F E A T U R E S
Life's Swell
In theory, the Maui surfer girls are living a fantasy: They're young and tan and graceful and cool and defiant and on top of their game. In reality, well, in reality it's pretty wonderful too.
By Susan Orlean

All the Many Beasts
Most denizens of the Yellowstone ecosystem, human and otherwise, appear to be around for the long haul. And the fate of those controversial wolves? That's anyone's guess.
By Jo Ann Beard

Is That a Wallaby in Your Pocket, or Are You Just Happy to See Us?
Tag along on an epic road trip across Australia's Big Empty, where the men are men and the women are sometimes charmed, sometimes alarmed, but never, ever bored.
By Sara Corbett

Fall Fashion: Crash Tested
Even after getting hit by cars, tossed through windows, and hurled off skyscrapers, Hollywood's fearless stuntwomen found that modeling the season's hottest sports attire gave them a jolt.
By Sarah Horowitz

Formula for Attraction
Trailblazing dolphin scientist Kathleen Dudzinski is perfectly situated to command the world's attention. Which is precisely what bothers her.
By Tim Cahill

Majoring in Business Administration, with Graduate Studies in the Theory and Practice of Booty Shaking
Through the looking glass and on to Daytona, where vamping Lolitas fly through the air and cheerleading gets curiouser and curiouser.
By Marshall Sella

You, Incorporated
Yearning to bag the day job and transform your play into your work? These women already took the plunge.
By Susan Enfield

D E P A R T M E N T S Out Front: A Guide to All the Action So, you enjoy racing yachts 27,000 miles around the world all by yourself, you never sleep, and you're about to have another go at something that nearly killed you last time. Either you're insane, or you're Isabelle Autissier. Eric Rudolph's alleged bombing of a women's health clinic has landed him smack dab on the FBI's Ten Most Wanted list — but that's as close as the law has gotten. Here are some scenarios that might have helped him slip through the cracks and survive in the backwoods. Heather Fuhr, triathlon's heir apparent, looks to whomp on her best buddy at the Ironman World Championships this fall. Here is what Afghanistan's Taliban fundamentalists propose to women: Sacrifice all freedom of movement, job prospects, education, even fresh air. And in return? Good question. Dung imitates life, and other profound truths of the reemerging eco-art craze. P L U S : Oceanic maven Sylvia Earle smells something fishy, an activist named Butterfly gets cozy with a redwood, Lynn Hill trots the globe one rock at a time, and more. Y E L L O W   P A G E S: Gear: First there was the jog bra. And it was good. Now there's an astonishing range of clothing and equipment-from bikes to boards to jackets to goggles to skis — exquisitely designed to accommodate the female form. And it is very, very good. Behold, the portable crotch funnel! (And other other dubious outdoor innovations for women.) The trusty pocketknife — and the skinning blade, and the ax — show off a whole slew of sharp new tricks. Travel: A gallery of dream adventures that are exotic, seductive, and surprisingly easy to pull off: Fly-fishing in Patagonia, some say, is a "heck of a deal." That's a bit of an understatement. How do you improve on a million acres of pristine Idaho wilderness and raging whitewater? You don't. If there's any amenity nature forgot to give Austria for skiers, not to worry — humans have taken care of it. There's no place quite like the mountains, jungles, and canyons of northern Thailand. Just ask the elephants. Staggering underwater cliffs. Palms clattering in the breeze. La-di-da, another day in Belize. Fitness: At 75, Helen Klein pulls off athletic feats that women a fraction of her age wouldn't dare attempt. Who better than the legendary Jack LaLanne to find out what makes her run? As if being the planet's fastest female marathoner isn't enough, Tegla Loroupe is also among that rare breed: elite athletes whose approach to training isn't completely terrifying. Four-time Olympic gold medal swimmer Amy Van Dyken earned her world-class shoulders and upper back the hard way, but she doesn't mind sharing a few shortcuts. Health: If I only had a titanium-and-polyurethane heart ... or a metal shoulder, or a computerized beak, or any number of prefab body parts the Tin Man never dreamed of. A mother of a workout: how to regain your pre-pregnancy shape after childbirth, and more. Style: A sweet solar sport watch, lingerie you can swim in, vibrant new sunglasses, and select other favorites from our opinionated expert. We've all struggled with that age-old dilemma: Should I ponder the meaning of life — or should I just exfoliate? Now you can do both! XOXO Meet the savage, ill-tempered, no-nonsense femmes terribles of the animal kingdom. You might say they have some unresolved issues with men. Urrpp! From the Editors Contributors

On The Cover: Kasha Rigby, 27, or Crested Butte, Colorado, the best female telemark skier in the known universe. Photographed by Andrew Eccles. Styled by Vicky McGarry. Hair and makeup by Kendra Richards/Cloutier.

Copyright 1998, Outside magazine