Ask Reba Giveaway

Every month Suunto athlete Rebecca Rusch gives away some of her favorite products. Today is the last day to win a Suunto T6d from the Ask Reba contest on her website.

Rebecca says, "It's my training partner, my motivation, and my record keeper. This little red number tells me how my training is going, if I'm on track, if I'm over-reaching and keeps me honest." The Suunto T6d may be simple but it gives you a lot of information: distance, speed, and altitude. Not to mention a whole physiological analyses on Movescount.com

So Ask Reba A Question and win this awesome training partner who will help you analyze and improve your performance. Just one day to go!

Kilian Jornet Wins North Face Race

Last weekend, Suunto athlete, Kilian Jornet won the Ultra Trail du Mont-Blanc for the third time in his career. The UTMB is 170 km long with 9,700 meters of elevation gain in the mountains of the Mont-Blanc massif. It is considered to be one of the most difficult and prestigious races in the world of Trail Running.

"This year's UTMB has been very special, as it has probably been the UTMB race with the highest level. Just looking at the list of competitors was scary," said Kilian after coming in first with a time of 20:36.43 hours.

Kilian says, “The weather conditions were really tough. We set off with rain and snow in the highest areas, which made the first part of the race particularly tough. This context, however, brought about some remarkable moments, such as the sunrise in Col de la Seigne, the light, the moon still visible, the sun, the snow and some impressive colors. It was an incredible moment.”

For most of the race Kilian ran with a group of runners, some of his closest friends. But 25 km out from the finish line in Chamonix, he sprinted away from the group and kept his distance until the very end. The public shared a warm welcome to the Catalan racer. “The UTMB is a very special race. This year I felt the public’s support in all the areas, no matter whether French, Italian or Swiss. There were a lot of people supporting and cheering me on. It truly was a very special experience.” says Kilian.

For the next few days Kilian is going to rest up and get himself ready for the race on September 17th in South Africa, part of his 5 Races, 5 continents project.

Results: UTMB Mens

1. KILIAN JORNET. 20:36 h. (Team Salomon)

2. IKER CARRERA. 20:45 h. (Team Salomon)

3. SEBASTIEN CHAIGNEAU. 20:55 h. (Team North Face)

Results UTMB Women's

1. Elisabeth HAWKER. 25:02 h. (Team North Face)

2. Nerea MARTINEZ. 27:55:34 h. (Team Salomon)

3. Darcy AFRICA. 28:30:28 h. (Team Pearl Izumi)

Who Will Win the North Face Race? Predict and Win!

On August 26, the 2011 North Face Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc will commence, and the starting line will be nothing short of power-packed. Some of the world's finest endurance athletes --including our own Kilian Jornet, Mike Wolfe, Nick Clark, Jez Bragg, Geoff Roes, Miguel Heras, Dakota Jones, Hal Koerner, Scott Jurek and Tsuyoshi Kaburaki-- will take this mountainous ultra head-on, competing against each other and Mother Nature herself.

It's going to be an intense showdown in some stunning country ... question is, who will cross the finish line first?

Go ahead, take a guess ... and be entered to win! Suunto has teamed up with iRunFar to put together a contest. All you have to do is predict which competitor will win and what his/her time will be. Post your prediction as a comment; if you've got the winning time, we'll give you a Suunto M5 Running Kit!

Stoup and Havell See the Sights in Spitsbergen

Spitsbergen is the name of a breathtaking Norwegian island along the Arctic Ocean. Boasting fjords, mountains and glaciers, Spitsbergen is home to reindeer, polar bears and a host of marine mammals.

Just ask polar explorer and expedition leader Doug Stoup. Expedition leader and founder of Ice Axe Expeditions, Stoup takes Suunto products along for all of his journeys, which include dozens of trips to both the North and South poles.

Most recently, Stoup and his team explored the wild and snowy sights of Spitsbergen. Coincidentally, Suunto athlete Kim Havell was also on this epic trip--see her smiling face hiking to a top of a ridge at about 36 seconds into the video.
Check out the video:

California Waters + Kayak = Adventure

We can't get enough of the stories Suunto athlete Ross Herr brings back from his kayaking adventures. We especially love all of the pictures he and his fellow kayakers take along the way, and once again he's shared with us some pretty sweet shots!

Ross checked in with us from sunny California, where he's been paddling some fantastic water. This trip is part of his nationwide campaign to raise $50,000 for First Descents, an organization that puts on adventure programs for young adults who are fighting cancer. To reach his goal, Ross will spend six months kayaking a combined 50,000 vertical feet.

Below is a shot from Ross' trip down the Fantasy Falls on the Mokelumne River, which he deemed, "An epic adventure with all the essentials of a California Classic."

On his blog, Ross had this to say about Fantasy Falls: "We had a map of the area and my Suunto watch with altimeter to track how far we had made it ... One of the craziest parts about Fantasy is how much the river fluctuates throughout the day. We placed a stick in the beach first where the water was when we arrived, then again at the high point from the night. When we woke the level was over a foot lower."
Before Fantasy Falls Ross paddled Dinky Creek, which is "known for having some ultra clean drops, beautiful surroundings and as much challenge as you wanna bite off."

Check out Ross' blog for more about his team's California adventures, including the rescue of a fellow kayaker!
Looks like an awesome trip, Ross -- we can't wait to hear more!

Suunto Supports Big Blue Adventures

The Big Blue Adventure series is in full swing in sunny California, and August has ushered in some of its biggest races. Along with cheering on the racers, Suunto is excited to announce its support of the Big Blue events themselves.

All Big Blue Adventure competitors will receive special discounts on selected Suunto products, which will be available through Alpenglow Sports, Lombardi Sports and Tahoe Mountain Sports.

We'll also be adding one of our Suunto Core watches to the $700 Tahoe summer prize package that will be awarded to Big Blue race winners. This prize package will include gear from KEEN, Platypus Hydration, Sol Sunguard and kayak rentals from Tahoe Adventure Company.
You can help grow the amazing Big Blue Adventure series by liking Reno Tahoe USA on Facebook!

Reba 3, Leadville 0

Saturday, August 13 was a gorgeous day in Leadville, CO. It was also the day that Suunto athlete Rebecca Rusch smashed her own record in the Leadville Trail 100 ... winning the famed mountain bike race for the third time in a row.


Reba rolled across the finish line with a time of 7:31:45, almost 16 minutes faster than the course record she herself set in 2010. Rusch spent the first half of the rugged Rocky Mountain race in fifth place, charging up the epic Columbine climb to take the lead.

"I'm a diesel, so it takes me a while to get going sometimes," says Rusch in this cyclingnews.com article.

And 'get going' she did, once again conquering a race that is no small feat: 103 miles long at an elevation of 10,152 feet.

We knew you could, Reba -- congrats on another record-breaking win!

Reba vs. Leadville Trail 100 ... Round 3

"I was blown away ... by the magnitude of the race and the spirit of cycling and endurance racing..."
--Rebecca Rusch

That's what Suunto athlete Rebecca Rusch had to say about the Leadville Trail 100 2010, not long after she pedaled it home for the win. And that was the second time. For the past two years, the "Queen of Pain" has won the infamous Leadville Trail 100. In 2010 she crossed the finish line as both a victor and the women's course record holder, with a time of 7:47:35...and on August 13, 2011 she'll be back to do it again.

At 6:30 a.m. on Saturday, Rebecca will join her fellow Leadville competitors on a starting line that sits at 10,152 feet. From there she will cover some of the toughest trails the Colorado Rockies have to offer, conquering country that is unforgiving as well as figuratively (and literally!) breathtaking.

It's Reba vs. the Leadville Trail 100 ... and it's going to be one incredible race.

In addition to the Leadville 100, August also means it's time for another great Ask Reba giveaway -- and you'd better start brainstorming, because this month's prize is definitely worth a good question.

This month Rebecca will be giving away a Suunto T6d (with Movescount), which she has deemed her "single most beloved piece of gear."

The T6d is an in-depth, easy-to-use training tool that will help you push your workouts and races to the next level. To enter the giveway, just visit Rebecca Rusch's website and ask away ... may the best question win!

Suunto On Target During 'Bowcast at the Bird' Event

You could say that hunting is one of the world's oldest extreme endurance sports. It requires rigorous hiking, agility, patience, strength and incredible skill — and just like any other endurance sport, hunting has evolved over time. Here at Suunto, we're continuing our commitment to grow and expand right alongside it (and every other endurance sport!) with our signature product line.

There is an up-and-coming new generation of bowhunter, and its members are tuning into Full Moon Productions' (FMP) Bowcast. This podcast speaks to today's archer, keeping them current on the latest in news and gear in the archery world. A unique new breed of archer requires a unique breed of technology, and Suunto's cutting edge products are up to the challenge.

Suunto recently partnered with Sportsman's Warehouse and FMP Bowcast for the 2011 Bowcast at the Bird event, a 3D archery shoot that is held annually at the Snowbird Resort in Utah.

Archers from across the nation —along with two hailing from the Netherlands— attended this year's Bowcast at the Bird, which was a huge success! Our Suunto watches made dozens of appearances throughout the weekend, and we had a blast meeting all of the talented people who either participated in or helped put together this great event.

On the "weekend events" target, Bowcast at the Bird hit the bull's eye — we'll definitely be back next year.

Suunto Supports Active, Healthy Kids Through Kidz Passport Program

We are ready for another amazing week at Outdoor Retailer Summer Market 2011, and we're all looking forward to seeing old friends and meeting new faces as we showcase the latest in cutting-edge Suunto products.

In addition to all of the booths, events and special guests, OR hosts dozens of family friendly activities throughout the week, making it easy to bring the kids along with you. We're all for supporting these activities, which is why Suunto is taking part in theGeoPalz Kidz Passport Program.

GeoPalz specializes in colorful, uniquely shaped pedometers designed specifically for kids. In continuation of its ongoing effort to get kids up and active, GeoPalz designed the Kidz Passport Program for kids who will be visiting OR with their families.

Here's how it works: First, families stop by the GeoPalz booth in the New Exhibitor Pavilion (PV#103) and sign their children up for the program. Kids then recieve their own GeoPalz, which allows them to measure the steps they take from booth to booth. They fill out a special "passport" as they go, and when they return the completed passport back to the GeoPalz booth they become eligible for dozens of different prizes -- including some from us at Suunto!

We believe it's important to spark your child's sense of adventure and encourage the exploration of the world around them -- and Outdoor Retailer Summer Market 2011 is a great place to start.