Thank You to 2011 Northwest Community Credit Union Bend Paddleboard Challenge Supporters!!!

We just wanted to take (another) moment to wholeheartedly thank all the sponsors, competitors and supporters who helped make the first annual Northwest Community Credit Union Bend Paddleboard Challenge such a success. 

With your help, we were able to reach our goals – to create a venue for our customers and fellow paddlers to have fun and compete, to firm up Bend’s spot on the map as an SUP destination, and to give back to the community by raising funds for two important local charities, the Bend Paddle Trail Alliance and the Bend Park and Recreation Foundation.

The Challenge attracted many stand up paddlers from out of the area, including world-class SUP athletes Karen Wrenn (from Portland) and Chuck Patterson (from Dana Point, California). We received lots of positive feedback from local paddlers and visitors alike. Several of the competitors were visiting Bend for the first time and have reported that they can’t wait to come back next year. 

So… thank you, thank you, thank you to Northwest Community Credit Union  (especially Matt, Deanna, and Thea), Clear 101.7, Fox Central Oregon, KTVZ, StandUp Paddle Magazine, Premiere Paddle Surf, KIALOA, Robberson Ford Lincoln Mercury Mazda, Cascade Lakes Brewing Company, TheLongboardStore.com, Awbrey Glen Golf Club, K-Dog Eco Threads, Anjou Spa & Salon, SUP Connect, Bill Keale, Guayaki Yerba Mate, Young’s Columbia Wine Company, the Hokule’a Dancers, the Tavita family, Alistair Patterson, Visit Bend, Surftech, Roberto Ricci Designs, and Riviera Paddlesurf!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  We hope you'll be on board next year to help make the 2012 Northwest Community Credit Union Bend Paddleboard Challenge even bigger and better than the first one!!

By the way, for those of you interested in the results, Karen Wrenn took first place in the six-mile race in the women’s 12’6” class with a time of 1 hour and 18 minutes. Terri Plunkett of San Clemente, California came in second and Kerri Stewart of Eugene, Oregon placed third. Chuck Patterson of Dana Point, California took top honors in the men’s 14’ category with a time of 1 hour and 11 minutes, followed by Cyril Burguiere and Matt Spencer, both from Portland, Oregon.  Full results are available on the race website.