Central Park

New Yorkers Paddle, Climb And Play At Adventures NYC 2009

On Saturday, Parks Commissioner Adrian Benepe, Backpacker Magazine Publisher Kent Ebersole, Victorinox Swiss Army President Rick Taggart and thousands of New Yorkers took to the great outdoors at the 5th Annual Adventures NYC, a one-day event in Central Park that creates the largest FREE outdoor sports playground in the City.

“Adventures NYC wraps up a great summer with a final stay-cation in the heart of Manhattan. New Yorkers of all ages can visit Central Park to try fishing, kayaking, rock-climbing, obstacle courses and more,” said Commissioner Benepe. “Thanks to Backpacker Magazine, Victorinox Swiss Army and our other generous sponsors, Adventures NYC brought these great activities to the Big Apple for free!”

The country’s most renowned chefs faced off at the Victorinox Swiss Army Culinary Cooking Challenge as to test their campfire cooking skills. Chef Tim Love (The Love Shack, Lonesome Dove Western Bistro in Ft. Worth, TX), Chef Melissa Perello (upcoming Frances in San Francisco), and Top Chef Alum Lee Ann Wong (Season 1) were allowed to use the bare minimum: camping stoves, a cutting board, Victorinox Swiss Army cutlery and The Angler tool. New York City’s Eleven Madison Chef Daniel Humm, Backpacker Magazine Gear Editor Kristin Hostetter were among the judges.

The Skyriders returned for another year with some high-flying trampoline stunts and the Stomp-inspired Streetbeats Group performed live. The NYC Department of Transportation gave away free bicycle helmets. New Yorkers brought their reusable water bottles to refill with award-winning NYC water thanks to the NYC Department of Environmental Protection.

Adventures NYC is presented by Victorinox Swiss Army and sponsored by Backpacker Magazine, Eastern Mountain Sports, Honest Tea, New York Family Sports, Yoga Journal, Tent & Trails, Cabot, 98.7 KISS, Soy Joy, Princeton Tec, Powerade, Gibbon-Slacklines, 101.9 WQXR, Wilderness Systems, NYC Department of Transportation, Wales Tourism, Upstate PA and JetBlue Airways.

Adventures can continue in your neighborhood parks in all five boroughs throughout the entire year. New Yorkers can rock climb at the North Meadow Recreation Center in Manhattan or at the Alley Pond Adventure Course in Queens. The Urban Park Rangers run numerous fishing, hiking and kayaking in seasonal programs. Parks offer mountain biking trails, more than 100 miles of cycling paths, skate parks and more. To find an adventure near you, please visit www.nyc.gov/parks or call 311.

Know Before You Go

Harlem Meer Center (formerly Lasker Rink)

Harlem Meer Center