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May
25
Posted by Elaine A Cook
Well, we did it! Made it to the top, wrote down the number of every of every cross country skier as they finished, and every runner as they began their 8 mile leg of the race. My shins hurt just watching them!
We are now the official back up to the electronic system. It still has some issues with the first two legs.
“Do the Monkey” was yelled as every racer came across their electronic finish line. They had to bend as low as possible and swing their arm…like a monkey…so the “device” would register. The management team for the electronic system has repeatedly told Ski to Sea officials, that this is A) dangerous and B) very inefficient! The bands need to be warn on the skis, ankles…some where it make sense. This company sets up and records races just about every weekend of the year. Maybe someone should listen to them.
Okay, next subject. Coming back down the mountain. Yes, they released hundreds of cars early. However, they still let cars come up the mountain beginning at 11:00 am. Have you ever driven down a mountain, slowly averting bicyclist, who are racing down the hill..then deal with oncoming traffic??? Very stressful. Apparently we managed not to kill or maim anyone, but it seems it would be in the best interested of the racers if the cars coming up the mountain, we held back until Noon. Just my humble opinion.
Now to the fun part! The ride up the mountain in the wee hours is always a hoot. A car full of rummy sleep-heads can lead to uncontrolable giggles! Add to that, our outstanding weather…and you have the makings of a great day!
We stopped at FirRidge Campsite to devour our quiche & fruit spread. A breakfast fit for…well, fit for enthusiastic volunteers! The sun was just peeking out through the trees. Beautiful way to start the day!
Once we were on the mountain…it was all business. A sea of race numbers. No major crashes, or close calls. A very well run event.
We did however, run into a cat named Willow Johns. WIllow creates numerous Whatcom County documentaries. He was fun to watch. And a good sport, as we gave our unsolicited advise on what he should be saying. Stating we were experts…because we watch a lot of TV! Thanks Willow for the added fun, and putting up with us!
Back down the mountain…headed for Fairhaven; for our ultimate reward:
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May
18
Posted by Elaine A Cook
I believe it is 6, maybe 7 years now I have been getting up at 4:00 in the morning, throwing on my ski clothes, packing the jeep full of refreshments…and 8 warm quiches made at the hands of my talented husband.
Dashing out the door by 4:30 to meet other good hearted, crazy folk at the Haggen parking lot…they call us volunteers! We snack on warm quiche, find an open coffee stand, and wait for everyone to gather. Then we head for the Mountain. We time the downhill racers. The first leg of the race. Well, except that one year when there wasn’t enough snow, and cross country racers had to go first…and we volunteers had to hike in to the finish line.
When the gun goes off at 8:30, we get ready for the first racer to come around the bend…this is usually when we go grab coffee, hot chocolate and visit the rest room!
We stand in sleet, snow, rain…and 1 time we stood in the sunshine. We prance, jump and run in circles to keep warm. It’s a real work out…we might be in good enough shape to actually participate in the race…NOT!!!
We then stand ready when that first type A racer comes down the hill. We have 4 groups of 3. One person is writing down racer numbers as they come in, one shouting numbers and “mark” as that racer crosses the finish line…and one (my job) is standing there with a palm pilot entering numbers and hitting “mark” when the racer crosses. It’s all good until that pack of 60 racers comes around the bend. We have a system for dividing them up amongst the 4 groups….and it works!
The first year that they implemented the fancy electronic system…each racer had to wear a bracelet with a chip in it….was a disaster! How many finish line wipe-outs have I seen over the years…plenty. Now add a table, cables and wires to the mix! Crazy. However, it was our volunteer accounting of the event that proved to be the most accurate! Real eyes, ears and palm pilots get the job done..for free I might add!
So less than an hour later…our job is done! We pack it up, turn in our palm pilots and head down the mountain…at 15 miles per hour. The runners and bicyclist have the rights to the road! We of course have our windows down and yell words of encouragement to those we pass.
Next stop, the park. We consume our leftovers, talk about the amazing things we saw…and plan a meeting spot in Fairhaven. The bar…after a nap of course.
Volunteering for such a grand event is very inspirational. Not enough that I will ever participate, but ya gotta love the dedication. I am content to be a dedicated volunteer. I wonder if they could use our services at the upcoming Olympics? 
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May
13
Posted by Kerry Graham
April showers bring May flowers… and the largest community event in Whatcom County. For years, folks from all over the Northwest have come to Whatcom County during the Memorial Day weekend to celebrate Ski to Sea, a legendary festival of races, parades and events.
This month long celebration kicks off early in May with one of the region’s first golf tournaments, The Ski to Sea Classic, and culminates with what has become a internationally acclaimed relay race, Ski to Sea. (More about the history of the race in just a moment.) In between these are parades, races, car shows, art displays and a bunch of other events. For a complete list of events, days and times visit their website.
According to the organizers, the Bellingham/Whatcom Chamber of Commerce & Industry, the Ski to Sea festival helps create a positive financial impact of more than 8 million dollars into our local economy. From area hotels and restaurants to local grocery stores and retail outlets, few businesses are excluded from the economic gain of this event.
Another great reason Ski to Sea is such a wonderful community event; it’s all family friendly.
Seeing a need to involve our local youth, about 10 years ago organizers created a weekend just for kids.
Now, the Ski to Sea Jr. parade and Jr. race happen the week prior to the “big” race and grand parade. The Jr. parade is free and always a gas. Local youth groups, schools, churches and even middle school marching bands walk a smaller version of the grand parade route. Rain or shine, this brings out the kid in all of us. The following day, Lake Padden Park is crawling with teams of kids from all over Whatcom County to participate in the Jr. Ski to Sea Race, the little sibling of the big race. Running, biking, a three-legged race, soccer skills and an obstacle course are set up around this beautiful local park. What fun for these kids… a great day is had by all!
Then it happens. Noon Saturday of Memorial Day weekend kicks off the two-day celebration with the Ski to Sea Grand Parade. This event has become a thing of family tradition and legends. As the sun rises, so do the folks who come early to stake out their parade route viewing area. One thing is for certain…blue tarps and lawn chairs are a must, regardless of the weather. Floats from neighboring communities and local clubs, Nile Shriners with their little cars and scooters, local businesses, elected officials and marching bands galore pass before seas of people who have lined Cornwall Avenue to catch a glimpse of the action.
Sunday is race day. This is no ordinary race. The Ski to Sea Race covers lots of ground (and water) in Whatcom County. Over all, it’s about 90 miles. 
What begins at 8:00am at Mt. Baker Ski area, ends at Memorial Park on the Bellingham waterfront some 6 hours later. More than 450 teams, each consisting of eight racers will attempt to finish this seven-leg realy race. It starts with a cross-country ski run then the timing chip is passed to downhillskier. Once they have completed the route, runners take the gruling trek down the mountain and hand off to the road bikes, who pass their band to a canoe team. 
After navigating the Nooksack, mountain bikers get the next leg and travel from to meet kyakers, who get to cross the finish line and ring the bell.
And the party at the finish line is a big as you would expect. It All Ends in Fairhaven is another community celebration worth attending. Vendors all over the place, live music, great food, arts & crafts and a community coming together to celebrate the beauty of it’s surroundings and inhabitants. A great festival… Ski to Sea. Truly a do not miss event.
