The good folks over at WebCyclery have sent along details for next month's upcoming Cascade Chainbreaker mountain bike race:

WebCyclery will again be the sole sponsor/promoter of the 13th Annual Cascade Chainbreaker Mountain Bike Race, which will be held in Bend on Sunday, May 9, 2010.  The Chainbreaker, which features cross-country racing for riders of various skill levels, typically attracts more than 300 mountain bikers from Oregon, Idaho, Washington and Northern California.  It will be one of the largest mountain bike races in Oregon this year and it will allow riders to experience some of Bend's best springtime riding.  The course is laid out on private timberland west of Bend owned by Fidelity National Timber. The Deschutes Land Trust is working to purchase this property and create a community forest so that it remains publicly accessible while still being protected from development.  Access to the race and pre-ride is provided through the cooperation of Fidelity National Timber and the Deschutes Land Trust and will allow contestants to experience some of the rustic remains of early 1900's logging camps and tremendous Central Oregon scenery and terrain.  More information on the race can be found at http://www.webcyclery.com/pages.php?pageid=55

Competitors can register online before May 4th for $27 + $1 service charge for non-beginners, $20 for adult beginners + $1 service charge, and $10 for Juniors 18 & under + $1 service charge. Tandem teams are $37 + $1 service charge for online registration.  After May 4th, on-line registration is $32 + $1 service charge. The day of the race it's $37.  Packet pickup will be Saturday, May 8th at WebCyclery (550 SW Industrial Way, Ste 20).

A portion of each registration fee will be donated to the Deschutes Basin Land Trust, whose mission  is to work cooperatively with landowners to conserve land for wildlife, scenic views and local communities.

You might remember that WebCyclery also puts on the Firecracker 100 ride on the 4th of July.

Coming up this Saturday the 20th is the next Renegade Rollergirls bout; the press release came today. Here are the details:

WHAT: March 20th, 2010 Will host another no holds-barred roller derby bout in Bend! Oregon Renegade Roller Derby; Bend's only non-profit Roller Derby League, will hold their third bout of their 4th season at Midtown Music Hall, located on Greenwood Ave. The Renegades will be competing in a bouting event including guest skaters from Washington and Oregon. This is a no holds barred bout, full of hardcore skating abilities, wipeouts, bumps, bruises and cat fighting fistfights. This event is sponsored by The Source, 92.7FM, Action Typesetting and Printing, THEM! Marketing, Players Bar and Grill and Midtown Music Hall. Doors open at 7 p.m., action begins at 8 p.m. Admission is $10.00 and kids 10 and younger are free. There will be an after party with at Players on Century Drive. Presale tickets are available at Aspect Board Shop, Mum’s Tattoos or from your favorite rollergirl. Tickets are also available for purchase at the door beginning at 2pm the day of the event.

WHEN: March 20, 2010. Doors open at 7 p.m., actions starts at 8 p.m. $10 for general admission, 10 and under are free. Presale tickets are available at Aspect Board Shop, Mum’s Tattoos or from your favorite rollergirl. Tickets are also available for purchase at the door beginning at 2pm the day of the event.

WHERE: The event will be played at Midtown Music Hall, located at 51 NW Greenwood Ave, downtown Bend, Oregon. After party to follow at Players located at 25 SW Century Drive, Bend, Oregon.

Haven't seen news from the Renegade Rollergirls for awhile; nice to know they're still going strong.

WHAT: January 30th, 2010 Will host another co-ed no holds-barred roller derby bout in Bend! Oregon Renegade Roller Derby; Bend's only non-profit Roller Derby League, will hold their second bout of their 4th season at Midtown Music Hall, located on Greenwood Ave. The Renegades will be competing in a co-ed bouting event including guest skaters from Washington and Portland. This is a no holds barred bout, full of hardcore skating abilities, wipeouts, bumps, bruises and cat fighting fistfights. This event is sponsored by The Source, 92.7FM, Action Typesetting and Printing, THEM! Marketing, Players Bar and Midtown Music Hall. Doors open at 7 p.m., action begins at 8 p.m. Admission is $10.00 and kids 10 and younger are free. There will be an after party with live music from Yenn at Players on Century Drive. Presale tickets are available at Aspect Board Shop, Riverside Market, Mum’s Tattoos or from your favorite rollergirl. Tickets are also available for purchase at the door beginning at 2pm the day of the event.

WHEN: January 30, 2010. Doors open at 7 p.m., actions starts at 8 p.m. $10 for general admission, 10 and under are free. Presale tickets are available at Aspect Board Shop, Riverside Market, Mum’s Tattoos or from your favorite rollergirl. Tickets are also available for purchase at the door beginning at 2pm the day of the event.

WHERE: The event will be played at Midtown Music Hall, located at 51 NW Greenwood Ave, downtown Bend, Oregon. After party to follow at Players located at 25 SW Century Drive, Bend, Oregon.

The organizers of the Crescent Lake Challenge sent in this info about this up-and-coming cross-country ski race:

On Sunday Jan 17 my wife Cary and I are hosting the Crescent Lake Challenge inaugural xc ski race. We hope that it will grow over time and that part of the proceeds (once profitable) can be donated to High School xc skiing. If you are a HS team member you can enter for free. If you are a parent or would like to support the effort you can join the 22 kilometer (13.5 miles) race at www.crescentlakechallenge.com or volunteer by sending me a e mail or calling me at 541-345-9623 work, or 345-2180 home. Sign ups are starting to come in and we've sent posters to about 120 ski shops around the Northwest. It starts at the Crescent Lake snow park and ends right at Crescent Lake Resort. We'd love any help or support that can be offered. Trails will be groomed for freestyle, all abilities welcome.

Capsule details: it takes place Sunday, January 15th at 10am, and you can register in advance on their website up through the 14th for $35; after that, you can register at the race itself for $45.

You can't go anywhere without hearing about the OSU-UO Civil War tonight, and if you're looking for a place to watch the game tonight, McMenamins is showing the game on their big screen (the theater).

Doors will open at 4:30 while the game kicks off at 6. Admission is free (though you can buy food and drinks, of course—and what would football be without beer?), and minors are welcome with a parent.

I was wondering when roller derby started back up: for the Renegade Rollergirls, it's Saturday, November 21st. It's their season opener.

Oregon Renegade Roller Derby; Bend's only non-profit Roller Derby League, will hold their first bout of their 4th season at Midtown Music Hall, located on Greenwood Ave. The Renegades will be competing in a co-ed bouting event including guest skaters from Medford and Salem. This is a no holds barred bout, full of hardcore skating abilities, wipeouts, bumps, bruises and cat fighting fistfights. This event is sponsored by The Source, 92.7FM, Action Typesetting and Printing, THEM! Marketing, Players Bar and Midtown Music Hall. Doors open at 6 p.m., action begins at 7 p.m. Admission is $10.00 and kids 10 and under are free. There will be an after party with live music at Players on Century Drive. Presale tickets are available at Aspect Board Shop, or from your favorite rollergirl. Tickets are also available for purchased at the door beginning at 2pm the day of the event.

If you've never been to a bout, it's definitely an experience worth seeking out at least once. Only $10!

Not that I've attended in past years, but I completely missed the Pole Pedal Paddle this year, being out of town. It's one of those big events that I've blogged about in the past, but didn't get to this year—it's one of those events that everyone already knows about.

Congrats to everyone who competed and finished, though! A quick look at the overall results is impressive, with almost a thousand teams (or individuals) finishing in under 5 hours. Wow.

Got the latest press release for the Renegade Rollergirls next bout: The Renegade Rumble on Saturday, May 23rd.

The Renegade Rollergirls; Bend's only non-profit Roller Derby League, will hold their 7th and last bout of their 3rd season at Midtown Music Hall, located on Greenwood Ave. The Renegades will be competing in an co-ed bouting event titled, The Renegade Rumble, including skaters from Medford and Salem. This is a no holds barred bout, full of hardcore skating abilities, wipeouts, bumps, bruises and cat fighting fistfights. This event is sponsored by, Coca Cola, The Source, 92.7FM, Action Typesetting and Printing, THEM! Marketing, Silver Moon Brewery, Long Board Louies, and Midtown Music Hall. Doors open at 7 p.m., Admission is $10.00 and kids 10 and under are free. Presale tickets are available at Riverside Market, Aspect, or from your favorite rollergirl. Tickets are also available for purchased at the door beginning at 2pm the day of the event.

The event will be played at Midtown Music Hall, located at 51 NW Greenwood Ave, downtown Bend, Oregon.

All presell ticket holders will receive a free raffle ticket for the nights raffle prizes.

Here's a neat resource for you baseball fans: an enterprising reader has pulled the entire 2009 Bend Elks game schedule into an online calendar here. Carl says,

I'm planning on buying season tickets to the Bend Elks this season, and I thought I'd share with you an iCalendar file I created with the team's entire 2009 schedule. Anyone can view the calendar, and anyone using iCal, Google Calendar, or another calendar program that supports the .ics format can download or subscribe to it.

I'll see about pulling it into the Hack Bend Calendar, as well. Thanks Carl!

I haven't paid enough attention in the past to see if this has happened before, but this Saturday (the 11th) are two different roller derby bouts—basically both leagues in town have a bout on the same night (different places). Which one to go see?

First up is the Lava City Roller Dolls, whose bout is at the Indoor Sports Center up north:

The Lava City Roller Dolls (LCRD) will be hosting a Home bout with the Smokin Ashes taking on Treasure Valley Roller Girls of Boise, Idaho. The action takes place at The Central Oregon Indoor Sports Center (COISC) on Saturday, April 11th, at 6 p.m. The Ashes are ready to “BURY THE TREASURE OF VICTORY” of those girls from Idaho! Roller Derby fans won’t want to miss a minute of the action!

Saturday, April 11th, 2009 at the Central Oregon Indoor Sports Center located at 20795 High Desert Lane, Bend
Doors open at 5:00 pm. Bout starts promptly at 6:00 p.m.
Advance Tickets for this event will be available on-line at www.brownpapertickets.com.
Price: $10 advanced, $12 at the door, $6 seniors and children under 12, Kids 5 and under get in FREE!

Then, downtown at the Midtown Music Hall, we have the Renegade Rollergirls:

The first co-ed roller derby bout in Bend! The Renegade Rollergirls; Bend's only non-profit Roller Derby League, will hold their 6th bout of their 3rd season at Midtown Music Hall, located on Greenwood Ave. The Renegades all star team will be competing in an co-ed bouting event titled, The Rolling Rodeo, against the Spokane Outlawed Roller Derby travel team. This event will be the first co-ed roller derby bout to be played in Bend.

April 11, 2009. Doors open at 7 p.m., $10 for general admission, 10 and under are free. Presale tickets are available at Riverside Market, Aspect, or from your favorite rollergirl. Tickets are also available for purchased at the door beginning at 2pm the day of the event.

$10 either way, so it sounds like it could be a bit of a toss-up. Though the Renegades are a rougher bunch...

FootZone is organizing the first-ever "Larkspur Lollipop" Kid's Run and 10K coming up April 25th, which sounds like a neat event for a good cause: proceeds from the race are going to Family Access Network (FAN).

April 25th is a Saturday, and the 1.2-mile Kid's Fun Run will start at 8:45am, with the 10K road race beginning at 9, both starting from Larkspur Park. Larkspur is the big park next to the Bend Senior Center on Reed Market.

If you're interested in participating, download the PDF entry form from their website. Sign up by April 16th and fees are $10 for kids and $15 for adults; after that it's $15 and $20, respectively.

The Renegade Rollergirls events I blogged about last week has been canceled. It was the bout scheduled for this Saturday, the 21st.

No word on if it will be rescheduled, or if they'll just pick up again next month.

The next Renegade Rollergirls bout is coming up on Saturday, March 21st, and fittingly it's leprechaun themed.

The Renegades will be competing in a St Patrick’s Day themed event with two local Renegade teams in a no holds barred bout, full of hardcore skating abilities, wipeouts, bumps, bruises and cat fighting fistfights. Doors open at 7 p.m., Admission is $10.00 and kids 10 and under are free. Presale tickets are available at Riverside Market, Aspect, or from your favorite rollergirl. Tickets are also available for purchased at the door beginning at 2pm the day of the event.

And, there will be a special halftime promo; members of the audience are encouraged to participate in "games, races, photos as a roller derby player and more." Participants will receive a prize.

It's all taking place at the Midtown Music Hall, downtown at 51 NW Greenwood.

Coming up this Saturday, February 21st, the Renegade Rollergirls are having their "Heartbreakers Ball" at the Midtown Music Hall, featuring "two local Renegade teams in a no holds barred bout, full of hardcore skating abilities, wipeouts, bumps, bruises and cat fighting fistfights."

Doors open at 7 p.m., $10 for general admission, 5 and under are free. Presale tickets are available at Riverside Market, Aspect, or from your favorite rollergirl. Tickets are also available for purchased at the door beginning at 2pm the day of the event.

They are also having a special promo: the first 25 people in the door in formal wear (it is a Ball, after all) will receive a limited edition signed poster for free.

If you've never been to a rollerderby bout, my review from a couple of years ago will help give you an idea of what to expect. In fact, I expect it will probably be wilder than what I wrote about.

I saw a blurb about this during the news tonight and you know I had to blog about it: the Harlem Globetrotters are going to be at the Deschutes County Fairgrounds on February 24th as part of their 2009 World Tour(!).

Ticket prices are ranging from $16 to $61 and they are available from Ticketmaster online, or through one of our local outlets: the Ticket Mill in the Old Mill District, Joe's up north, and the Expo Center itself.

I bet that's going to be a really fun show.

WHAT: February 27-28, 2009. The Renegade Rollergirls; Bend's only non-profit Roller Derby League, will be participating in the 2009 Oregon Sports and Fitness Expo February 27 and 28, 2009 presented by National Fitness and Desert Brawl, at the Deschutes County Expo Center, 3800 SW Airport Way in Redmond, Oregon.

The Renegade Rollergirls will be performing a 30-minute expo scrimmage “Rumble in Redmond” on Friday night at 7:00 P.M. During the Sports and Fitness Expo the Renegade Rollergirls will have season schedule information, membership information and merchandise for distribution. Admission is FREE for this all ages event.

WHEN: February Friday 27, 2009 at 7:00 P.M “Rumble in Redmond Roller Derby expo and Saturday 28, 2009 skating and information.

WHERE: The event will be held at Deschutes County expo Center, 3800 SW Airport Way in Redmond Oregon.

ABOUT: “The Only No Holds Barred Derby In The World”
The Renegade Rollergirls of Oregon are one of the many Renegade roller derby leagues nationwide. Renegade leagues are legendary in the revival of the sport for being the only roller derby organization that competes on banked track and flat track surfaces, with an extreme no holds barred game play. The Central Oregon chapter of the Renegade Rollergirls is comprised of an eclectic group of ambitious and athletic women with a unified goal of providing heart pounding, fast paced, and aggressive roller derby entertainment to our fans, while promoting physical fitness and healthy lifestyles. Renegades have been featured locally in print, radio, and television media, as well as nationally with ESPN, MTV, A&E, and Blood and Thunder, a national roller derby magazine.

Our bouting season runs September- May wherein we will compete locally and nationally in Oregon, Arizona, Washington, California, and Nevada. During our off season our focus is recruitment, community activism through fundraising and volunteer work, and educating children and adults about the benefits of exercise and healthy lifestyles.

It's been awhile since I blogged about rollerderby, but the sport is alive and well in Central Oregon. Saturday, November 22nd, the Renegade Rollergirls have a bout at the Midtown Music Hall:

The 3rd game of the season. Radar Lovers vs. The Skull Rollers. November 22nd at the Midtown. Doors at 7, Action starts at 8. $10 tickets available at Aspect Board Shop, Riverside Market or your favorite Renegade. Kids 10 and under are now free so bring your entire family! Afterparty at the happening new club "Seven" downtown Bend.

$10 seems cheaper than I remember.

Melanie from Cog Wild sent this along today:

Mountain bike camp for kids - two sessions this fall September 8-25 September 29-October 16 Ages 8-14 Choose either Monday & Wednesday or Tuesday & Thursday Each session three weeks long, two afternoons a week from 4-6pm Camp starts and ends at Pine Mountain Sports, 255 SW Century Dr. in Bend Price - read below

This past Spring was the first Cog Wild Mountain Bike Kids Camp. Not trying to compete with MBSEF's very popular camp aimed at teaching kids how to prepare for racing, Cog Wild's camp focuses on just having fun through mountain biking while teaching riding skills and confidence.

Our camp was a huge success with rave reviews from the parents. We heard everything from "our kids now take us for a ride and show us their favorite trails", "our son spent all summer on his bike with his newly acquired skills" and our daughter is eager to go riding now vs. us having to drag her out, it is her new favorite sport!"

We also heard from some parents that the cost was a little difficult for them. Although we are a business, it is very important to us that kids have an opportunity to get out and ride, so we have decided to lower the price to $195 for any camp kids sign up for. Before the price was $230 for the first camp and $195 for any other camps the same child signed up for. Hopefully this means more kids will be able to join us for kids camp this fall!!

Check out more info on our website at: http://www.cogwild.com/Kid-Camp/Default.aspx and call us in the office to sign your kids up!

We were downtown today during the early stages of the Cascade Cycling Classic Downtown Crit, and I snapped off a few photos of the bicyclers in action. Exciting stuff!

Click through to see the rest of the pictures

It started today; running through Sunday the 13th, it's

the longest consecutively run elite stage race in the country and has attracted most of North America's top cyclists and teams over the years. The quality of the race courses, the beauty of Central Oregon and the fun atmosphere of the race has made it a perennial favorite and has the competitors returning year after year.

I always think "Tour de Central Oregon" in regards to the CCC. Most of the stages are all over the place (and man they look grueling) but the ever-popular "Twilight Crit" is in downtown Bend this Friday the 11th, starting at 3pm and staggered at various times after that.

They of course close the downtown streets for that, starting at 2 (and they'll remain closed for the Summerfest this weekend)—so make sure your car is out of the area by that time or your car will likely be towed (or trapped). (I've included their route map below.)

Jen sent me this pointer to her blog:

Did you know there is an Ice Crit? If you did, then I will see you there because once you have been, you will be back. But for those of you that don't know, here's the scoop. Crit is short for "criterium", which is basically a multi-lap bicycle race on a closed course. So an Ice Crit is - yeup, that's right - carnage in the cold. And I just got word that Bend's 69th Twilight Ice Crit is going to be held this weekend. Come and watch the mayhem, or contribute to it by racing your bike (20 laps) around the Swampy Lakes Sno-Park parking lot - it's fun for all who dare attend.

I'm not sure which is scarier... the wild bike laps in the ice or the fact that it's the 69th one of these! Crazy.

Details at her blog.

What: Cog Wild is a local guide company dedicated to mountain biking, and they offer a whole slew of bike tour options as well as gear you can buy directly from them. Tours are available from April to November (mountain biking season), so you won't be riding right away, but you can buy gift certificates and book tours in advance, and get the clothing now.

For: Biking enthusiasts of all types—beginners through advanced—and anyone who's looking for outdoor adventure.

Price: For clothing: Men's and women's shirts, $20; hats, $20; hoodies, $35 - $$-$$$

For tours: They start at $40 for the "Full Moon Adventure" tour, up to $895 for some of the best multi-day tour experiences out there - $$$-$$$$$

Where: Contact them directly to find out about buying gear and setting up tours. They're not always in the office in the off-season, so be sure to leave a message.

Trivia: From their FAQ:"Cog Wild is the only local permit holder offering mountain bike tours in Central Oregon. The Forest Service has issued Cog Wild a wider range of trails that none of the other companies can use."

We were up at the Seventh Mountain Resort over the weekend, at the ice skating rink they have there. It's one of only two "official" ice skating rinks we have in Central Oregon (that I know of)—for an area with such an emphasis on winter sports, it seems like ice skating would be a no-brainer... but  there's really not much.

Seventh Mountain Resort details: Outdoor rink. $8 per session rink admission, $4 skate rental. Hours can be found here (PDF). They also have skating lessons available, at various prices.

The other rink is at the Sunriver Village Mall, during the winter (obviously). It's an outdoor rink also (during the summer it's a mini-golf course). Skate rentals available. Hours are Monday through Friday, 3pm to 8pm, Saturday 11am to 3pm and 4pm to 8pm, and Sunday 4pm to 8pm.

Actually, I use the term "official" kind of loosely here... because there's also ice skating available during the winter at Shevlin Park, on the Pond next to Aspen Hall when it freezes over. So technically, it's not a rink (hence "official"), and it's only available when it gets cold enough for the pond to freeze and stay frozen. Rentals are available there as well.

Yep, coming up Saturday, December 8th, it's the Lava City Roller Dolls Season Championship match, the team of 12 Gauge Rage versus the Nerve Agents.

Action (as usual) takes place at the Indoor Sports Center, on the corner of Empire and High Desert Lane in northeast Bend. The doors open at 5pm, and the match begins at 6—be sure to get there early for good seats.

Tickets are $10 if you buy them in advance (from their website or D&D Bar & Grille) or $12 at the door. Kids and seniors are only $6 and kids under 5 are free.

You won't find a more unique sport in Central Oregon. I don't think.

I never read the Sports section of the Bulletin (or any paper) but the article about the SCA in it today caught my eye. SCA stands for "Society for Creative Anachronism" and is essentially "an international organization dedicated to researching and re-creating the arts and skills of pre-17th-century Europe."

Anyway, the Bulletin article messed up the URL for the local chapter of the SCA; the proper format is www.corvaria.antir.sca.org. (They threw at @ sign in there, making it look like some weird hybrid.)

The article was about the local SCA chapter's gathering in Culver over this past weekend, something I totally would have blogged about if I'd known. And no, I wouldn't have been snarky about it; I happen to like the concept, overall. (Yeah, geeky. So what?) (Although the lead photo the Bulletin ran with that article would make it really easy to be snarky, if I wanted... good grief Bulletin, what were you thinking?)

Suicide Jane of the Renegade Rollergirls sends along this note:

August 18th. The Renegade Rollergirls; Bend's only non-profit Roller Derby League, will host a roller derby bout against the world famous, Renegade Rollergirls of Arizona. Renegade Rollergirls are the only no holds barred, no rules leagues in the USA. These No Holds Barred Roller Derby events are full of hardcore skating abilities, wipeouts, bumps, bruises and cat fighting fistfights. This event is sponsored by Budweiser, Coca Cola, The Source, 104.1, Brock Sound, and Desert Brawl.

WHEN: August 18, 2007 Doors open at 7 p.m., $10 for general admission, 5 and under are free. Tickets are available at the Renegade Rollergirl retail store located in Midtown Music Hall, Oxygen Tattoo, Riverside Market, or your favorite Renegade Rollergirl. All previous 2006 and 2007 bouts have sold-out, so get your tickets in advance.

The Lava City Roller Dolls are having their first bout of the season this Saturday, the 4th. Details submitted:

Saturday, August 4th at the Central Oregon Indoor Sports Center (corner of Empire and High Desert) the Lava City Roller Dolls return from an intense season of All-Star bouting against leagues from the entire Northwest, to kick off the 2007 season opener at the place they call home! This bout will feature two teams from Lava City that you all know so well, Moulin Bruise and 12 Gauge Rage. Both teams are boasting new players on the roster with skill and potential ready to break loose. Whether you're a seasoned fan or new to the sport, this bout will be one to remember! Tickets are available online at www.lavacityrollerdolls.com or from your local derby doll.

The Lava City Roller Dolls are currently recruiting to fill the final 15 spots for skater placement prior to the completion of their 2007 intra-league bouting season. The Lava City Roller Dolls offer recreational skaters the ability to attend practices without a league commitment for $6.00 per practice. For more information, please visit www.lavacityrollerdolls.com or contact beep@lavacityrollerdolls.com.

The bout starts at 6pm. Tickets are $10 in advance, $12 at the door.

I received this heads up in an email:

This weekend the Hawaii Ironman Champion, Michellie Jones, will be coming to Bend Bike N Sport to give a talk and take questions about her life as a professional triathlete. The event is at 7:00 pm this Saturday at the shop. Full details and a photo are on our website (www.bendbikensport.com) or talk to Beverly at the shop 322-8814. Thanks.

There aren't too many people who can complete the Ironman, so I imagine this would be an interesting evening whether you were into sports/biking or not. They have a further bit about Jones on their page:

Michellie Jones has been on the professional triathlon circuit for more than 20 years. She’s won more championships, races and accolades than any other athlete, traveling the globe with husband Pete Coulson as her manager, coach and mentor…and they are here for the first time ever in Central Oregon at Bend Bike ‘n Sport.

Pole Pedal Paddle tomorrow! It's Bend's Olympics (maybe Bend's "Iron Man" would be more accurate), and it's sure to attract the crowds. The race starts at Mt. Bachelor and ends at the Les Schwab Amphitheater. The official site also states that the Amphitheater "area will host a day-long festival of various foods, music, sponsor booths".

And, the Bulletin has a dedicated Pole Pedal Paddle page. Looks like a source for their PPP articles as well as some good race stage maps, so you can see exactly what each leg of the race entails.

Just a reminder about this Saturday, February 17th's Renegade Rollergirls event, details I blogged here. Doors open at 6pm at the Indoor Sports Center; tickets are $10 and $15 for VIP. If you didn't yet have plans for Saturday night, now you do!

This Friday, January 26th, is Mt. Bachelor's annual Free Ski Day—their 17th. From the KTVZ article I found this on:

On Friday, January 26, Mt. Bachelor will host the 17th annual Free Ski Day to benefit Neighbor Impact, formerly known as COCAAN. In exchange for a minimum of three items of non-perishable food, Mt. Bachelor will issue one all day Alpine Lift Ticket or Nordic Trail Pass. The goal: feed the needy and less fortunate in Central Oregon....

Donations will be taken at the Bend Park and Ride in downtown Bend and at the West Village and Sunrise ticketing areas at the mountain. Although a minimum of three items of food are required to receive a ticket, Neighbor Impact and Mt. Bachelor are asking those who can to donate more....

When choosing what to donate, Neighbor Impact encourages guests to donate canned tuna, chicken and salmon and canned meals such as soup, chili and stew. Other useful items to donate include peanut butter, canned beans and peas. Monetary donations are also accepted. Neighbor Impact asks that guests avoid donating glass or boxed items for this event, as they tend to get damaged in transport from the mountain.

See also Mt. Bachelor's Free Ski Day page. And, in case anyone missed it, Mt. Bachelor has a blog.

The Renegade Rollergirls are back for the new year with their first bout of 2007 coming up on February 17th (a Saturday). It'll be at the Central Oregon Indoor Sports Center (as usual) but heads up: prices have gone up this year. It's now $10 for general admission and $15 for VIP seating.

As I said in my review, VIP is the way to go. If you general admission, though, get there as early as you can—doors open at 6pm—because it fills up fast and it's first come, first served. Tickets are available from Oxygen Tattoo and Redmond Smokehouse.

Here's a thumbnail of the banner for this event ("Farewell to Flesh"). Click through for the full version.

Saturday night we attended the final bout (for this year) of roller derby, featuring the local Renegade Rollergirls. Interesting experience; the crowd was bigger and louder than I would have imagined. It was at the Indoor Sports Center, but apparently they had to turn something like 300 people away at the door, so next February when it starts up again they'll be holding bouts at the Deschutes Expo Center (that's the rumor, at least).

I'm finally clear on exactly what these roller derbies are about, and how they're played and scored. The pack skates around the court, doing laps, led by the pivot from each team. (Two teams are on the court at the same time.) The pivot sets the pace for the pack. The pack is made up of six blockers, three from each team. Behind them all are the two jammers (again, one from each team); their role is that of the actual point scorers. In order to score points, they have to out-skate the pack and lap them; when they successfully pass the pack (break through or around), that team gets a point.

The gimmick, of course, is that the blockers have to try to stop the jammers from getting through... and, it seems, anything goes in doing this. Grab the jammer and pull her down, trip her, grab feet, throw an elbow, or whatever. There's a lot of falls, crashes, and fights being started, although the coach and the refs are quick to break up the fights. Each match is ten or 15 minutes long.

It was a lot more fun than I expected it to be, quite frankly, although we had VIP tickets and were able to avoid the general admission crush. VIP is the way to go; you get reserved seating in the best area, and two drink tickets. Beer and wine is served, although when I went back for our second drinks, they had completely sold out of wine (this by 8:30, doors were open by 7pm). If you don't drink beer, then you're out of luck when this happens.

Food was pretty reasonable, too; $2 for a hot dog, $3 for nachos, $1 for cookies, chips, and candy. Bottled water and pop was available, too.

Overall, the general atmosphere of the audience and everything once the matches started reminded me, of all things, of professional wrestling—there was that much intensity and mania from the audience. People would be cheering and yelling and just go nuts when a fight broke out or skaters went down. No serious injuries, though, much to the crowd's disappointment.

It looked like a lot of fun, though there's a lot of practice hours on skates to get as good as some of these girls; those jammers in particular are fast (they have to be). It's definitely a fast-paced sport once they get a match going. And confusing—I was wondering sometimes how they can keep track to keep score accurately.

And we were finally able to see Shannon in action and mixing it up. She's been bugging us for ages to come to one of these bouts and I told her when we finally did she had to kick some ass. She had a few sketchy moments but I'd say she pulled through. :)