From the peddle-pumping action of the Tour de France and the eternal eight-second challenge of Professional Bull Riding to the solitary endurance test of Survivorman and the adrenaline-surge of Man Trackers, OLN presents a daring roster of nine new and 11 returning programs and special events in 2005-2006 that celebrate the great outdoors.

OLN is adding nine new programs and specials to the 2005-2006 schedule, including: Man Trackers, Outdoor Investigations, WPCA Half-Mile of Hell, Fearless, The Long Way Round, Dirt Riders, Countdown, Globe Guides and Nature Brigade.

Eleven viewer favourites return to OLN’s schedule this year, including: Tour de France, Iditarod, Professional Bull Riding Built Ford Tough Series, PBR World Finals, Pro Rodeo Cowboy Association Tour, National Finals Rodeo Championship, Survivorman, The Amazing Race, Pilot Guides, E-Force, Westminster Dog Show, plus the return of IMAX feature films.

Descriptions for both new and returning programs follow below.

OLN goes the distance to bring viewers an inside look at the stamina and sheer will of extreme athletes as Tour de France and the Iditarod return for another season. The Tour de France is the world’s most historic and prestigious elite cycling race, pitting the best riders from around the globe against each other in a battle for the yellow jersey – the definitive achievement in the cycling world.  Follow Lance Armstrong’s last battle for the yellow jersey as OLN features comprehensive race coverage of the 2005 Tour de France, daily from July 2 to 24. 

From cycling the heart-pounding ascents in the French countryside to mushing across the frozen north in the Alaskan Iditarod, OLN tests the limits of human physical and psychological endurance.  In what has been called the "Last Great Race o­n Earth," the historic Iditarod is a tribute to Alaska’s past and the route that served as a life-saving highway for those in need of medical attention starting in the 1920s. The current race, which began in 1973, puts man and beast in some of the roughest, toughest – and most beautiful – terrain Alaska has to offer. Teams comprising of 12 to 16 dogs and their musher must cover over 1,850 kilometres of jagged mountain ranges, frozen rivers, dense forests and vast stretches of windswept coast over a period of 10 to 17 days. With temperatures far below zero, blinding winds, long hours of darkness and treacherous climbs, the Iditarod challenge is not for weekend warriors.

This fall, grab your Stetson and hold o­n tight as OLN saddles up for a new season of programming featuring all things rodeo. The prestigious Professional Bull Riding Built Ford Tough Series returns to OLN this fall, featuring the top 60 bull riders in the world – including the best riders from Canada – as they tangle with hulking, snorting, temperamental bulls weighing as much as 2,200 lbs.  The event culminates with the U.S. $3.2-million PBR World Finals from Las Vegas.  Also returning this season, the Pro Rodeo Cowboy Association Tour includes both the winter and summer series, each featuring 10 Tour stops and the grand finale – the National Finals Rodeo Championship in Las Vegas – with a purse of U.S. $5.2-million.  And new to OLN this fall, WPCA Half-Mile of Hell is a behind-the-scenes reality show featuring the most eccentric characters in the world of Chuckwagon racing. This OLN original series follows riders o­n the World Professional Chuckwagon Association circuit as they prepare for and participate in races across the U.S.  Then, count down the toughest cowboys, raging bulls, ultimate crashes and rodeo women when Dirt Riders joins the OLN lineup.

New to OLN this fall, Man Trackers is an innovative cat-and-mouse reality chase through the Rocky Mountains that sees competitors challenge themselves and the elements while eluding capture. With a o­ne-day head start, two “fugitives” venture into the harsh Canadian wilderness, with two expert “hunters” hot o­n their trail. Employing superior forensic skills, the hunters are given the task of capturing the two self-proclaimed amateur survivalists as they hide in the vast landscape of mountains and forest during a grueling three-day chase where o­nly the toughest survive

OLN profiles exceptional people and places that make life in the great outdoor so compelling in four new series this fall. Fearless is an Emmy-nominated original OLN biography series that profiles people who have pushed the limits, from Libby Riddles, the youngest woman to win the Alaskan Iditarod race; to Peter Hillary as he follows in his father’s footsteps o­n Mt. Everest and great adventures beyond. Then, watch what happens when actors and friends Ewan McGregor (Trainspotting, Star Wars) and Charley Boorman (Deliverance, Excalibur) trade the red carpet for the open road, as they chronicle their four-month transcontinental motorcycle journey in The Long Way Round. o­n a ride that takes them across the world’s longest continuous landmass, over 32,000 kilometres through the Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Mongolia,

China, Siberia, Alaska, Canada and the United States, the pair encounter hardships – including cultural and language barriers – as they pitch tents and attempt to live off the land.  And for a quick look at the top 25 people, places and activities in the great outdoors, Countdown highlights the most dangerous places o­n Earth, worst outdoor jobs, hardest animals to hunt, best survivor moments and craziest rides. Then, join Globe Guides o­n a trip around the world in search of the most exciting and lively festivals, including an inside look at Mardi Gras in New Orleans.

OLN presents two new series that profile the environmental crusaders and investigators that protect the Earth’s most precious resources and solve the mysteries of the wild.  Outdoor Investigations explores some of the greatest outdoor puzzles in North
America. From the dangers of backcountry skiing and the curious disappearance of black bears to environmental mishaps and deadly extreme sports accidents, this series will uncover the truth behind the mysteries. Home to more than 50 per cent of the world’s animal and vegetation species, the Amazon is under attack by thousands of illegal gold prospectors. Nature Brigade follows the quest of modern-day environmental gladiators, as the brigade patrols the six million hectares of tropical rainforest – by foot, by pirogue boat and by helicopter – to track down and root out the perpetrators.

This fall, OLN brings the outdoors inside – in a big way! Get the big-screen experience in the comfort of your living room as OLN presents feature films previously screened in IMAX theatres.  Capturing the breathtaking beauty of the outdoors, extreme sports or an intimate look at wildlife, OLN will showcase over 30 new films in 2005-2006, including: Alaska: Spirit of the Wild; Ring of Fire; Stormchasers; The Magic of Flight and To the Limit.  Also coming this season, OLN presents a number of o­ne-hour specials that illuminate and highlight the wonder of the outdoors, remarkable tales of survival and nature in the wild.  Specials this season include: Killers in the Water, Survival Test, Dangerous Animal Encounters, Gods & Demons, Becoming a Man, Mammoth Hunters and Amazon Games.

OLN’s top-rated show, Survivorman, returns for a second season to entertain and bewilder viewers in this genuine and truly authentic “reality” show.  With no production crew, food, water or supplies except for his own camera equipment, survival expert Les Stroud will brave the harshest locations in Africa, Australia, South America and Indonesia to challenge his survival skills for seven days at a time with no outside contact. Also back for another heart-pounding season, a new edition of The Amazing Race returns to OLN – and this time, there’s a twist: Each team will be comprised of four family members. The families will race around the world for approximately 30 days, competing in a series of mental and physical challenges along the way. The trailing family at each checkpoint is eliminated until the final team wins U.S. $1-million prize.  

Also returning to OLN this fall: hosts and travel guides, Ian Wright and Justine Shapiro return with new locales and globetrotting adventure o­n Pilot Guides; the E-Force team is back to capture the environmental bad guys caught illegally dumping, poaching, or polluting; and the Westminster Dog Show, second-oldest sporting event in the U.S. after the Kentucky Derby, returns to crown a new pooch as “best in show.”