The Story Behind California’s Independent Outdoor Magazine
From a Yosemite climbing trip to 25 years of storytelling, stewardship and community.
Twenty-five years ago, after a climbing trip in Yosemite that didn’t go as planned, Matt pitched an idea to me: start a California magazine focused not just on climbing, but on the growing crossover between outdoor sports.
Climbers were surfing on weekends. Mountain bikers were learning to kayak. Trail runners were heading into the mountains. No publication was telling the broader story of California’s human-powered outdoor community.
There were no investors. No business plan.
At the time, I was teaching second grade while Matt was running a tree business.
In our free time, we were immersed in California’s outdoors, and we believed there should be a magazine where people could discover new adventures, learn from one another, and develop a deeper connection to the places they explored.
One of the first people to believe in that vision was Christa Fraser. A journalist at a local weekly newspaper, she became a founding partner and helped launch the very first issue of Adventure Sports Journal. She brought newsroom instincts, momentum and clarity to our scrappy startup. Without Christa, that first issue might never have made it to press.
When ASJ launched in March 2001, publishing looked very different. Print magazines dominated. Social media didn’t exist. Smartphones were years away. Since then, the media landscape has transformed in ways none of us could have imagined.
Through it all, Adventure Sports Journal has remained something much simpler: a small, independent, community-powered publication.
Along the way, Pete Gauvin joined as a partner during some demanding years and helped carry the growing workload. Writers trusted us with their stories. Photographers shared their vision. Advertisers believed in what we were building. Distributors carried bundles of magazines up and down California. Readers picked up copies, took them home, and kept coming back.
We’ve faced challenges, adapted to changing times and made difficult decisions, but one belief has never changed:
Stories about human-powered adventure, environmental stewardship and connection to place still matter.
The real story of Adventure Sports Journal has always been the community behind it. With their support, we hope ASJ will continue for another twenty-five years—and beyond.
2001–2006: The Scrappy Beginning
World + Culture
- Post-9/11 uncertainty reshapes travel, risk and the national mood.
- Print dominates while social media has yet to arrive.
- Outdoor sports remain niche—not yet lifestyle branding.
Adventure Sports Journal launched in March 2001, when things still felt open and optimistic. Print ruled, and we learned the mechanics of publishing in real time—writing stories, designing layouts, selling ads and somehow making deadlines.
None of us had ever started a magazine before.
We learned issue by issue.
Just months after our launch, 9/11 changed the national mood and the sense of what was certain. Even then, we remained optimistic about ASJ’s future and continued building relationships with contributors eager to tell California’s outdoor stories.
Krista Hammond (now Krista Houghton) covered surfing and the water world. Seth Lightcap became our backcountry voice on skis and bikes. Haven Livingston expanded our climbing and whitewater coverage. Tim Hauserman explored cross-country skiing and backpacking, while Matt Johanson began writing about the Sierra and Yosemite.
Behind the scenes, life was accelerating. During much of those first five years, I was pregnant, welcoming our three children into the world while new issues rolled off the press. Matt transitioned from self-employed arborist to PG&E lineman, providing steady income and benefits while the magazine slowly found its audience.
In 2006, Pete Gauvin joined the team, helping carry the workload as ASJ moved beyond its startup years.
We distributed magazines from aging Volvos—loading stacks into the back seat, recruiting family and friends, and convincing retailers one handshake at a time that our little magazine deserved a place on their shelves.
2007–2011: Finding Our Voice
World + Culture
- The Great Recession tested small business and independent print.
- Facebook goes mainstream as smartphones change how people consume media.
- Outdoor culture begins shifting from niche to mainstream.
By 2007, Adventure Sports Journal had found its editorial footing.
We added gifted writers and photographers, including Bruce Willey, and were honored to publish work from legendary climber and writer Doug Robinson. We launched our first Green Issue and committed ourselves to environmental reporting alongside adventure storytelling.
At the same time, we discovered that one of our greatest strengths wasn’t just covering events—it was showing up.
Our growing “Roadshow” brought us face-to-face with readers across California in parking lots, expo booths and post-race gatherings.
At Sea Otter Classic, Rebecca Rusch appeared on her first magazine cover and signed copies for readers lined up to meet her.
Years later we realized ASJ had also introduced readers to Kevin Jorgeson long before the Dawn Wall, and in 2009 featured a quietly driven 23-year-old named Alex Honnold—years before the world knew his name.
We weren’t just covering athletes. We were documenting the evolution of California outdoor culture.
In 2010 we introduced the phrase Earn Your Beer, celebrating the sweat, grit and joy of human-powered adventure. The recession challenged independent publishing, but it also clarified who we were: a regional magazine with a distinctive voice, loyal readers and a commitment to authentic storytelling.
2012–2016: Expanding the Conversation
World + Culture
- Instagram reshapes visual storytelling.
- Digital pressure intensifies for independent print.
- Climate and public lands become central outdoor conversations.
Despite growing pressure to move online, ASJ remained rooted in print and face-to-face community.
Around this time we met Michele Lamelin at the Santa Cruz Mountain Bike Festival. She became our longtime copy editor, helping polish every issue before it went to press.
This era also welcomed three writers whose voices continue to shape ASJ today: Leonie Sherman brought thoughtful reporting on stewardship and land ethics; Chris Van Leuven documented Yosemite’s climbing history and culture; and Kurt Gensheimer expanded our mountain bike coverage through his work with Sierra Buttes Trail Stewardship and the California Enduro Series.
Together, they helped deepen our editorial voice during a rapidly changing media landscape.
2017–2021: Resilience and Reinvention
World + Culture
- Outdoor recreation becomes mainstream.
- Social media dominates attention while print publications disappear.
- COVID-19 and the national conversation on equity reshape outdoor culture.
By 2017, responsibility for ASJ rested squarely with Matt and me. Christa Fraser had moved on to teach writing at UC Merced, and Pete Gauvin had stepped away to focus on family.
Fortunately, Michele introduced us to Jen Stein, whose careful editing, fact-checking and production work became invaluable.
Then came two milestones that could not have been more different.
Issue #100 reminded us how far we’d come.
The pandemic reminded us just how fragile independent publishing could be.
Events disappeared. Distribution stopped almost overnight. We reduced publication from six issues each year to four.
While many print magazines folded or consolidated, we kept printing.
During this same period, the murder of George Floyd sparked important conversations about representation, equity and access within the outdoor community. Those conversations challenged us to listen, learn and broaden our editorial perspective.
To help ensure the magazine’s future, we launched our Reader Membership program.
2022–2026: Rooted in Community
World + Culture
- The outdoor boom settles into a new normal.
- Algorithms increasingly shape attention and advertising.
- Independent print depends more than ever on community support.
As the world adjusted after COVID, so did Adventure Sports Journal.
Print was no longer the default—it became a deliberate choice.
As advertising increasingly shifted toward digital platforms, we leaned into what has always made ASJ different: regional storytelling, independent journalism and a print publication readers return to.
New contributors, including Anthea Raymond and Marissa Neely, brought fresh voices and expanded our coverage of whitewater, sailing and California adventure.
We also learned that journalism sometimes leads to action. After Matt learned about the long-running sundown siren in Minden, Nevada, he helped launch Riders Against Racism—a community effort that eventually contributed to the siren being turned off after decades of advocacy.
Today, ASJ continues because of an extraordinary community of contributors, advertisers, distributors and readers who believe California’s outdoor stories deserve to be told.
The next twenty-five years won’t be built by algorithms.
They’ll be built by people.
Looking Ahead
Twenty-five years ago, we simply hoped someone would pick up the magazine.
Today, after twenty-five years of stories, friendships and adventures, we’re still guided by the same belief that inspired our very first issue: that authentic storytelling, environmental stewardship and community matter.
Thank you for coming along for the ride.
Continue Reading
Voices from the ASJ Community
Stay tuned for reflections from Christa Fraser, Doug Robinson, Pete Gauvin, Leonie Sherman, Chris Van Leuven, Kurt Gensheimer and many more as they share what Adventure Sports Journal has meant to them over the past twenty-five years.
Help Shape ASJ’s Next Chapter
As Adventure Sports Journal celebrates 25 years, we’re exploring partnerships and possibilities for the future. If you’re passionate about California’s outdoors, publishing, journalism or community building, we’d love to connect.
Let’s start a conversation, send an email here.
