2011 Ski to Sea

Memorial Day weekend in Bellingham is not only Memorial Day weekend. It is also the biggest annual community event: Ski to Sea. Ski to Sea is a relay race that began exactly 100 years ago as the Mount Baker Marathon. It has been updated through the years, and the 100th anniversary of the race includes 7 legs: cross-country ski, downhill ski, run, road bike, canoe, mountain bike, and kayak. The race, as the title suggests, begins on lovely snow-capped Mount Baker and ends in the blue waters of Bellingham Bay. There are lots of different divisions in the race, so everyone from Olympic medalists to high schoolers and senior citizens participate.

We've already posted photos of some of the other Ski-to-Sea events, including the Junior Ski-to-Sea Parade and the Ski-to-Sea Grand Parade. Today we have some pictures from the main event itself: kayakers gliding past Boulevard Park to the finish line at Marine Park. It was a beautiful day, but exceptionally windy as you can see from the whitecaps in the pictures. Because of this, the patrol boats had their hands full with rescuing overturned kayakers, and I believe the last 100 or so kayakers had to be turned away.

This is Greg Gilda from team #269, Dot's Happy Hikers.

They were in the Competitive Open Division and placed 44th overall and 19th in their division.

Traci Cole, from team #402, SSC You Call, We Haul

Competitive Mixed

45th overall, 3rd in their division

Kristen Jacobson from team #166, Dirty Muffin Tops

Whatcom County Mixed

46th overall, 3rd in their division

Chris Duppenthaler from team #438, Drinkers with a Racing Problem

Competitive Open

48th overall, 21st in their division

Tim Thorpe from team #103, Spaceman Spiff and the Wild Zontars

Competitive Open

49th overall, 22nd in their division

In front is Levi Jefferson, from team #238, Whatcoms Up Must Come Down.

They placed 5th in their division. 

Risa Greenwood, behind him, must have pulled ahead after I took this shot.

Her team, #457, Canuckin' Fast, placed 51st overall, 

and Whatcoms Up Must Come Down placed 52nd. 

Canuckin' Fast placed 3rd in their division.