Locals fare well at Pole Pedal Paddle

A whole slew of weekend warriors from Sisters took part in the 30th annual U.S. Bank Pole Pedal Paddle in Bend on Saturday — and many of them brought home top prizes.

The event, a fund-raiser for the Mt. Bachelor Ski Education Foundation, draws hundreds of teams and individuals each year who cover a downhill ski run, an eight-kilometer (4.98 miles) nordic section, a 22-mile bike journey from Mount Bachelor to Bend, a five-mile run, a 1.5-mile canoe/kayak “paddle” on the Deschutes River, and a 500-yard dash to the finish near the Les Schwab Amphitheater.

Three local teams made up of 10- to 15-year-olds had particularly stellar performances.

The 12-and-under team “Boys on the Go!” comprised of Trevor Barry, Trevor Ford, Noah Kanzig and Keenan O’Hern captured their age group title in a time of 2 hours, 34 minutes and seven seconds.

Two other groups of youth also came at or near the top. The two teams, both called the Outlaws, competed in the 13-to-15-year-old age group. The squad of Lucas Reitmann, Ben Freeland, Lee Elder, Wesley Ford, Max Quinn, and Parker Bennett won the division in 2:14:16 while the team comprised of middle school students Hayden Wester, Jordan Rudinsky, Zechariah Mickel, and Jeffery Fought finished third, 2:52:16.

Wesley Ford, brother of Trevor and son of Ted Ford, who placed second as an individual in the 40-44 age group in 2:09:23, said it was amazing to watch the elite athletes, especially in the transitions.

“Some of those guys transitioned from Alpine skiing to the Nordic leg in 20 seconds,” he said.

His mother, Madeline, served as the support crew on the mountain for both of her sons and her husband, making it truly a family affair.

A strong contingent of locals competed as individuals and held their own quite well, including Jeff Wester who soloed for the third consecutive year, completing the course in 2:28:44, good enough for 10th place in the 40-44 division.

Greg Zadow was the top local to finish, claiming fourth in the 35-39 age group in 2: 16:49. Less than a minute behind Zadow, in the same age group, came Rob Corrigan, who was soloing for the first time, finishing in 2:17:44 for fifth in the category.

Corrigan said he was surprised at how difficult the downhill skiing made the race.

“You’re 20 minutes in and your quadriceps are already fried,” he said.

Eric Liddell placed 15th in the 30-34 division in 2:40:23.

Mark Reifscheider, who acted as the support crew for Wester last year, also completed the course for the first time as an individual, finishing in 2:42:04.

Wester said, “It’s so great to be on your own and start the day on the slopes of the mountain and a couple of hours later be paddling on the river, all under your own power.”

He was pleased with his finish, especially after having a rough time in last year’s event where he broke a ski pole on the downhill leg and had to use the broken pole during the Nordic section.

“This year was much smoother and more enjoyable,” he said.

Among women, former Outlaws distance running standout Lindsay Chick won the 16-19 female individual title in 2:37:03 and volunteer cross country coach Siobhan Cooper, formerly of Sisters, won the 25-29 female division in 2:24:40.

A group of women called “The Surgigals,” listed as being from Sisters, placed fourth in the 45-49 team division in 3:01:04.

Marcia Tripiano, competing in the 65-69 division, may be the true inspiration for Sisters residents, winning her division in 3:47:44.

Mary Pyke and Vicki Patterson teamed up to win the 55-59 pairs division in 3:16:59.

The excitement of the day brought about plans for more locals to join in the fun next year. “I think I’ll put together a team with my younger daughters or maybe with some friends,” said Lindsay Chick’s mother, Denise. “It looks like a blast.”