I'm sure somebody will lambaste me for not being hardcore enough, but the cold, rainy weather we are in store for this week makes me want to embrace my inner couch potato and throw a log in the fireplace. This is a great time of year to overhaul your bikes, grind your skis, go to the movies or just get under the down comforter with a good book.
SKI FLICK SEASON
Shorter days. Cooler temperatures. Fall colors. All signs of the changing season. None more so, though, than a proliferation of ski flicks. Last week it was big mountain skiing movie The Edge of Never at the Tower followed by the Powderwhore movie Flakes at McMenamins. If that wasn't enough movie watching, we had BendFilm all over Central Oregon the rest of the week. Personally, I'm not ready for winter yet, so the film I caught was The Women and the Waves, a documentary about women's surfing pioneers. One of my favorite quotes: "When someone said 'You surf like a girl' it used to be an insult. Now it's a compliment."If you missed those movies, don't fret; there are still plenty of opportunities to get stoked for winter. The annual Warren Miller movie is coming to the Tower Theatre on October 23 and 24. Dynasty showcases a blend of fresh cinematography and vintage clips from the past six decades. For information, visit www.warrenmiller.com or get tickets at www.bendticket.com.
As a warm-up for Warren Miller, on October 22 at Pine Mountain Sports, you can catch The Freeheel Life, a visual montage of shots ranging from the first descents of Austrian couloirs by World Tele Champion, Dylan Crossman, to the two-lane roads of New England. For more information, visit www.pinemountainsports.com.
Pine Mountain Sports will also be hosting Powder Hound, their annual "Welcome to Winter" party on November 18 at the Tower Theatre. Go to watch ski slideshows and moviesmade by locals and win thousands of dollars worth of outdoor gear which is raffled off (proceeds benefit Central Oregon Trail Alliance and Deschutes County Search and Rescue). All the budding Warren Millers out there can still submit winter or outdoor-related film or slideshow by November 1. For more information, call 385-8080.
BEND OUTDOOR BOOK CLUB
If we had a book club for Bend's outdoor fanatics, this would be my suggested reading list this winter:
No End In Sight by Rachael Scdoris (co-authored by Rick Steber)
This is the story of Bend's very own Iditarod star. Rachael, who grew up in Alfalfa surrounded by sled dogs, is legally blind. She became the youngest athlete ever to compete in a 500-mile sled dog race, the Attaboy 500 that used to be held in Central Oregon. Her dream has always been to compete in the ultimate sled dog race, the Iditarod, but she faced stiff opposition from the organizers because of her disability. She never gave up and finally was allowed to compete with the help of a visual interpreter. No End In Sight is "a stirring memoir about how an unwavering inner compass can propel anyone to achieve even seemingly insurmountable goals."
Beyond the Mountain by Steve House
Reinhold Messner calls Terrebonne's Steve House, "the best high-altitude climber in the world today." Steve built his reputation on ascents throughout the Alps, Canada, Alaska, the Karakoram and the Himalaya. Beyond the Mountain, a new release from Patagonia Books, is a collection of stories Steve wrote between 1988 and 2008. In his book, he attempts to explain, "Why I take deadly risks, why I leave home for months at a time, and why I routinely spend my savings on air tickets to remote lands." (editor's note: Readers can catch House at an Oct. 29 reading at COCC's Pence Hall.)
Out of Nowhere: The Inside Story of How Nike Marketed the Culture of Running by Geoff Hollister
Geoff does not live in Bend but he will be here at the Sisters Athletic Club on Thursday October 22 to discuss his book. A wine reception is scheduled from 5:30 to 6pm, followed by the presentation and admission is free. Geoff grew up in small town Oregon, ran the steeplechase at the University of Oregon for coach Bill Bowerman and became the third employee at Nike. He tells the story of his 33-year career that began with selling shoes out of the trunk of his car for Blue Ribbon Sports. Out of Nowhere provides an inside look at the story of Nike. Geoff retired in 2001 and has been battling rectal cancer since 2004.
