Ski to Sea confirms both ski legs for upcoming race

Don't put the ski wax away just yet. 

Ski to Sea confirmed it will hold both its cross-country and downhill ski portions of the iconic 93-mile, multi-sport relay race across Whatcom County.

The announcement came after months of uncertainty due to low snowfall levels at the Mt. Baker Ski Area, which hosts both portions of the race.

The race is set for Sunday, May 26, beginning at Mt. Baker Ski Area for the cross-country ski portion. Due to low snow, race director Anna Rankin said the course for the cross-country leg will be slightly shorter – 3.8 miles compared to just over 4 miles last year.

The downhill ski portion remains unchanged since last year, thanks to a monumental snow-moving effort by the staff at Mt. Baker Ski Area to make the remaining snow viable for racing, according to the Ski to Sea press release.

According to the Mt. Baker Ski Area’s own snowfall records, Mt. Baker received just 508 inches of snowfall from September to April. That was the lowest total since the 2014-15 season, when Ski to Sea was forced to cancel both ski legs and replace them with an alpine run and mountain bike portion.

That was the plan again until Ski to Sea’s official announcement on May 8, with just enough late-season snow on the mountain for the cross-country and downhill ski legs to be a go.

“We are excited to have the ‘ski’ in a sold out Ski to Sea,” Rankin said.

The race has become a local mainstay since beginning officially in 1973, practically shutting down Bellingham and the entire county for a full day while hundreds of teams compete in the seven-leg relay race.

The event has been sold out to all competitors, and the waitlist has been cleared after some teams dropped out, according to Rankin.

For those wanting the best view of the finish line, head down to Marine Park on Sunday, May 26 in the late afternoon, and then head to Boundary Bay Brewery downtown for the official post-race festivities.

For more information on Ski to Sea, visit the official website at www.skitosea.com.    X