Beavers took a bite out of the competition in their first showing at the US Bank Pole, Pedal, Paddle.
The Oregon State University-Cascades clubs and sports team finished third in the open team division at the 2013 U.S. Bank Pole Pedal Paddle race in Bend on May 18. The team of six competitors finished with a time of two hours, 17 minutes and 37 seconds.
“It was awesome,” said cyclist and OSU-Cascades business student Jack Vanderlinden. Vanderlinden finished the stretch of downhill cycling in 42 minutes with a top speed of 58 miles an hour.
“The entire 22 miles was like a sprint,” Vanderlinden said.
The team started at Mt. Bachelor ski resort at 10:50 a.m. in less than ideal conditions, with the alpine ski/snowboard followed by the cross-country ski. From there, it was down Cascades Lakes Highway by bicycle, before tagging the long distance runner at the next exchange point.
“The rain and snow was a little bit sketchy at first,” Vanderlinden said. “I was a little bit more conservative.”
Anna Ballard ran the long distance section of the race.
“I had so much fun,” Ballard said. “The sun had just come out, and I had so much energy and adrenaline. I was running eight minute miles.”
The five mile long-distance run course follows the Deschutes river trail before reaching Farewell Bend Park and the kayak portion of the race.
“It was harder than it looks,” Christian Schuster said about the “paddle” section. “It was a workout.”
The final section was a half-mile sprint into Les Schwab Amphitheatre, where the crowd greets the competitors with food, beverages and live music.
This is the first year that OSU-Cascades has had a clubs and sports team, according to team member Kayla Schurton. The team members thought that the race would be a good way to get their feet wet.
“We got everybody together and said, ‘We should do Pole, Pedal, Paddle,’” said Shurton who competed in the alpine leg of the event. “And now here we are.”
Individuals, pairs or teams, can take part in the six-leg relay that is now in its 37th year. All proceeds go to the Mount Bachelor Sports Education Foundation.
Schurton and other members of the team hope to compete again next year.

–Darwin Ikard

The Broadside

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Visit thebroadsideonline for video and interviews of the OSU-Cascades team at the 2013 U.S. Bank, Pole, Pedal, Paddle, in Bend.

More photos can be seen at:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/sbadger91/sets/72157633771649318/