1 - Passage of Park's Bond Measure No. 9-86: The Bend Park & Recreation District bond measure passed this November,
barely—51.70% to 48.30%—which means for a few measly bucks more in taxes, we'll get: more trails, soccer fields, parks, AND a whitewater park. Bend is about to be more awesomer than ever.
2. Boswell Signs with Team Sky: Ian Boswell, 21, is one of the strongest road racers ever to come out of Central Oregon and was picked up this summer by the world's best cycling team.
3. Trout Creek Access and Responsible Use: Climbers, nesting golden eagles and the Bureau of Land Management have all learned how to get along. Cheers.
4. Woody Inducted into The Mountain Bike Hall of Fame: Bob Woodward, Central Oregon's outdoor sports ambassador, has had a hand in most everything that's great about Bend. He was also one of the first to report on mountain biking, way back in 1980.
5. Palo Sends 5.14c at Smith: In May, local Bend crusher Ryan Palo became just the 12th person to ever climb Smith's 150-foot-long route Just Do It, a 5.14c.
6. Halloween Cyclocross: Spectacle. Again. Enjoyed by racers, fans and damn near everyone else in town. The USGP was great too, as Bend pros filled two of the three podium spots on both days of racing.
7. Maston Trail Improvements: The Central Oregon Trail Alliance, with the BLM's blessing, has made the Maston trail area north of Bend an attractive three-season mountain biking/horse riding/trail running destination. Now in excess of 20 miles!
8. Horner's Tour de France Ride: At 41, Bend's Chris Horner had one of his best-ever rides in a grand tour when he finished 13th in the Tour de France.
9. Any Race with Max King: The 32-year-old Bend ultra-runner either wins or podiums at every race he enters, from 5k's to 100k's. This year King captured his fourth consecutive XTERRA Trail Run World Championship title and won the Ultra Race of Champions 100k.
10. Summer Skiing at Mt. Bachelor: For the second consecutive year Mt. Bachelor received over 500 inches of snow and was able to reopen for a few sweet summer days. Here's to another pow-filled season!
