EDITOR’S NOTE: This is the ninth in a series of weekly stories leading up to the May 25 Ski to Sea race that will give a behind-the scenes look into the largest annual community sporting event in Whatcom County. Each story will be written by a member of the Ski to Sea Race Committee.

Let’s say a friend comes up to you and invites you to join a Ski to Sea team:

“Great, I love to ski!” you exclaim.

“Ah, well no, I need someone to do the kayak leg and soand- so has an old boat you can use. I know you don’t paddle, but you’re in great shape,” your friend says. Now what?

Veteran paddlers won’t need this basic advice, but as a novice, you sure do: Paramount is safety, and Bellingham Bay can get very rough and the water is extremely cold.

If you go over, you can get hypothermia very easily, even on a warm day.

First thing, you will need to have an experienced paddler or instructor inspect your boat, advise you on your safety equipment (PFD, whistle, flares, spray skirt, paddle floats, clothes, etc) and teach you how to use them.

The instruction is pretty simple, but hard to remember when you are a bit panicky because the water is cold and the waves are big.

There are several professional companies in the region where you can get great introductory classes. This is advised, because you will get complete and thorough instruction.

Another place to look for some advice is the sea-kayaking group W.A.K.E, or show up for the impromptu Wednesday night races at Blodel-Donovan Park on Lake Whatcom (show up around 5 p.m. after daylight savings time starts March 12).

The next thing to focus on is body memory.

Even though you are in great shape, the new muscle groups you will be using probably are not. Like any other sport, the specific muscle groups will need developing and so will your balance.

Remember mountain biking? You could stay upright for a while, but you needed to go slow at first.

This means you need to stay on the lakes at first — Lake Whatcom, Lake Padden and Lake Samish are all great. Save the Bay until later.

Team up with someone until you are comfortable that you can stay upright in waves. This makes the Wednesday night races perfect. For training, start with lots of mileage, then gradually go for better times.

When you graduate to the bay, do it with other boats so you can assist each other if you go over. Paddle next to a lee shore.

A great place to put in is Marine Park or the small boat launch site in Fairhaven and then paddle north toward Boulevard Park.

Going south toward Chuckanut is beautiful but it has shoal areas with steepening waves, rebound off rock walls and funneled wind, so watch the weather and be careful.

On race day, the boats start lining up early on the grassy knoll on Zuanich Park. The skippers meeting will be at noon to cover safety and the logistics of the race.

You will recognize other novice racers as they stand on shore, looking over the bay and hoping the wind and waves will settle down.

Mountain bikers will start arriving about 2 p.m., and the Z-shaped course across the bay should take most kayakers about 70 to 90 minutes to complete.

For more information on the race, visit www.skitosea.com.