Place Name: First Place Contestant Name: The Atavist Magazine Entry Title: The Longest Journey Entry Credit: Cassidy Randall Judge Comment: This is a story with depth. The author uses the bones of a travel story — Point A to Point B — to explore a Canadian alpinist’s demons. That journey is less predictable and more complex than the first-ever crossing of the Coast Range. This is an impeccably reported piece into the life of the protagonist and the people who intersect with her. Along the way, we experience jaw-dropping moments on skis and in mountains too difficult for an average person to contemplate.
Place Name: Second Place Contestant Name: Benjamin Polley Entry Title: They were lost in the wild and on the verge of death. This is how they survived. Entry Credit: Benjamin Polley Judge Comment: This story begins with the author groping in the darkness in the Rockies: “I am lost, no one knows I am here, and I am freezing. I can’t relax.” But it moves from the author to the experiences of other, often experienced hikers who end up in search and rescue situations. The story is structured around textbook reasons for walks gone bad, but each section’s strength comes from the stories of people facing hardships. Action verbs abound
Place Name: Third Place Contestant Name: Stephen Casimiro Entry Title: Buried Treasure: A vast network of recently discovered and newly explored caves is pushing the frontiers of the Grand Canyon—and science Entry Credit: Stephen Eginoire Judge Comment: This piece combines personal experience — rappelling, clambering, slithering and other assorted ways to kill yourself — with the Star Trekkian awe of unexplored frontiers beneath the ground. It relies on the journey, but along the way are well-reported facts about a cave system with hidden archeological treasures. The author does a great job answering the questions that can be answered and leaving us to wonder about what’s next. The ender is otherworldly.
Place Name: Honorable Mention Contestant Name: Kathleen Rellihan Entry Title: Can Tandem BASE Jumping Be a Powerful Form of Therapy? Entry Credit: Maya Silver Judge Comment: Why do people jump off mountains? The author explores the motivations of jumpers from the perspective of the guides who are strapped to their clients. The reader gets more than “bucket list” scenarios. Instead, we see people using an adventure to help them cope with life-altering situations. The story stands out for the number of experiences we learn about as jumpers glide to the earth.
/First_Place_The_Atavist_Magazine_1/Attachment_02.png)
