Sports - Ski to Sea

POSTED: Sunday, May. 24, 2009

Mountain bikers approve of Ski to Sea leg redesign, except for railroad tracks

Riders of all levels gave a thumbs up to the new mountain bike course for Ski to Sea, saying they liked the longer distance and the good mix of technical features that made the ride more challenging.

They rode into the hand-off at Zuanich Point Park in Bellingham with muddy tires and muddy legs.

“It was great. Great job putting it together,” said Adam Schwind, a 25-year-old Bellingham resident riding for the Bagelry team.

He was the first mountain biker in for that leg of the race Sunday, May 24.

“It was really hard. I fell down once,” said Daisy Phillips, who was riding for Boundary Bay Brewery and was the first female mountain biker into Zuanich.

Phillips, 23, liked getting dirty.

“There were some puddles. There should be mud. There should always be mud,” the Bellingham resident said.

Riders liked what they called the muddy bridges section, because it was technical. They loved riding through the woods and through sections with views of the glittering water. They good-naturedly bemoaned riding through a cut-grass field that was nevertheless spongy and sucked the power from their legs.

“It’s rugged, especially for novices,” said Eric Davis, a 39-year-old Tacoma resident riding for team Snow White and the 7 Dwarfs. “I enjoyed it. Whipped my butt.”

Sunday marked his third Ski to Sea. He’s ridden the mountain bike leg each time.

This year’s route was 14 miles, which was five miles longer than the old one. It began at Hovander Park in Ferndale and ended at Zuanich in Bellingham — the same start and stop as the previous course, but the path between the two points was completely different.

Although there wasn’t much of an elevation change, riders said the tougher terrain and new features made the restructured route a better course for mountain biking.

But while riders approved of the new course overall, there were no fans of the leg-sapping, teeth-chattering ride over the railroad ties that came in the last mile.

“This course is much better, except for the railroad tracks. Those are brutal,” said Sean Lyon, a 39-year-old Bellingham resident, riding for the 12th year for team After Their Leg.

“They’ve got to get rid of the railroad portion — not at the end, don’t put that at the end,” Davis said.

Hitting those tracks when you’re exhausted is especially tough, riders said.

“Your legs are already burning. It’s so jarring,” said Nicola Mann, a 40-year-old Bellingham resident riding for the Kulshan Cycles women team. She said she’d be happy to never see those tracks again.

Riders said the tracks presented other challenges.

“It’s so bumpy, you can’t see where you’re going,” said Katie Sokolik, a 35-year-old Bellingham resident riding for team What’s the Rush?

Paul Wood, riding for NW Yogis Running Wild, joked that part of the race was so bumpy that cavities would fall out of your mouth.

“Very exhausting,” the 60-year-old White Rock, B.C., resident said. “You don’t know your name after that section.”