Bend Endurance Academy
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Student Climbers Ascend New Heights

Started by students, the OSU-Cascades climbing club has exploded in size, taking many podium spots in competitions
Damian Fagan

What started out as a simple idea—having OSU-Cascades student fees pay for a climbing club—has quickly grown in popularity that neither the founding members nor the University saw coming. “We started the club in January 2018 after I took PAC class (Physical Activity Course) for rock climbing,” said OSU-Cascades student Connor Park. Park enjoyed the […]

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Nordic Fun for Racers and Everyone Else

In addition to its other events, Meissner Nordic Ski Club introduces a classic ski race for the everyman this season
Damian Fagan

For cross-country skiers, Meissner Sno-Park, located along Century Drive offers an extensive venue for classic or skate skiing. While a trio of events take place at the sno-park throughout the season, this year a new race, happening Jan. 5, is also part of the action. The management of the popular winter recreation site is a partnership […]

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Ascending to Nationals

A local kid sets her sights on competing in world championships in the sport of bouldering
Avatar photo Peter Madsen

On a recent snowy afternoon, climber Mira Capicchioni warmed up inside the Bend Rock Gym with a handful of her teammates from Bend Endurance Academy’s climbing program. They hung around the bouldering section of the gym, which features diverse climbing terrain peppered with color-coded plastic holds and “volumes,” or larger features. After watching her friends […]

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On Stewardship

At the intersection of loving the outdoors and “loving it to death” is one big buzzword. We explore what it means
Avatar photo K.M. Collins

In a Bend area Visitors Survey conducted for summer 2017 by Visit Bend, 69 percent of tourists reported visiting Bend for outdoor recreation, leisure, sightseeing and brewery tourism. Those surveyed were asked to comment on the question, “If you could change one thing about Bend, what would it be?” The most common responses involved dissatisfaction […]

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Ready to Ride

Spring is nearing, and for passionate cyclists it couldn’t come sooner
Rex Shepard

Whether you’re an enthusiast or even a professional, pedaling on a bike has been particularly challenging this winter. Bend has a reputation for being a place to comfortably ride bikes year-round, but not during this record snow year. For mountain and road bikers alike, the trails and roads have been covered in snow, promsing to […]

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Rex Shepard’s Cascade Challenge

A thousand miles in 43 days
Brian Jennings

Rex Shepard isn’t just an ordinary year-round outdoor enthusiast. Even the term extraordinary doesn’t seem to adequately describe him. The 30-year-old Bend native has accomplished more than most dare to dream. A coach at Bend’s Endurance Academy, Shepard pushes himself to the limits of his outdoor endurance and says his goal is to inspire others. […]

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BEA’s Kids on the Wall

Three compete at nationals
Delano Lavigne

Youth rock climbers from Bend Endurance Academy (BEA) took their skills to the national level this past weekend, participating in the USA Climbing Youth Bouldering National Championships held in Madison, Wis.  Leah Pfeiffer, 14, Brady Pfeiffer, 12, and Mira Capicchioni, 10, all representing the Bend Endurance Academy Climbing Team, competed in the three-day bouldering event […]

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Not to Be Broken

In spite of losing its course to fire, Chainbreaker rides again
Phil Busse, with reporting from Megan French

Not long after last Memorial Day—and a month after the popular Chainbreaker Mountain Bike Race—the Two Bulls Fire swept across several thousand acres west of Bend, pushing as close as seven miles from the city’s edge. Over one weekend alone, some 250 residents living at the outskirts of town were evacuated from their homes. Ultimately, […]

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Snow Runners

Local Nordic skiers gear up for Junior Nationals
JP Schlick

In spite of the lack of snow and unseasonably warm temps that continue to limit the number of kilometers available for skiing around Bend, the season for local Nordic skiers at the Bend Endurance Academy (BEA) could not be going better. With several competitors qualified for the XC Junior Nationals to be held in Truckee, […]

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From Competitor to Coach

An interview with Jordan Buetow
Avatar photo Phil Busse

Earlier this month, Bend Endurance Academy announced a new coach, Jordan Buetow, who joins the staff at the Nordic Development Team Coach. Buetow grew up in Alaska, and more recently, raced for Bates College on the east coast. Two years ago, he spent the summer training with BEA, and now returns as one of its […]

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