ABOUT THE COVER:
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PUBLISHER’ S NOTE |
ABOUT THE COVER:
The Mario Mendoza feature interview was a labor of love. Getting to spend time with Mario has given me a better understanding of what drives some people to push their body, mind and spirit to the limit and then go beyond. It was a pleasure working with him to gather all the pieces for this article. Mario is the consummate professional athlete and believes his running has a higher purpose. Imagine if you will, running on a trail deep into the woods training day after day, week after week, mile after mile. Then traveling thousands of miles to race in competition running out of the public eye, with little fan fair, pushing your body mentally and physically to the breaking point. Then winning a major race and they hand you a check that just might pay for your flight home. I shake my head and say why? That“ why” has a very individual purpose burning inside each athlete. It’ s not for us to judge why people put their bodies through this pain, believe me it’ s not for the paycheck or the glory. Mario has found that happy place and he knows why he runs, he has bridges to build and walls to tear down.
Alex Reed was a young man with a bright future. I personally did not know him. I have actually got to know him through meeting and talking to his friends around Bend. It’ s painfully obvious he touched a lot of people in the climbing community and beyond. The more I learn about him, the more I wish I had known him during his short life. Alex’ s death reminds us again and again that life is not guaranteed, it can be short or long. The outdoor world is unforgiving, but a life lived on a couch and behind a screen is not the way he chose to live. Thank you Alex for showing us the way.
The Bert family of Bend didn’ t take a leisurely spring break in Mexico like many do. Warm water, walks on the beach, five course meals, and sand on the toes was too easy. Instead the Bert’ s traveled to nearly the end of the earth, an Island off Chile in Patagonia for a backpacking trip into some of the most rugged terrain on this planet. The adventure travel story is written through the eyes of their son Jeffery who is a freshman at Summit High School.
Wanna run 100 miles with 50,000 ft of gain? Not me, either. That’ s where Mario Mendoza is... it was fun photographing him, not because he is such a bad ass, but rather because he is such a humble, down to earth Champion...“ Mario, can you run over those rocks, one more time”( after 10 or maybe 20 previous times) It was a great day up on Black Butte with one camera, two lenses, and one of the best runners in the world.
-Whit Blazemore
Neil Korn
1443 NW Juniper Street Bend, OR 97701( 541) 241-0305
Last issue we had Lucas Wachs on the cover, he was also our feature interview. I knew Lucas was a pretty well known skier around Bend and Mt Bachelor but I had no idea how well known he was as a person. While circulating the issue everywhere I traveled around Bend and elsewhere people would look at the cover and immediately say,“ That’ s Lucas, I went to school with him”, or“ I’ ve seen him skiing at the mountain”. I started to realize the scope of his reach, amount of friends he has in Bend and his fan base. At the Gerry Lopez Big Wave Surf Challange, a few of Lucas’ s sponsors showed up and when they saw him on the cover they were grabbing copies to bring back to the LiB Tech office up in Washington. Lucas has grown up in Bend and spent his whole life here, no wonder he has achieved“ rock star” status around the Northwest; add being a humble, grounded and super nice guy and this is a recipe for success.
CONTENTS |
6NEWS 8GET2KNOW
10ADVENTURE TRAVEL
14FEATURE | MARIO MENDOZA BUIDING 18FEATURE | LUCAS WACHS 22POSTER | WESLEY BROWN
24BOULDERING IN CENTRAL OREGON 26ART | MEGAN MARIE MYERS
28COLORFUL VEGAN 29FISHING
32CANNABIS COLUMN 36A TRIBUTE TO ALEX REED 37PRODUCTS | KID RUNNER
38COMMUNITY 40EVENTS
PUBLISHER Neil Korn neilkorn @ gmail. com
EDITOR Chris Shredwards chrishredwards @ gmail. com
SALES MANAGER Jenna Conrad jenna. outdoor @ gmail. com
GRAPHIC DESIGN Brian Zager bkzgrfx @ gmail. com
Contributing Writers Kelly Maer Dr. Oliver Wisco Jeffery Bert Jason Chinchen Anders Korman Isaac Korman John Size Austin White Edmond Wadeson
Senior Contributing Photographers Mike Albright Pete Alport Jesse Polay
Contributing Photographers Edmond Wadeson Whit Blazemore Dan Mooney Chris Clicks Digital Adam Brown JaAnn Haidet Bert Family Bryson Steele Jason Chinchen Korman Family Edmond Wadeson Austin White Ross Druckrey Dan Pyle
For advertising please contact our Sales Manager, Jenna Conrad at jenna. outdoor @ gmail. com