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Sports Magazines – Outdoor Recreation Magazines
Arrivee Magazine
Audax UK Website
Issues 1987 – Present
London, UK: Audax UK
“Audax UK is the foremost long-distance cycling association in the UK, and the biggest in the world. AUK oversees the running of long-distance cycling events, and, using a system of timed checkpoints, validates and records every successful ride.” – Website.
Athlon Football Preview
1979-2021
U.S.: Athlon Sports
American sports. Most issues are college football previews. Also 2015 and 2017 NFL (pro) football previews of particular teams.
Backpacker
Backpacker Magazine Website
1973-2009
U.S.
“Magazine of wilderness travel offering practical “you can do it–here’s how” advice to enjoy every trip. Filled with the best places, gear and information for all kinds of hiking and camping trips with fold-out maps and stunning color photography.” – Backpacker Magazine. Publishes 9 issues per year.
Bicycling
Bicycling Magazine Website
2006-2008
2015-2016
U.S.
“Bicycling magazine inspires cyclists with authoritative recommendations on the latest bikes and gear, the best advice on getting fitter and stronger, and guides to ride the most beautiful roads and trails. Bicycling gives experienced racers and beginning cyclists the practical tips to enjoy the ride of their lives.” -Bicycling Magazine.
Bike
2018-2021
UK: Webify Media
“UK’s leisure cycling and travel magazine. BIKE Magazine is the UK’s worldwide publication for getting out and enjoying your cycling. With specialist features on leisure, touring, sportives, commuting and family cycling we aim to inspire regular riding. We offer product reviews and eBIKE feature. BIKE Magazine covers the whole world of cycling, including enjoying yourself off the bike too. So we do feature cycling book and film reviews, and regularly cover cycling in the arts.”
Black Belt
Black Belt Magazine Website
1979-2004
U.S.
“The world’s leading magazine of martial arts. We cover the entire industry, including MMA and the UFC, reality-based self-defense and traditional martial arts, health and fitness, and movies and television. Black Belt magazine is essential reading for all martial artists no matter which style they study.” – Black Belt Magazine.
Boating Magazines Collections
Collection 1 – 2009-2012
Collection 2 – 1939-1989
Various publishers
These are bundles of magazines concerned with sailing and yachts. Among the titles in Collection 1 are ‘Superyacht International’, ‘ShowBoats International’, ‘Classic Boat’, ‘Classic Yacht’, ‘Yachting’, ‘Power and Motoryacht’.
In Collection 2, titles include: 23 Boats You Can Build, How to Build 20 Boats, Practical Boat Owner, Boat International, Yachts, International, Canoe and Small Boat, Sea and Pacific Motor Boat, and others.
Boys’ Life
Boys’ Life Magazine Website
Boys Life Archives – 1911-2012
New York
Boys Life magazine archives. Published by Boy Scouts of America, this monthly magazine has been the official magazine of the Boy Scouts since 1912. Issues from March, 1911, when the magazine began, up to December 2012 are freely available online at the “Boys’ Life Archives”.
College Football Media Guides
1937-2024
U.S.: Various publishers
U.S. college football. Media guides were produced mostly by colleges for their own football teams. This collection includes many guides for the 2024 upcoming season.
Diving Magazine Collection
1970s-2016
Various Publishers
Wide variety of diving magazines. Titles: Skin Diver, Scuba Diving, Sport Diver, Discover Diving, Divaholic, Scuba.
Hooked Up Magazine
Hooked Up Magazine Website
Issues 2018 – Present
Melbourne, Australia: Hooked Up Magazine
“Hooked Up has a strong focus on fishing and boating products and provides readers with comprehensive information on all the latest releases in the boating and tackle industry and reviews a vast array of products each month. It has a strong focus on the “How To” of fishing with each article focusing on a specific species and technique while providing the reader with a clear, concise and methodical explanation of how to carry out that technique, or fish a specific location.” – Website.
Lindy’s College Football Preview
1988-2021
Alabama: D.M.D. Publications
“America’s leading football authority”.
Men’s Fitness
Men’s Fitness Magazine Website
2015-2016
U.S.: American Media, UK: Dennis
The magazine targeted men ages 21–40 years and featured in-depth articles on fitness, nutrition, and sports, as well as sex tips, fashion advice, interviews, recipes, and surveys.” The U.S. version of the magazine was folded into Men’s Journal in 2017. – Wikipedia.
Mountain Bike
2006-2008
U.S.: Rodale
Mountain Bike magazine was one of several magazines published by Rodale Press, of Emmaus, PA. In 2018 the company was acquired by Crown Publishing Group. Mountain Bike was discontinued at some point.
Muscle & Fitness
Muscle & Fitness Magazine Website
2015-2016
U.S.: JW Media
“An American fitness and bodybuilding magazine founded in 1935 by Canadian entrepreneur Joe Weider.” – Wikipedia.
National Geographic
National Geographic Magazine Website
Magazines 1888-2007 – With Index
Washington DC: National Geographic
““National Geographic Magazine, the flagship magazine of the National Geographic Society, chronicles exploration and adventure, as well as changes that impact life on Earth. Editorial coverage encompasses people and places of the world, with an emphasis on human involvement in a changing universe. Major topics include culture, nature, geography, ecology, science and technology.” – National Geographic.
OK Dinghy International Magazine
OK Dinghy International Association Website
Issues 2015 – Present
Ipswich, UK: OK Dinghy International Association
“The OK Dinghy International Association (OKDIA) is the world organization for the OK-Dinghy class. The OK Dinghy is a 4m long single-handed sailing racing dinghy.” – Website.
Outdoor Life Magazine
1898-1925 at Internet Archive (Black & White)
Denver, Colorado: Bonnier
Launched in 1898 in Denver, founder J.A. McGuire intended the magazine for ‘outdoorsmen’, which was generally understood then as men who enjoyed hunting and fishing.
Outing. An Illustrated Monthly Magazine of Recreation
Vol 3 (1883) – Vol 82 (1923)
Boston
A late 19th- and early 20th-century American magazine covering a variety of sporting activities. It began publication in 1882 as the Wheelman “an illustrated magazine of cycling literature and news” and had four title changes before ceasing publication in 1923. It was initially published for bicycling enthusiasts by the owner of the Pope Co., a bicycle manufacturer, but soon broadened its subject matter. -from info in Wikipedia.
The Paddler Magazine
The Paddler Magazine Website
Issues 2013 – Present
St Ives, UK: Paddler Magazine
“The International magazine for recreational paddlers. The best for ww kayaking, sea kayaking, expedition kayaking, canoeing, open canoeing, SUP and rafting. Published in partnership with British Canoeing.” – Publisher.
PropTalk Magazine
PropTalk Website
Issues 2014 – Present
Annapolis, Maryland: Spinsheet
“PropTalk Magazine celebrates the people, places, boats, personalities, and events that make the Chesapeake Bay waters of Maryland, Virginia, and Washington D.C. one of the world’s premier boating grounds.” – Website.
Recreation
1894-1965
New York: National Recreation Association
“The Magazine of the Recreation Movement”. The magazine of the National Recreation Association, which seems to have been aimed at all organizations that sponsored recreational activities; i.e. park administrators, schools, churches, etc.
Rowing News
Rowing News Magazine Website
1994-2008
Ontario, Canada: Independent Rowing News
“Since 1994, Rowing News magazine has served the North American rowing community with news, results, features, training tips, and compelling images. Our award-winning print magazine, app (FREE) in the Apple App Store, website, and other services deliver comprehensive and original content to the rapidly-expanding rowing market.” – Publisher.
Runner’s World
Runner’s World Current Digital Issue
2015-2016
2006-2008
Hearst
“The essential guide for everyone who runs – men and women, from beginners to hard-core marathoners. The authority in the running community, Runner’s World inspires you to run faster and farther and have more fun doing it!” – Runner’s World Magazine.
Running Times
2006-2008
U.S.: Rodale Inc
“Running Times magazine is one of the leading running magazines on the market. Dedicated to providing the active runner with the knowledge they need to reach their goals, this magazine goes far beyond the basics. Its in-depth articles and columns will educate even the most experienced runner. Not only does it cover the action, it also covers the terrain, with reports on the best trails and destinations for runners of every experience level. ” – Publisher. Running Times magazine was launched in 1977 and was published until 2016.
Scouting
Scouting Magazine Website
1971-2008
U.S.: Boy Scouts of America
“Scouting magazine is the official resource for adult leaders and volunteers of Cub Scouts, Scouts BSA, and Venturers in the Boy Scouts of America.” – Publisher.
Scuba Diver Australia & New Zealand Magazine
Scuba Diver Magazine Website
Issues 2017 – Present
Paddington, QLD, Australia: Rork Media ANZ
“Scuba Diver is a lavishly illustrated, independent diving title available in print and digitally that features unbiased and comprehensive equipment reviews, reports on local diving to the far-flung reaches of the planet, hints and advice on how to improve your diving skills, up-to-the-minute news from the diving industry globally, and dedicated sections on technical diving, freediving and underwater photography.” – Publisher.
Skiing Heritage Journal
Skiing Heritage Magazine Website
1989-2011
U.S.: International Skiing History Association
“Skiing Heritage journal is a quarterly Journal of original, entertaining, and informative feature articles on skiing history. Published by the International Skiing History Association, its contents support ISHA’s mission “to preserve skiing history and to increase awareness of the sport’s heritage.” – Publisher. The journal continues to be published today, after a name change in 2013 to ‘Skiing History Magazine’.
Snow Country
1988-1998
U.S.
“In the 87 issues of Snow Country magazine published between 1988 and 1999, the reader can find the defining coverage of mountain resorts, ski technique and equipment, racing, cross-country touring, and the growing sport of snowboarding during a period of radical change. The award-winning magazine of mountain sports and living tracks the environmental impact of ski area development, and people moving to the mountains to work and live.” – Snow Country Magazine.
Spinsheet: Chesapeake Bay Sailing
Spinsheet Magazine Website
Issues 2014 – Present
Annapolis, Maryland: Spinsheet
“Written by sailors for sailors. Our sailing coverage goes “deep” rather than “wide,” and we use this platform to celebrate the people, places, boats, personalities, and events that make the Chesapeake one of the world’s premier sailing grounds.” – Website.
Sport Magazine
1949-1996
California: Petersen Publishing
Covers many U.S. sports, but seems to focus mostly on professional sports.
The Sporting Life
1883-1916
Philadelphia
An American weekly newspaper, published from 1883 to 1917 and from 1922 to 1924, that provided national coverage on sports, with particular emphasis on baseball. The publisher hired correspondents to report from locales across the U.S., and by 1890 it had the largest circulation of any sporting newspaper in the country. – from information in Wikipedia.
Sports Illustrated – Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated Magazine Website
1954-1983 at Internet Archive
New York
“Sports Illustrated PDF is one of the leading sports magazines in the world. Every issue features a wide range of sports-related articles and photographs, including columns written by the leading sports analysts and announcers.” – Sports Illustrated Magazine.
The first link, at the Sports Illustrated magazine online free archives, appears to have the text of all articles from past issues, but not images. The second link, at Internet Archive, has images of complete issues.
Sports Illustrated Special Issues
1957-2021
New York: Maven Media Brands
Sports Illustrated Swimsuit issues, College Football Previews, Pro Football (NFL) Previews, other special issues.
Street & Smith’s Football Preview
1933-2019
U.S.: Street & Smith
U.S. pro and major college sports. Most issues here are Street & Smith’s annual college football previews, pro football previews, basketball and baseball yearbooks, from 1948 to 2007.
Texas Coach Magazine
Texas Coach Website
Issues 2017 – Present
San Marcos, Texas: Texas High School Coaches Association
The magazine provides information from the Texas High School Coaches Association to members, and contains articles of interest for coaches in a wide range of sports.
Women’s Fitness
2015-2016
UK, Australia
These issues of Women’s Fitness magazine are mostly from the UK and Australia and were published by or under license of Dennis Publishing in the UK. The magazine appears to have originated with American Media Co. in the U.S., which also created Men’s Fitness Magazine.
Wrestling Magazine Collection
1955-2024
Various Publishers
More than 1,200 issues of wrestling magazines, many titles. Most are from 1961-2006.
More Sports Magazines
American Fencing 1949-1961 (Black & White)
Athletic Journal 1921-1944 (Black & White)
Coach and Athlete 1938-1961 (Black & White)
Track and Field News 1948-1961 (Black & White)
Websites of More Sports & Outdoors Magazines
Free online versions of these sports and outdoors magazines are not available, but their websites feature articles of interest.
Alpinist
Climbing
Gripped: the climbing magazine
Mud & Obstacle
ESPN
Hang Gliding and Paragliding
Surfer
Thrasher
Snowboarder
Triathlete
UltraRunning
Trail Runner
WakeBoarding
Coach and Athletic Director
Referee: Magazine of sports officiating
American Fencing
Cross Country Skier: The Journal of Nordic Skiing
Golf Digest
Handball
The Hockey News
Hockey Player Magazine
International Figure Skating
International Gymnast
Runner’s World
Women’s Running
Scuba Diving
Soccer America
Ski
Tennis
Track & Field News
Volleyball mag.com
USA Water Ski & Wake Sports
Wrestling USA
Collection on Historical Bicycling
132 Items; 1869-1971
A free online collection compiled by a researcher at HathiTrust has books and journals about the beginnings of Bicycles and Cycling.
Related Pages on Century Past
These Century Past Pages May Be of Interest
Books about Recreation and Outdoor Activities