North Shore winter season kicks off
Hawaii’s storied North Shore is best known for its prodigious waves, which usually start pumping around October and continue until around March. Lucky for us, the first “official” swell of the winter season has already hit Oahu, and Surfer magazine was there to document it. “It was about 6- to 8-foot and not the best direction or cleanest conditions, but after a long summer of no waves everyone was more that ready to get out in the water and go for it,” said Surfer photographer Zak Noyle, whose gallery of the first swell can be seen here. “[The gallery photos] were shot at Sunset Beach, a very difficult place to surf as well as shoot.”

Photo of surfer Makua Rothman courtesy Surfer, Noyle; click on the photo to view the gallery.

Celebrating mountain bike creator Tom Ritchey
“Some people say I invented the mountain bike, and maybe I did. But even before that I was a racer, a frame builder, an innovator, and still am today. I’m Tom Ritchey, and this is my story.” So begin the words of a short film about Ritchey, who used the film to help celebrate his 40 years in the cycling industry. Bike magazine also paid homage to Ritchey in this recent piece, where correspondent Sal Ruibal writes, “As a racer, [Ritchey] was tenacious and the bane of careless riders who lacked his mental strength. Riders couldn’t buy his skills or toughness, but they could and did buy many of his handmade frames.” To read Bike’s full story and watch the movie, click here. Or click play below.

Click play to read Ruibal’s story and watch Ritchey’s movie

Get your Weekly Dirt
Dirt Rider‘s Weekly Dirt is your go-to source for all things off-road, and this week’s dirt delves into the PIR Thursday Night Motocross event, which was recently held near Portland, Oregon, and is the “the longest-running night motocross race track in the United States,” according to Dirt Rider; offers a sneak peek at the Honda Factory Rally bike; gives readers the scoop on Dirt Rider’s 2013 bike shootouts, which includes three consecutive days of motorcycle testing; and offers info on what issues in the November election can affect your right to ride. To get all the dirt, click here.

A photographer shoots at Dirt Rider’s 2013 bike shootouts; photo courtesy Dirt Rider