Bob Woodward

woody@bendcable.com
Posted inOutside

Trail Riding Opportunities Aplenty: A glance at Central Oregon's current singletrack conditions

With the rains at the end of this past week and sprinkles over the weekend, nearly all of the local mountain bike trail networks are in prime shape for spring riding.
Bob Woodward

With the rains at the end of this past week and sprinkles over the weekend, nearly all of the local mountain bike trail networks are in prime shape for spring riding. Adding to the great (read: just tacky enough) trail conditions is the fact that wildflowers are beginning to appear along some routes.
So without further ado, here's a handy guide to decent spring riding, and in some cases, updates on possible changes to certain trail systems.
Maston Allotment
The Maston has been riding firm and fast and much later into the spring because of so much rider traffic over the past two years. Note that some of that firm trail will go away in the future as it's being replaced by a new alignment. Given the Maston's sandy soils, some time will pass before we have a decent tread again in that section.

Posted inNews

Smile: It's OK not to be serious on a bike

What’s with everyone scowling on the mountain bike trails?
Bob Woodward

In the words of the late actor Charlie Chaplin: “You’ll find you’re life is more worthwhile if you just smile.” And perhaps the hardest thing to find on the faces of many mountain bikers these days are smiles. That’s because, apparently, mountain biking has become very serious.
Yes, I know, Bend is the home to every great recreational athlete in the world and that just about everyone who straddles a mountain bike is training for the next world championships or something equally important. And that’s probably why riding around Phil’s trailhead this past weekend there were lots of scowling faces, as if the workout (not fun ride) in progress was way too important to interrupt with a friendly greeting, hell, even a smirk.
And by being among the slowest mountain bikers in Bend, I often get smirks of derision from faster riders. But to his credit a very fast rider in full Lycra race kit didn’t smirk as he passed but said, “hi.” Kudos to him, and thanks for keeping it real.

Posted inOutside

“Goff vs. Golf” at the Masters

Bob Woodward’s take on the Masters.
Bob Woodward

For four days every April, I get hooked on a televised sporting event called The Masters. The sport in question is “goff.” It looks a lot like golf, but according to patrician looking elderly men in green blazers appearing on the Masters television broadcasts, it's “goff.”
Masters goff is about wealthy young men playing a golf-like game in front of an extremely well-dressed and polite audience in a fairyland setting known as the Augusta National course.

Posted inNews

The Masters: It's “goff” not golf

Some thoughts on the weekend in golf.
Bob Woodward

For four days every April, I get hooked on a televised sporting event called The Masters. The sport in question is “goff.” It looks a lot like golf, but according to patrician looking elderly men in green blazers appearing on the Masters television broadcasts, it’s “goff.”
Masters goff is about wealthy young men playing a golf-like game in front of an extremely well dressed and polite audience in a fairyland setting known as the Augusta National course.
The Augusta goffcourse with its almost Photoshopped hyper real green grass, magnificent magnolia tree blossoms and birds chirping happily looks and sounds like it was created by Disney Studios.
Almost every image from the Augusta goffcourse is accompanied by a truly bad soundtrack of new-age piano tinkling backed by lush strings. Add in some oh-so-gentile banter between the goffers and the television talking heads (one of them, Nick Faldo, is a British Knight) and you have a very surreal sporting event.
What makes The Masters even cooler is that the television talking heads anoint the new champion days before the event starts. This year Phil Mickelson won the tournament. His win was celebrated by a half-hour homage entitled “Phil at Augusta” that aired on the third day of the tournament. That was followed later by a five-minute slavish tribute later during that day’s television coverage.
Put it out of your mind that your local newspaper this morning will say somebody named Charl Schwartzel won the tournament. He didn’t, Mickleson won easily.

Posted inNews

Moving On: Just Joe steps away from concert series

After 29 installments, the Joe Rohrbacher is stepping away from his Jazz at Joes series.
Bob Woodward

After staging 29 jazz concerts in his Jazz at Joe’s series, first at his store south of town and for the past two years at the Cascade Theatrical Company, Joe Rohrbacher is stepping away. Away from what he calls, “the most rewarding project I have ever been involved in. The sense of community and good will has been nothing shy of touching.”
Rohrbacher never set out to be a full-time promoter.
“My aim was always for a self-sustaining cultural benefit to our community. I believe that together, we have properly set the stage and are realizing that goal,” he says.
It’s was a wonderful ride for local jazz fans and young music students who not only got a clinic from the performing musicians, but also free admission to the concerts.
And there were so many memorable performances from well-established international talents like singer Rebecca Kilgore and vibraphone master Chuck Redd to locals sitting in with top-of-the-line Northwest players.

Posted inNews

Wimp Way: Taking the easy way out in the Maston Allotment

There’s some new riding to be had out at the Maston Allotment.
Bob Woodward

One of the joys mountain bike riding the trails at the Maston Allotment trails is that they can be enjoyed by riders of every ability. That’s right you don’t have to be a multi-logoed “sponsored” rider, owner of a dual suspension bike with 28-inches of front fork travel, or the next greatest Bend legend to enjoy the Maston.
That noted, many riders have found the rocky hill on the southwest portion of the loop trail to be a mandatory walk down. And rightfully so, as a fall on that section of trail could have serious consequences.
That’s no longer true as an easy pass-around trail has been created and is now being ridden. It’s a fun, non-technical section of trail perhaps 30 yards in length.

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