As access to trailheads, slopes, rocks and rivers has been severely limited by the global pandemic, adventurers around the world have been paying playful homage to outdoor sports at home, and the results are guaranteed to make you smile. Here are our favorites:
Freeriding
Skier Philip Klein is the unofficial king of this new genre. Early in April, forced to cancel a trip, Klein turned to creativity to entertain himself and, as it soon turned out, hundreds of thousands of others. His incredibly uplifting stop motion animation ends with an important message: “Stay safe. Stay home”.
Bouldering
Like most 19-year-olds, Colorado-native Brooke Rabatou was looking forward to summer 2020 and for her it would bring much more than a holiday. Having qualified in 2019, Rabatou was set to compete in the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo. The sudden postponement of the Games didn’t dampen her spirit as Brooke took to the kitchen cabinets to practice her moves.
Surfing
You’d think that watersports would be harder to emulate at home than skiing or bouldering but a UK-based surfer known as @rebekah_mermaid didn’t let that discourage her. Her take on lockdown surfing? A gardening hose, a tarp and a lot of laughter!
Cycling
Does it even count if it’s been done long before the lockdown? Clocking miles indoors is nothing new among the fans of cycling but trainers (devices which replace the back wheel to allow for pedaling in place) have been flying off the shelves recently! The corona-fueled mania is so widespread that it was noticed by the Financial Times.
Big wall climbing
Climbers and life partners Katha Saurwein and Jorg Verhoeven are no strangers to adventuring in solitary places. No big wall? No problem! You can always set up your portaledge on the side of the balcony and relax while belaying your husband…
Snowshoeing
Philip Klein’s animation inspired a spark of creativity for the LA-based hiker and founder of the SoCal Women’s Mountaineering Club, @hiking_leah. With the use of colorful bedding, she recreated her snowshoeing adventure in the San Gorgonzola Wilderness. There’s a definite air of nostalgia to her photo that we all can identify with while we wait for access to the outdoors to be restored. In the meantime, the best we can do is take Philip Klein as an example. Be creative and playful, while staying at home.
