Charity Pedals for Progress partners with Van Dine
For most of us, cycling is something we practice as a luxury–we go on a relaxing ride along the boardwalk, or we bike along the coast for a workout. But for the less fortunate, a bike is a necessity–it’s a mode of transportation to school, work, or a local market. This dichotomy is why pro downhill rider Chris Van Dine has partnered with Pedals for Progress, a charity that recycles old bikes and donates them to people in developing countries. They have donated over 130,000 bikes and nearly $11 million worth of spare parts in their 22-year history, as well as helped create local bike repair businesses. “I’m so lucky for a lot of reasons, but I feel I have a huge debt to cycling,” Van Dine said in the video below, which highlights his partnership with one of the charity’s partners in San Andres, Guatemala. “I think cycling has so many applications. Some people ride for hell, and some people ride for fun and wellbeing. But there’s also a very strong economic and communal aspect to bikes and society.” Watch the video by clicking play, or click here.

Click play to watch the video

Surfing’s World Tour predictions
Surfing’s ASP World Tour is at its halfway point, and with the Hurley Pro set for Sept. 16 in Trestles, California, Surfer magazine‘s Shea Lopez has his picks for his Fantasy Surfer team (which you can register for and play yourself). “The Lower Trestles event has traditionally been a litmus test for the remainder of the year. Perhaps more than any other stop, the soft, slow, manicured Southern California waves allow for an unmolested view of the World Tour talent. This very even playing field will separate the legitimate world title contenders from the rest,” Lopez wrote. To see who he’s picking for his fantasy team and why, click here.

Photo of pro surfer Julian Wilson at Trestles courtesy Surfer, Ellis

Dispatches: Paddling Ukraine’s Dnieper River
Canoe and Kayak magazine correspondents Jeffrey Andreoni and Giulio D’Eramo are currently on a paddling trip down the length of Ukraine’s Dnieper River towards the Black Sea. In their latest dispatch, they meet a gang of extremely hospitable and extremely drunk residents in the city of Cherkasy, as well as attempt to avoid some bad weather and arrange a car ride a few miles downriver. “Every driver we asked gave us the same price–1,000 grivna, or about $125. They thought they had us in a bind, but they didn’t know that our Neris baidarka [sea kayak] is completely collapsible. The boat folds up into two rucksacks–one for the skin and another for the frame. We packed up our craft and headed to the train station.” To read about their trip, click here.

Photo courtesy Canoe and Kayak