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Our #SuuntoAdventure selfie contest has now come to an end and we're pleased to reveal the four winners below. They will each receive the new Ambit3 Sport. Selfies are everywhere. Whether it's on the top of a mountain or out on the trail, everyone loves to grab a selfie to share with friends. So at Suunto, we thought it would be a great idea to invite our fans and the wider community to send us their best shots. We were overwhelmed by the response, receiving thousands of inspiring entries via Instagram. The four winning shots were each selected by one of our Suunto ambassadors – Kilian Jornet, Emelie Forsberg, Conrad Stoltz and Greg Hill. Below, we present each ambassador's choice. Thanks to everyone who submitted images. It was a difficult choice. In the coming weeks we'll have interviews with each of the winners to hear more about the story behind their shots. Emelie Forsberg choice: Winner: Patrick Müller Suarez, @patrickamsSays Emelie: “This picture captured my imagination right away with the light – is it morning or evening? – and made me think of a long day out exploring new mountains. The picture exudes exploration.” Kilian Jornet choice: Winner: Trent Busenbark, @trentbusenbarkSays Kilian: “The picture takes us right there and lets us feel what he feels. We can feel the cold, the storm, the tiredness. Adventure is also about bad conditions and hard times that make us happy when we come home.” Conrad Stoltz choice: Winner: Ross Lovell, @rosslovellSays Conrad: “I can see how crazy steep the hill is by the gear your friend is standing on! You deserve to win for riding one handed and snapping a great photo after such a massive climb!” Greg Hill choice: Winner: Corky Still, @akskicaSays Greg: “The vast background, untouched and waiting feels like unconquered territory. And there is excitement and unlimited potential to this skier. So many ski lines waiting for them...”

After winning XTERRA UK, the Suunto ambassador Conrad Stoltz now has Denmark in his sights. Is there any stopping him? It's been a bit of a disappointing season for Conrad Stoltz so far. “It's been a bit of a roller coaster with unfortunate injuries, sickness and mechanicals,” he tells us. But the so-called 'caveman' put all that behind him after triumphing at the UK course. “I finally did my form justice and put together a phenomenal race. It's what I love best!” he says. “XTERRA UK is a race with real mountain biking and trail running – true XTERRA terrain, so I was super excited to race this course. This year I have been really disappointed with a lot of the courses which weren't technical. They were 'roadie courses’ – mostly fire roads which has been super frustrating.” “XTERRA UK put up a great event with very technical bike and run courses,” he adds. The running course saw athletes having to leap across ditches and jump over trees, for example. Check out this video to see Conrad running the route.“I was out of the swim 1min behind the leader and came off the bike with a 5 minute lead and a silly grin on my face,” adds Conrad. “It was adventurous and fun. I hope other organisers take note and make sure their routes include actual mountain bike trails!”Next on the calendar is Denmark this weekend and Conrad is as focused as he's ever been. “I hope to repeat my performance here,” he says. All images ©lighttrapper.co.uk

トライアスロンのスイムでは、力任せに泳ぐよりも、水の抵抗を抑えながら一定のリズムを保つことが大切です。ところが、いつも同じ泳ぎを繰り返しているだけでは、自分のフォームの癖になかなか気づけません。 そこで取り入れたいのが、動きを一つずつ意識する「スイムドリル」です。この記事では、クロールのフォームと泳ぎの効率を見直す5つのドリルを紹介します。各ドリルの目的、やり方、注意点に加え、25mプールで実践できる練習メニューもまとめました。 目次 トライアスリートにスイムドリルが役立つ理由 フォームを整える5つのスイムドリル 25mプールでできる実践メニュー ドリルを効果的に行うポイント Suuntoでスイムの変化を振り返る まとめ トライアスリートにスイムドリルが役立つ理由 スイムドリルとは、ストローク全体のうち一つの動きに焦点を当てて反復する練習です。リカバリー時の腕の運び、入水の位置、キャッチの感覚、身体の回転、キックなどを切り分けることで、普段の泳ぎでは見過ごしやすい課題を確認できます。 トライアスロンでは、スイムの後にバイクとランが続きます。スイムだけで力を使い切らないためにも、余計な力みや水の抵抗を減らし、安定したフォームで泳ぐことが重要です。ただし、ドリルは速さを競う練習ではありません。まずは短い距離で、正しい動きを丁寧に再現しましょう。 これから競技を始める人や、3種目の距離・練習の全体像を確認したい人は、「トライアスロンとは？距離・種目・初心者が知っておきたい基本」もあわせてご覧ください。 フォームを整える5つのスイムドリル 1．フィンガーチップ・ドラッグ｜腕を力まず前へ運ぶ フィンガーチップ・ドラッグは、リカバリー中の指先を水面に軽く触れさせながら前へ運ぶドリルです。肘を適度に高く保ち、肩や腕に余計な力を入れずに入水位置まで運ぶ感覚を身につけます。 通常のクロールで泳ぎ始めます。 水上に出た腕の指先を、水面に軽く触れさせます。 脇を締めすぎず、肘から先を自然に前へ運びます。 肩幅の延長線上を目安に、静かに入水します。 注意点：肘を無理に高く上げるのではなく、肩をすくめずに楽に動かせる範囲で行います。指先を強く水に押しつけると腕が止まりやすいため、水面をなぞる程度にしましょう。 2．フィスト・ドリル｜前腕で水をとらえる 両手を軽く握って泳ぐことで、手のひらだけに頼らず、手から前腕までを使って水をとらえる感覚を確かめるドリルです。通常のクロールに戻したとき、手のひらにかかる水圧の違いも感じやすくなります。 親指を強く握り込まず、両手で軽くこぶしを作ります。 腕全体を大きく振り回さず、前腕で水を後方へ送る意識で泳ぎます。 25m泳いだら手を開き、通常のクロールで25m泳ぎます。 注意点：こぶしを固く握ると肩や前腕まで緊張します。推進力が落ちるのは自然なので、速さよりも水をとらえる位置と感覚に集中してください。 3．ジッパー・ドリル｜身体の回転を整える リカバリーする腕の親指を、腰から脇へ向かって身体の横に沿わせるドリルです。体幹を軸に左右へ回転する感覚と、腕を身体の近くでリラックスして運ぶ動きを確認できます。 プルを終えた親指を腰の横へ近づけます。 服のジッパーを引き上げるように、親指を体側に沿わせて脇へ運びます。 身体を横へ回転させながら肘を前へ送り、腕を伸ばして入水します。 注意点：腕だけを持ち上げず、胸と腰が一緒に回る感覚を意識します。身体を反らせたり、入水する手が頭の中心線を越えたりしないようにしましょう。 4．キャッチアップ・ドリル｜ストロークを長く保つ 片方の手が前方でもう片方の手に追いついてから、次のプルを始めるドリルです。前方へ伸びる姿勢を確認し、ストロークが急いで短くなるのを防ぎます。 片腕を前に伸ばしたまま、反対の腕で1ストロークします。 戻ってきた手が前の手にそろってから、反対側のプルを始めます。 頭を上げず、身体を長く保って左右交互に繰り返します。 注意点：前で長く止まりすぎると、腰や脚が沈みやすくなります。実際の泳ぎより意図的に間を作る練習ですが、胸を軽く水へ預け、体勢を崩さないことを優先しましょう。 5．キック・ドリル｜姿勢とリズムを安定させる トライアスロンのスイムでは、キックだけで大きな推進力を得ようとすると脚が疲れ、後のバイクやランに影響することがあります。一方で、脚が沈むと水の抵抗が増えるため、姿勢とリズムを支える効率的なキックは必要です。 ビート板を軽く持ち、腕を前方へ伸ばします。 足首の力を抜き、股関節から小さく脚を動かします。 膝は自然に曲がる程度にし、水面を大きくたたかないようにします。 一定のリズムを保ち、身体が水平に近い位置にあるか確認します。 注意点：「膝を絶対に曲げない」と考えると脚全体が固くなります。膝下だけで蹴らず、股関節からしなやかに動かすことを意識しましょう。腰や膝に痛みが出る場合は中止してください。 25mプールでできる実践メニュー 5つのドリルを一度に試すなら、次の約950mのメニューが目安です。距離や休憩時間は泳力と体調に合わせて調整してください。 パート 内容 距離 ウォームアップ 楽なクロール。呼吸と姿勢を整える 200m ドリル 5種目×50m。各50mは「ドリル25m＋通常のクロール25m」 250m メイン 100m×4本。フォームを崩さず泳げる強度で、各本の間に20〜30秒休憩 400m クールダウン ゆっくり泳いで呼吸を整える 100m ドリルの直後に通常のクロールを入れるのがポイントです。練習した動きを普段のストロークにどうつなげるかを確かめながら泳ぎましょう。 ドリルを効果的に行うポイント 一度に直すのは一つ：「肘の位置」「前腕の感覚」など、その日のテーマを決めます。 速さより動きを優先する：フォームが崩れたら距離を短くし、休憩を増やします。 通常のクロールと交互に行う：ドリルの感覚を実際の泳ぎへ移しやすくなります。 定期的に撮影や指導を活用する：自分の感覚と実際の動きが一致しているとは限りません。可能であれば、コーチに見てもらいましょう。 安全な環境で行う：泳力に不安がある場合は、監視員や指導者のいるプールで練習してください。パドルやフィンなどの器具は施設のルールを確認して使用します。 プールでフォームを整えた後に海や湖へ移行する場合は、波、流れ、水温、視界など別の要素への準備も必要です。詳しくは「オープンウォータースイミングのコツ8選｜初心者向け練習・準備ガイド」も参考にしてください。 Suuntoでスイムの変化を振り返る フォームの感覚は主観的ですが、距離、ペース、ラップなどの記録を残すと、同じ強度で泳いだときの変化を振り返りやすくなります。対応するSuuntoスポーツウォッチでプールスイムを記録し、ドリルを行った日、意識したポイント、泳いだ後の感覚をメモしておくのもよいでしょう。 ただし、ウォッチが認識する距離やストロークなどは、泳法、ターン、停止、ドリルの動きによって実際と異なる場合があります。数値だけでフォームの良し悪しを判断せず、一定期間の傾向と自分の感覚を合わせて確認してください。利用できるスイム指標や操作方法はモデルによって異なるため、使用するウォッチのユーザーガイドも確認しましょう。 スイムだけでなく、バイクとランを含めて記録するための機能は、「トライアスロン用ウォッチの選び方｜スイム・バイク・ランを1台で記録するには」で詳しく紹介しています。 まとめ フィンガーチップ・ドラッグ、フィスト、ジッパー、キャッチアップ、キックの5つは、それぞれ異なる動きに焦点を当てるドリルです。すべてを完璧にこなす必要はありません。自分の課題に合うものを選び、短い距離から通常のクロールへつなげることが大切です。 ドリルで動きを確認し、通常のクロールで再現し、記録と感覚を振り返る。この流れを続けることで、トライアスロンの3種目を見据えた、無理の少ないスイムフォームを育てていきましょう。Suuntoのスポーツウォッチなら、日々のスイムとバイク、ランを一つのトレーニング履歴として振り返れます。 スイム・バイク・ランの記録を一つに トライアスロンのトレーニングに対応するSuuntoスポーツウォッチをチェックしましょう。 Suuntoスポーツウォッチを見る

The French mountain bike legend Cedric Gracia took part in the Enduro World Series round 6 in Whistler, British Columbia. Gracia is a multi-talented bike racer and entertainer who has competed on the top level since the mid-90s. We got in touch with him to find out how he’s doing.  When did you make the shift from downhill mountain biking to enduro?I made the shift two years ago, but feel like I’ve been riding enduro all my life. For me enduro is real mountain biking. I did it because waiting for my DH practice everyday wasn’t just enough. I wanted to ride more. I still love racing for sure but more and more I like to ride different trails around the world and bring people with me to share the experience. I also like to share my life with Through My Eyes video series. You had a few bad accidents in your last years as a downhill racer. Did those have anything to do with this change?I definitely have been thinking about things but in a good way. The answer to why I ride bikes was easy: because I love riding, it’s my life! The fear of ending up in a wooden box will never stop me from riding. I live to ride and ride to live. This is my spirit. What do you love about racing enduro?Now I am able to ride all day instead of waiting for practice. How have the courses at the Enduro World Series been this season?Some courses have been really good but some have been really XC and way too long for enduro. Also the connection between stages has been too long. La Thuile in Italy was real enduro riding. I loved it. Whistler was too long, the trails were really destroyed and some of the secret trails weren’t that secret. Is enduro still the little brother of downhill racing?I think enduro is real mountain biking. Downhill is the poster image of the sport, but the sells are in enduro. How have you changed your training since focusing on enduro?Longer rides and shorter fitness hours at the gym. I love it. I do more outside exercises now. What do you think are your strengths as a rider?I don’t know if I have any, but I love pushing my limits and never give up. What are the aspects you’re trying to improve?I try to share my love for biking with more people through my Facebook page and my own video series.   How do you use your Suunto Ambit2 in training?I record my training and share it with my followers. I can see what I have done during the year and my trainer can help me improve points where I am not the best. You’ve been racing on an international level for 20 years and you are not known for taking it easy. How have you been able to pull it of in a risky sport like this?I love the sport and am ready to give it all.

Suunto ambassador Jill Heinerth has undertaken some extraordinary diving expeditions over the years, but none are quite so unique as the Sedna EPIC Expedition. In her own words below, she describes the team's bid to snorkel across the Arctic. I had my eyes trained on my Suunto Ambit, watching for the approaching landmark. The latitude ticked slowly upwards as the excitement heightened to a fever pitch. The deck was a hive of activity with ten women, scrambling into their drysuits, preparing to leap into the water in unison and swim as a team over the precise location that marks the Arctic Circle. Merino long underwear, a heated vest, a Thinsulate undergarment and finally a cozy drysuit all layered up to protect us from the water that hovered around 2°C. ©SednaEPIC.com – Jill Heinerth Each girl repositioned her Ambit and D4i diving computer on her wrist when suddenly, the positive energy took a startling turn. From above, on the bridge, a voice bellowed an angry retort, “Who’s in charge of this chaos?” he screamed. “I want to know who thinks they are in charge of this fiasco?” The talking stopped instantly and we all craned our heads towards the two figures on the bridge that were backlit by the late night Arctic sun. Whatever they were angry about, it sounded serious. But as soon as we saw them, the deck erupted in laughter. The Captain was wearing a spaghetti strainer on his head. A blonde dish towel appeared like golden locks while he embraced the boat owner Milos, who was wearing a sheep skin vest, large pillow and some women’s clothing. They chanted a traditional welcome to seafarers crossing the Arctic Circe and then finished with, “Now get off my ship!”Giddy with schoolgirl enthusiasm, we leapt into the water to herald this momentous part of our expedition. With my underwater camera, I captured the celebration, relief and excitement of reaching this far north. ©SednaEPIC.com – Jill HeinerthThe 2014 Sedna EPIC Expedition aimed to bring a remarkable team of women together to undertake a long range snorkel relay with a goal to raise awareness of global climate change, loss of sea ice — and the indomitable power of the human spirit. Led by Expedition Founder, Susan R. Eaton, the ultimate goal of the Sedna EPIC Expedition is to snorkel the Northwest Passage. This year, teamwork, technology and outreach techniques were practiced for a longer project that is slated for 2016.It was an honor to photograph and work with such a formidable team of women who will undoubtedly make their mark as environmental advocates, scientists and thought leaders. All images ©SednaEPIC.com – Jill Heinerth

On the first Monday in September one hundred teams of two will stand on the shores of Sandhamn in the Stockholm archipelago. They will face one of the toughest endurance challenges in the world, the Ö till Ö Swim Run Championship. Ö till Ö (island to island) is a unique race in which teams of two swim and run 75 km across 26 islands. One of the teams this year is The Baltic Sea Action Group Swim Run Team. “About 65 km of the total distance is running and 10 km openwater swimming. This means that about a quarter of the race time is spent swimming,” Juha Lindfors, a Baltic Sea Action Group Swim Run Team member says. Finnish Lindfors and his German teammate Armin Hummel are both experienced swimmers. Both have won multiple national championship titles in swimming. Last year they took part in Ö till Ö for the first time. “The race last year came as a surprise with only a three weeks’ notice as one of my friends who originally came up with the crazy idea of participating in the race could not make it. There was really no time to get prepared. However, we made it and the event itself was magnificent.” “One of the most fascinating things in the race is experiencing the nature in the beautiful Stockholm archipelago and in the Baltic Sea. First feeling after the race was that we must come back again – and maybe with some more preparation.” This year the team has two goals: to break the 10-hour barrier and most importantly to increase awareness about the state of the Baltic Sea. “Already after the race last year I had the idea that we could also increase general awareness of the work of the Baltic Sea Action Group and get more people and organizations to commit on actions to save the Baltic Sea. “For me this is very important as I live by the sea, sailing on it, and especially when going for a dip in the sea. I really hope that my children can keep on enjoying the same privileges.” An important part of the swim run event are the transitions in and out of the water. “A one minute loss in each transition adds up to a whole hour in the end,” Lindfors says. To make the challenge even bigger, the competitors have to carry everything they need with them through out the race, which results in some interesting and novel gear solutions – they swim with their running shoes and run in wetsuits. Teams will also use hand paddles and pull buoys. Swimming in shoes is particularly tricky.  “They slow us down about 5–10 seconds per 100 meters.” To compensate for the added drag of the shoes, many of the teams use pull buoys to improve buoyancy. But that too comes with a price: you will then have to find a way to carry the buoyancy aid during the run stages. Also choosing the right shoes can be tricky: they have to be superlight even when wet but also have a good grip for the wet and slippy beach rocks. “Last year I wore orienteering shoes. This time I have chosen to race in ultralight trailrunning shoes,” Lindfors reveals. Ö till Ö Swim Run Championships will take place in Sweden on September 1st. More info and live tracking can be found at www.otillo.se More info about the Baltic Sea Action Group can be found here. All images © Jakob Edholm/ÖTILLÖ13