Place Name: First Place Contestant Name: Caroline Van Hemert Entry Title: Navigating orca alley: One family's journey among rudder-bashing whales Entry Credit: Caroline Van Hemert Judge Comment: This gripping entry begins with eight active verbs in five crisp sentences. That puts readers on the edge of their seats, and, for the most part, leaves them there as the author and her family navigate the orca-filled waters of the Atlantic. It’s a sailor’s tale, filled with ambivalence and mystery. It’s also impeccably reported, even though the “why” of orcas ramming sailboats remains elusive to scientists. The six-word final sentence is worth the journey.
Place Name: Second Place Contestant Name: Justin Fornal Entry Title: Cold Water Plunge Entry Credit: Justin Fornal Judge Comment: You might imagine a story about an Arctic swim between two countries would begin with, well, something wet. But this piece begins and ends in the air, the scariest part of the whole adventure, in the view of the author. The writing is distinctive in its observational detail – even when the observer is hallucinating. There are “gold coins” placed along the way, particularly at the ends of paragraphs and sections. The author describes the wonder and the worry of the journey.
Place Name: Third Place Contestant Name: Bill Donahue Entry Title: Riding High Entry Credit: Bill Donahue Judge Comment: Zig when others zag. The common thread in endurance travel stories is about suffering and passing through the pain. Instead, the theme of this story: “Is it really possible to bike the globe in a cocoon of good vibes?” It’s a refreshingly different take with an incredible athlete who relishes the journey as much as the achievement. It’s also a love story. And, yes, there are hurdles to overcome. (Bicycling 11 hours with food poisoning? No thanks.) The ending is simple and human.
Place Name: Honorable Mention Contestant Name: Bill Donahue Entry Title: Unlock The Secret of Cycling's Super Agers Entry Credit: Bill Donahue Judge Comment: A one-day bicycle ride or the search for existential questions of aging? This story is both. The author found a central question that expands beyond a single event and explored it with his own insights as well as some of the participants. Along the way, he discovers a glimpse of the soul of the Swedish people, and the characters are three-dimensional. Quotes are used sparingly and well. Contextual research is interspersed throughout.
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