36
JUN/JUL 2018
A TRIBUTE TO
ALEX REED
PRODUCTS|
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BEND OREGON
541-306-3177
25 NW Minnesota
KID RUNNER
DOWNTOWN BEND
Founder: Will Warne
Website: www.kidrunners.com
Headquarters: Bend, OR
S A L E S • S E R V I C E • R E N TA L S • P E D E G O B E N D . C O M
Large Group or Small, In Town or Out, Let Us Deliver the Fun to You!
EXPERIENCE MILES OF SMILES ON OUR
ELECTRIC BICYCLE TOURS
TOURS PRICING STARTING AS LOW AS $50
www. LetItRideBend .com
1.5 hrs. Short and Sweet
2.0 hrs. Local Breweries
2.5 hrs. City Sights and History
Have you ever run while pushing your child in a stroller and wondered when will someone
invent a better design, so I can actually run properly and have my child with me? Well,
somebody heard you thinking. Kid Runner was born to fill this void. As a parent, designer
and inventor, Will Warne,
has been growing his business for the last five years. The KidRunner team has designed
and built the world’s only hands/arms free, high performance and multi-terrain kid jogger.
The final design to hit the market went through vigorous R & D with many joggers, par-
ents and professional runners from all backgrounds giving input.
There is nothing better than to share fitness and the outdoors with your kids, but the cur-
rent jogging strollers available just aren’t designed to allow the runner to have a normal
running stride and use of the upper body.
KidRunner has been so successful that the Summer ‘17 line completely sold out. Under-
way are spring deliveries, ‘18 KidRunners being sent to parents all over the US, Canada
and some international customers. KidRunner can be purchased directly on line via their
web site, www.KidRunners.com and soon on Amazon.com and other sales/specialized
retail partners.
When I first moved to Bend full-time, I was living out of my converted Tacoma, spending
my days climbing and shooting photos at Smith Rock. It’s my favorite place in Oregon
and easily one of my top three favorite places in the country. When I met Alex... we both
found we shared the same love for Smith and got to enjoy it together. One night at Smith
we were cooking food on our small stoves, illuminated by the small circle of light coming
off our headlamps, and the ambient sounds of climbers all doing the same; Alex asks if
I wanted to do two multi-pitches the next day, I agreed without hesitation. We woke up
early and started the hike to the base of Voyage of the Cowdog. Alex led, I followed. We
topped out, enjoyed the view, and started the hour hike down Misery Ridge and to the
base of Lost in Space. I wasn’t as strong of a climber as Alex was, but he always let me
take my time, giving me bits of beta and encouragement along the route. After we topped
out, we sat and enjoyed the view from the top and relished in our obsession with this
place. Once back at the bivy, we cracked open some beers, made some food and planned
for the next climbing adventure.
Alex had always been wanting to find new routes in the Marsupial area above Smith and
I would join him as much as I could. One day we went up with some friends to work on
this project he had been working on and I planned to rappel down and shoot photos as he
climbed. On our way up we stopped at the canal area before you head up Burma road for
a quick water break and rest. My dog Chaco made his way down to the fast moving water
just before it went into the dark tunnel that flows under Smith. As Chaco started getting
into the water, I noticed what was happening and started to yell for my dog. I watched as
Chaco, desperately swimming for shore, got swept into the tunnel. I ran up and started
asking where the tunnel comes out and how far away it was. I dropped my camera bag
and began run ning off the trail and up the steep hill in front of me. Alex, without hesita-
tion, loaded my camera bag on his back, along with his own climbing gear and bag, and
insisted he take my stuff for me. After I got Chaco back, I made the long hike back and
noticed Alex had left water for me along the trail. When I got back, I watched Alex send
his climb while I was on ropes beside him. With pure stoke on his face, I yelled to him
“Hey Alex, throw me some shakas!”. I was able to capture a photo of him just after he sent
his project with the purest stoke radiating off of him, and even better, I was able to share
that time with him as we dangled high above the ground.
I had just gotten a text from him a couple days before his death saying “Let’s do dinner
tonight! I made some dank mac & cheese. Let’s plan some more climbing adventures
together!”. I’ll always have wished I would have made it to one more dinner night with him,
and just one more adventure. But if there’s anyone who can teach you to always chase
your stoke, be willing to carry your friend’s backpack, and enjoy sharing passions with
everyone, that person would be Alex Reed.
Words and photo by Austin White
Proudly Serving Bend Since 2010 | 25 NW Minnesota • Suite #6 • Bend, Oregon
9 to 5...
Great for
work.
Kidrunner’s innovative design has won awards and accolades from runners and industry
members alike. 2017/18 highlights include; winning the Bend Outdoor Worx, Venture Out
Breakout Award. It was the first known kid jogger to qualify for the NY Marathon, invited
to join the Bend Outdoor Worx Incubator Cohort, implemented a scale composite manu-
facturing solution of our patented materials technology and Industry reviewed as one of
the best new outdoor/sport parent products in Men’s Journal and GearJunkie.com just to
name a few.
KidRunner has three US patents for it’s innovative, Harmonic Dampening Solution (HDS).
HDS enables safe, comfortable, high performance, multi-terrain running for parents and
their kids. KidRunner is the lightest kid jogger in the world at only 19 lbs, 33% lighter than
most other kid joggers. KidRunner is the world’s only bio-mechanically designed kid jog-
ger creating high performance, multi-terrain, fewer injuries running with kids.
The jogger can be used with kids between the ages of 6 months and 4 years old. KidRun-
ner is designed for safety, using materials and manufacturing technologies more com-
monly found in aviation, aerospace and auto racing including, “smart composites”.
Not for
watering.
KidRunner has it’s innovation sights set on future Nordic ski and bike options that can be
aftermarket purchased and easily added to your KidRunner.
Will Warne, has brought an innovative and greatly needed product to market. Many, many
parent joggers and elite runners can now get the running training they need and have
their child safely join them in the KidRunner.
By Neil Korn
#GreatWaterGreatLife
waterwisetips.org
N o l a n d s c a p e w a t e r i n g b e t w e e n 9 a m a n d 5 p m.