The entry into the first turn is notorious for pile ups, as skaters—especially those who started against the boards because of previous race times—make their moves. 2CORNER ENTRIES Passes usually take place on a straightaway, and skaters need to complete them before entering a turn. There’s not much time: a racer going 30 mph will cover a 95-foot straight away in less than three seconds. Fail to get past a competitor and contact is inevitable.…