In the spirit: Kids dress their best for the Junior Ski to Sea Race
Shelli Jones, marketing coordinator for Bellingham/Whatcom Chamber of Commerce & Industry, has been involved with Junior Ski to Sea for four years. She’s on the Junior Ski to Sea committee, which is involved in the marketing and operation of the race.
The 2017 race is May 20 at Lake Padden Park, following the Junior Parade at 6 p.m. May 19 in downtown Bellingham.
What do kids like the most about the event?
Year after year, says Jones, the kids are most excited about their teams’ themes.
“Some dress up in costume while others design their own T-shirts. It gives each team the ability to customize their team and make themselves stand out.”
The biggest change over the years, she says, has been the partner event.
“Originally the event was a three-legged race. However, the Velcro bands that we used were breaking under the stress of the racers. We purchased new three-leg bands in 2014 and had the exact same problem. It was the one event that consistently resulted in complaints by racers and their parents. In 2015 we decided to change the partner leg.”
The Junior Ski to Sea committee recommended that the event be replaced with a “back-to-back ball carry.”
But, Jones says, that event was far too complicated. So for 2017, it will be something that every racer will be able to accomplish: a Hula Hoop race in which both partners run while inside a Hula Hoop.
The Ski to Sea Race is synonymous with Whatcom County, Jones said.
“You couldn’t have the race without Mount Baker, the Nooksack River and Bellingham Bay.”
And, she says, children can see their parents and older siblings participate in the “big race.” The Junior Ski to Sea Race is designed so that children have their own race to participate in until they are old enough to join a team for the “big race.”
Details: 360-734-1330, bellingham.com/event-directory/junior-race.
This story was originally published April 8, 2017 at 6:04 PM with the headline "In the spirit: Kids dress their best for the Junior Ski to Sea Race."