Sports - Ski to Sea

POSTED: Monday, Apr. 20, 2009

Kayak: Paddlers battle waves in last leg

The kayaker will receive the timing chip from the mountain biker and is responsible for swiping the chip to record a finish time for the mountain biking leg. Kayakers should be in position when teammates are approaching.

The course starts at Squalicum Harbor, Zuanich Point Park and ends at the Post Point, Marine Park, where the kayaker will get out of his/her boat, run the timing chip up the shore to the finish line and ring the brass bell.

The course is from Pete Zuanich Park to the Outfall Buoy, to Marker 1 at the log boom, to Marker 2 at the north end of Boulevard Park, to Marker 3 at the south end of Boulevard Park, to Marker 4 off the concrete dry dock and on to the finish line at Marine Park.

The kayaker must remove the kayak from the finish line area within five minutes after crossing the line because of the limited space. The race course may be shortened for inclement weather. While conditions can be calm, they typically are windier and rougher.

In the event of extreme weather conditions, this leg of the race may be cancelled at any time, and the Race Committee will determine the results.

The course

Where: Bellingham Bay

Course Length: Approximately five miles

Approximate time to complete: 40 minutes for top finishers, around an hour for everybody else.

Deadline to finish leg: 7 p.m.

Timing chip: The kayaker will receive the chip from the mountain biker, swipe the chip to record the finish time of the mountain biking leg, kayak across Bellingham Bay, swipe the chip to record the finish time for the kayak leg and ring the bell. The kayaker is responsible for swiping the chip twice (once at the start and once at the finish of the leg). The kayaker should also return the timing chip to a Ski to Sea volunteer at the finish line. Failure to return the chip will result in an $80 charge.

Pre-race meeting

There will be a kayakers’ meeting at noon to discuss the course and answer questions.

Equipment

Kayaks must be capable of performing a self-rescue (e.g. roll) or be a “sit on top” surf ski. Olympic Flatwater kayaks and trainers are illegal because they are unstable for bay conditions. The kayak must be paddled by one person with a double-bladed paddle as the sole means of propulsion. Single outrigger canoes are allowed in all divisions except recreational and must be paddled with a single-bladed paddle. All boats must have positive flotation such as bulkheads or air-bags that will stay in place.

U.S. Coast Guard-approved PFD’s must be worn. All paddlers are required to have a whistle. Spray skirts, paddle floats, flares and mirrors are highly recommended.

It is also recommended to wear or have available clothing (wet suit or pile) that will keep kayakers warm in the event of bad weather or immersion.

Recreation Division kayaks must be wider than .095 times the overall length (this is 20.5 inches for an 18-foot boat). No racing hulls or down-river boats are allowed. Most sea-kayaks would qualify. Impulse, Glider, Seal, Mariner II, Arluk II and Seastar would qualify, but Heron, Arluk I, Phantom and Valhalla Surf Ski would not.

Travel & viewing advice

The race may be seen from Zuanich Point Park, the Bellwether development, the Bellingham Cruise Terminal, Boulevard Park or Marine Park. To avoid the parking crunch around Fairhaven, arrive early or ride a bike. A bus shuttle will ferry spectators from the parking lots at Western Washington University or downtown Bellingham to Fairhaven.

After the race

An awards ceremony will be held at 6 p.m. for the winning teams in each division, the top Whatcom County teams and the top individual athletes in each leg. A variety of food offerings can be found at the nearby "It All Ends in Fairhaven" festival, which runs from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.