Doug La Placa with Visit Bend says this can be a challenging time of the year for those in the tourism industry.  So a healthy turnout for Pole, Peddle, Paddle is a welcome boost to the local economy. The Pole Peddle Paddle is Bend’s signature athletic event. And it’s a great gift to the community from the Mt. Bachelor Sports Education Foundation to operate this event on an annual basis. In terms of participants, it is the largest athletic event, that I know of, in the City of Bend. And perhaps, more importantly, been the direct economic impact is the time year that it happens. The shoulder seasons, particularly May, is a very challenging time for Bend’s tourism industry, and the Pole Peddle paddle provides a much needed economic boost during a time when we need it most.” But, what kind of economic impact is that? “About half of the racers in the big event are from out of town and some even from out of state.” Race organizers say they've already broken past records of those enrolled with about 3100 racers signed up. The big race is on Saturday and the Kid’s Mini PPP is on Sunday.