The Pole Pedal Paddle has evolved into more than just a race in Central Oregon. The event, which will celebrate its 32nd running today, has come to represent the outdoor lifestyle of folks in the region.

But the idea of the Pole Pedal Paddle — which includes teams and individuals competing in alpine skiing, nordic skiing, biking, running, paddling and sprinting — is not unique to Central Oregon.

Several other locations throughout the West have their own version of the PPP — two even have the same name. Just as thousands of multisport racers and spectators will converge today on Bend, they gather throughout the spring and summer at other outdoor sports meccas.

Other races similar to Central Oregon’s U.S. Bank Pole Pedal Paddle include the Pole Pedal Paddle in Jackson Hole, Wyo.; the Ski to Sea in Bellingham, Wash.; the Ridge to River in Wenatchee, Wash.; the Mountains to Sound in Seattle; and the Pole Pedal Paddle in Salida, Colo.

Likely there are others, and triathlons and adventure races abound. But these five multisport races are more typical of what will play out today in Central Oregon, from the slopes of Mount Bachelor to the finish at Bend’s Les Schwab Amphitheater.

Pole Pedal Paddle (Jackson Hole, Wyo.)

Central Oregonians can thank this race for what we have here today. Our PPP is based on the Jackson Hole PPP, which began in 1976. The first Central Oregon PPP was a year later, 1977, and was brought to Bend by Dave and Jenny Sheldon, a husband and wife who had been ski bums in Jackson Hole and had moved to Bend.

The Sheldons wanted to raise money for the Bend Skyliners youth ski-racing program. Since its modest beginnings — with only about 65 participants in the first race in 1977 — the Central Oregon PPP has become the main fundraiser for the youth program now known as the Mt. Bachelor Sports Education Foundation (MBSEF).

Jenny Sheldon says the Jackson Hole PPP — the 33rd of which was staged last month — is a much more challenging race. It includes, in order, a three-mile alpine ski, a 10-kilometer cross-country ski, a 20-mile bike ride, and a nine-mile paddle, some of which is through whitewater.

The Central Oregon PPP starts with a two-kilometer alpine ski, followed by an 8K nordic ski, a 22-mile bike ride, a 1½-mile river paddle and a half-kilometer sprint.

“It was never intended to be an elite race — it was intended to get people off the couch,” Jenny Sheldon says of the Central Oregon PPP. “There’s no reason to go crazy about it … it doesn’t qualify you for any particular thing, it’s just fun to do. I wanted to create a race so somebody could do each leg and not have to train all year.”

S

ki to Sea (Bellingham, Wash.)

This multisport race, from Mount Baker to Bellingham in northwestern Washington, began in 1973 and was designed to showcase the recreational opportunities of Whatcom County, according to www.skitosea.com.

The race, which this year will be staged on May 25, consists of a four-mile nordic ski, a 2½-mile alpine ski, an eight-mile run, a 36-mile road bike ride, an 18-mile canoe paddle, a nine-mile mountain bike ride, and a five-mile sea-kayak paddle.

The Ski to Sea is a team event. Unlike the Central Oregon Pole Pedal Paddle, the race does not include categories for individuals or pairs.

Ridge to River (Wenatchee, Wash.)

This Central Washington race celebrated its 28th anniversary last month. The event, which attracts about 1,200 participants each year, starts at Mission Ridge ski area and finishes on the banks of the Columbia River in Wenatchee.

The Ridge to River includes a three-mile nordic ski, a two-mile alpine ski, a 4½-mile run, a 19-mile bike ride, a nine-mile paddle and a half-mile portage/sprint to the finish. Participants compete as teams, pairs or individuals.

Mountains to Sound (Seattle)

The Mountains to Sound Relay, scheduled for June 29 in this its third year, begins near Snoqualmie Pass and finishes in Seattle.

The course includes a 23-mile mountain bike ride, a 50-mile road bike ride, a 12-mile paddle, a half marathon (13½-mile run), and a six-mile “sprint.” Hard-core competitors race as individuals, but most entries race in divisions for pairs and teams.

Nearly 1,000 participants are expected this year, according to Mountains to Sound race director Scott McCoubrey.

Pole Pedal Paddle (Salida, Colo.)

This PPP was staged from 1999 to 2001 and returned this year on April 19 after a six-year hiatus.

The course starts at the top of 11,312-foot Monarch Pass in south-central Colorado with a seven-mile backcountry ski. The next stage is a 22-mile mountain bike ride to the Arkansas River, followed by a six-mile whitewater paddle on the river to the finish in Salida.

This year’s race, a benefit for the Arkansas River Trust, included nearly 100 competitors.

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The Central Oregon PPP, which today will include about 2,800 participants, boasts by far the most competitors among these races. The reason for that, according to race organizers, is that it is not limited to elite athletes.

“One of the biggest differences between our event and some of the others is the elite-level athletes can push themselves, but it’s not undoable for the guys next door,” says Chuck Kenlan, director of MBSEF. “The Ridge to River and Jackson Hole, you have to paddle whitewater. Novices can do our PPP very easily.

“That’s why it’s the biggest one of its kind.”

A closer look at the PPP

About 2,800 participants are expected, competing as individuals, pairs or teams, in today’s multisport race. Start times range from 9:15 a.m. to 11:20 a.m. at Mount Bachelor. Elite competitors are expected to cross the finish line at Bend’s Les Schwab Amphitheater at about 11 a.m.

• Alpine ski stage: A 200-foot uphill sprint to skis and snowboards, and a race down a gated course on the Leeway Run at Mt. Bachelor ski area.

• Cross-country ski stage: An 8-kilometer course from the base of Bachelor, along groomed trails, with the finish and bike exchange near the Mt. Bachelor Nordic Center.

• Bike stage: A 22-mile mostly downhill race along Century Drive from Mount Bachelor to Colorado Avenue in Bend.

• Run stage: The 10K course starts on Colorado Avenue and Emkay Drive and continues along trails paralleling Century Drive. The route turns back down to the Deschutes River Trail and to the canoe/kayak exchange area across the river from Farewell Bend Park.

• Canoe/kayak stage: A 2-kilometer course on the Deschutes River from the put-in upstream to the buoy under the Healy Bridge, back downstream and around the island near the Les Schwab Amphitheater, and then back upstream to the sprint exchange.

• Sprint stage: A half-kilometer run from the canoe/kayak finish along a paved path and grass to the finish at the Les Schwab Amphitheater.