The new issue of ESPN The Mag is out, with my feature on 18-year-old motocross champ Ashley Fiolek. I spent time with Ashley and her family at their St. Augustine home in March for the story, which you can check out here. The photos (taken by my friend John Loomis) are really fantastic, and the story looks great. It also gave me a chance to dive into the world of deaf athletes and talk about why there aren't more top athletes like Ashley making noise in the sports world.

Now, on to the next story ...

Just when I think I get to do all the cool participatory journalism, Lindsay goes and one-ups me. But that's okay. This time, she also one-upped a few 18-year-old hockey players who are about to enter this year's draft.

Last week, Lindsay became the first woman ever to take part in the NHL combine. (Not the first female journalist; the first woman. Period.) For the first time, the league opened the combine to three members of the media, and Lindsay was one of the invitees. Check out the video here, on ESPN.com. She did amazingly well as both an athlete and a TV personality. And, she's helping break the overweight-sausage-eating-watches-sports-from-the-press-box-while-wolfing-down-pizza-and-beer sportswriter stereotype.

Way to go, Linz!

Last night, I attended the annual Cedars Sinai Sports Spectacular awards dinner at the Hyatt Regency in Century City. After the Los Angeles NAACP dinner I attended a few weeks back, I have to say I was a bit wary of awards dinners honoring philanthropic sports figures. (Donald Sterling as the NAACP's man of the hour, the night before our mag story on him and his discriminating ways went to print?! Nothing fishy about that.)

But the athletes honored last night—Laila Ali, Ryan Sheckler and Dwyane Wade—have made significant philanthropic contributions and were deserving of having attention brought to the good things they've done over the past year. I did, however, find it a bit premature to present a lifetime achievement award to Ali, who is 31. I also thought it was interesting that Sheckler, an under-21 skateboarder, was honored on the same night as Ali and Wade. Action sports is moving up in the sports world.

The event met with the unfortunate scheduling conflict of going head-to-head with game two of the NBA finals. Snoop Dogg, who was supposed to emcee the dinner, as well as many of the "confirmed athletes," skipped out in order to attend the game. Tom Arnold replaced Snoop as the show's host. (What? Was David Spade busy?) However, about a half hour after the game ended, Snoop showed up and performed on stage with Baron Davis and Chad Ochocinco.

My favorite celeb spotting of the night was not Tito and Jenna or dancing sensation Warren Sapp. It was Leslie David Baker, who plays Stanley Hudson on The Office. I was standing next to him in line for the "Up" escalator when I heard a woman come up to him and say, "My daughter over there says she is a big fan! I have no idea who you are, but you look like a nice man." Classic.

So much happens when you're out of the country on vacation having way too much fun surfing and laughing with a ton of friends at the wedding of the century (my second wedding of the century this year!). (And losing your purse, blackberry, phone, money, credit cards, passport ...) Check out a sample of the fun here.

For instance, our Athlete's Issue hit newsstands last week. I've been working with tennis star Maria Sharapova for many months on several stories. Here, check out my behind-the-reporting story and video. (You might need an ESPN Insider password in order to read the full story. So get one!)

Also, commercials began airing for the latest incarnation of the ABC reality show Superstars, which debuts Tuesday night at 8 p.m. Check out my ESPN.com piece on freeskier Kristi Leskinen, who is competing on the show. And I think she has a pretty great shot to kick some T.O. butt.