Sports - Ski to Sea

POSTED: Friday, May. 22, 2009

Whatcom County's signature race - A to Z

A: Alarm clock

Better set it even earlier this year, with the race starting a half hour earlier than it has in the past. The dynamite blast to signal the start is scheduled to go off at 8 a.m., and all competitors and spectators for the first four legs of the race must be past Canyon Creek Road before the Mount Baker Highway closes at 7:30 a.m. The race committee suggests leaving Bellingham no later than 5 a.m. YAWN!!!

B: Bell

Is there a better feeling than ringing the bell at the finish line after completing the 85-mile relay? That's why everybody competes, isn't it? OK, that and the beer garden ... but that starts with "B," too. This year the bells are improved and should be easier to ring ... the beer garden will be just as good as ever.

C: Couch

Ski to Sea legend has it that most out-of-town contestants don't actually get hotels the nights before or after the race, but instead sleep on teammates' and friends' couches. With the current economic conditions, probably even more racers will be headed for the pullout. Nothing like completing your leg with a sore back or a stiff neck.

D: Divisions

Whether it's the ultra-competitive teams in the Open Division gunning to beat Barron Heating or a group of college buddies in the Recreation divisions which are just out to have a good time together and - maybe - beat last year's time, Ski to Sea has something for everybody. Who doesn't root for the weekend warriors?

E: Early release

New this year, the last eight to 10 teams remaining at each exchange area will be issued new timing chips and will be released on their legs of the course at the same time. This will allow them to compete against one another, and also make sure that the slowest teams don't fall too far behind. These teams will not be disqualified from the race, and their times will be compiled at the finish line in Fairhaven. This replaces the deadline system Ski to Sea used on the later legs in previous years.

F: Fairhaven

It all ends in Fairhaven. That's where you'll find the finish line ... and of course, the aforementioned bell and beer garden. Watch as athletic competition turns into block party in a matter of minutes and stories of what happened on the course get passed around and turn into legend.

G: Green Team

Last year Ski to Sea's Green Team established a baseline, and this year it will start to try to reduce the race's environmental impact. One area the team is focusing improving is the use of recycle bins at all events. Girl Scouts will serve as monitors at each bin to help competitors, volunteers and spectators get their recyclables in the proper place.

H: Heat

Is the Heat still the team to beat? It's now been two years since Barron Heating rang the Ski to Sea bell at the finish line first. In 2007, it was clippercanoes.com that beat the Heat, and last year - after a little confusion - The Bagelry was declared the race winner. Both teams probably felt like they knocked off the New York Yankees, as Barron had won six of the previous seven races.

I: Intensity

Every team has it's own way of showing intensity - whether it's trying to knock off Barron Heating or just attempting to finish. You don't have to be a top athlete to enjoy Ski to Sea.

J: Joe Galbraith

The first winner of the Mount Baker Marathon - the race that eventually led to Ski to Sea - in 1911. For his efforts, he claimed a $100 purse. Since then, the race has evolved several times. Now it's a seven-leg, 90-mile relay race that is the highlight of the Whatcom County community sports scene.

K: Kicked in the Nooksack

Team names are just part of the fun. Get a group of friends together, pick out a catchy name and start training. For the third year in a row, Kicked in the Nooksack gets The Bellingham Herald's pick as the top team name. Making it even better this year is the team logo available on their Ski to Sea team Web page. You get the picture.

L: Leg

A bit obvious yes, but it's what makes Ski to Sea so different. The race has seven legs, with cross-country skiing, downhill skiing (or snowboarding), running, road biking, canoeing, mountain biking and kayaking. Each leg represents a recreational segment of Whatcom County.

M: Mount Baker Highway

A good portion of the race takes place on the Highway 542, as runners endure eight punishing miles down from the Mt. Baker Ski Area and road bikers start their leg on the highway. The road also creates the greatest logistical issue for teams, with the highway being closed at Canyon Creek Road in Glacier at 7:30 a.m. It is the only way to and from the ski area, and organizers suggest skiers, runners and road bikers from each team carpool.

N: Nooksack River

In most years, it's another major part of the race, as canoeists paddle 18 miles from Riverside Park in Everson to Hovander Park in Ferndale. Last year, though, safety concerns over high water levels and the speed of the river forced the cancellation of the leg, something the race committee hopes to avoid this year. When it is staged, spectators often line the bridges over the river, hoping see amateurs struggling to control their crafts and sometimes even going for a swim.

O: Off road

Is there anywhere else a mountain biking course should be? Ski to Sea was forced to move the leg off a dike along the Nooksack River, and the result may be a course that is more exciting and challenging for bikers. The new course, which takes a completely different route from Hovander Park in Ferndale to Squalicum Harbor, is 65 percent off road, and will have plenty of the jumps, mud, bushwhacking and other obstacles that mountain bikers love.

P: Pounding the pavement

If you listen close, you can hear runners' knees, ankles, shins and feet screaming just thinking about the eight-mile run from the Mt. Baker Ski Area to the Shuksan Department of Transportation shed. The course drops more than 2,000 feet, leaving runners seeking a icy stream of runoff at the Shuksan Department of Transportation shed to relieve their aching joints and limbs when they complete the course.

Q: Quiet heroes

Ski to Sea wouldn't exist without all the volunteers who help put on the race. It takes approximately 750 volunteers on race day and about 1,000 for the Ski to Sea Festival, organizers say.

R: Results

Competitors in the mountain biking and kayaking legs have a long wait until they finally get their chance to show their stuff in the afternoon. But this year they can at least feel like they're part of the action early in the day. Teams can sign up to have their team's results text messaged to them each time one of their teammates completes a leg of the race.

S: Ski to Sea

OK, another obvious choice. But it says what this race is all about. How many other counties can host an event like this that features skiing in the morning and canoeing and kayaking in the afternoon? Mix in some running and biking legs, and you've got a cross section of the Whatcom County recreation sports scene.

T: Top Dogs

Electronic timing has allowed Ski to Sea to recognize the top individual male and female finisher in their respective leg for the past two years. Only one competitor, Kulshan Cycles' kayaker Heather Nelson, won her respective Top Dog award the first two years, and this year she goes for a three-peat.

U: Uphill climb

If it weren't for this, the downhill skiing leg would be far too easy - and probably too much fun. Before they get to show their skiing skills, racers must hike up North Face to the top of Chair 1, a climb of approximately 1,000 feet. Where's the express lift?

V: Video contest

All teams and spectators are encouraged to make their own YouTube video on race day. Videos can then be posted on the race Web site and will be judged by race officials in several different categories. Better fix your hair, because you might be a star!

W: Wristband

It's Ski to Sea's version of the baton, as athletes relay it from the Mt. Baker Ski Area to Marine Park in Fairhaven. For the third straight year, the wristband is a Velcro strap with the timing chip attached for scoring purposes. Lose it and teams will be disqualified and charged to replace it.

X: X-factor

Last year it was too much melting snowpack making the Nooksack River too fast and afternoon winds kicking up white caps on Bellingham Bay that left their mark on the race. They forced the race committee to cancel the canoeing leg and shorten the kayaking because of safety concerns. Every year, racers have to adapt to something new and different, but it's usually weather related.

Y: Yellow line

Don't cross that double yellow line. In an effort to get cars off the mountain two hours earlier than they were released from the Mt. Baker Ski Area last year, the race committee hopes to keep runners on the right side of the double yellow line and allow police-escorted groups of eight to 10 cars to drive down the left side of the road beginning at 9:30 a.m.

Z: Zero

The Ski to Sea Race Committee challenged all teams to reduce their carbon footprint by carpooling and then asked, "Can you beat it?" One team - Absolute Zero - certainly has, as it has worked out plans to complete in the 90-mile race using absolutely no cars. The team will use bikes to haul its canoe and kayak to the proper venues and team members will ride up to the Mt. Baker Ski Area the night before the race.