Ski to Sea

Ski to Sea 2011

 Sunday May 29th, 2011  Mt. Baker to Bellingham, Washington



Kayak salad



One hundred years ago, 14 brave souls threw caution to the wind, braved snowstorms, and risked their lives to compete in what has been labeled the first endurance race in American history – the Mount Baker Marathon.

Mt. Shuksan from Mt. Baker ski start area

The marathon lasted from 1911 – 1913 and was the forerunner to today’s Ski to Sea.

The original competitors choose either automobile or train to access the base of Mt. Baker. The 116 mile race of mud, snow, sweat, and glory was short lived due to numerous hazards. Two different routes to the summit were viable. The races’ only rules were to start from Bellingham, Washington and summit 10,781 foot Mt. Baker and finish back in Bellingham. The competition consisted of loggers, coal miners, farmers, students, postman, and attracted a few professional marathoner runners and Olympians. The 1911 race was won by Joe Galbraith. In 1911 a U.S. postage stamp was 2 cents, the Median U.S. Income was $983 per year (U.S. Census Bureau) and the average price of gasoline of gas was 25 cents. It would be 60 years before the spirit of the Mt. Baker Marathon would be resurrected to the event that is known today as the Ski to Sea.



Max Taam, Jordan Hart, Me



Runners take 3rd leg down Mt.

                               



 In 1973 Ski to Sea had fifty-two teams enter for a new relay race featuring downhill skiing, biking, and canoeing. The 2011 race has 7 different legs and is 100 miles in length. The race consists of an uphill/downhill alpine ski, cross country ski, run, bike, canoe, mt. bike, and kayak leg. The race is capped at 500 teams which quickly calculate to 3,500 racers.

I received a phone call one afternoon and was asked by Tony Velasco to join a Team in the Ski to Sea. I accepted the fully sponsored trip. The trip to Bellingham enabled me to enjoy a great event while meeting many super athletes and catch up with some ski mountaineering friends. I knew that Max Taam was going and heard rumors of Greg Ruckman and Brandon French attending – all great athletes. It looked like good fun, the price was right, and I was able to get another ski mountaineering race in for the year.



keep moving or the Moss might start growing on you



Both Max Taam and I were among athletes staying in a cabin arranged by our Team Captain Tony Velasco near the base of Mt. Baker. Max was on the Boss Construction 1 Team and I was on R.B. Wick’s Masters Gentlemen Team. Gulp, it was my first Master’s event. The team I (Alpine Ski Uphill/DH) was on consisted of Chris Humbert (XC Ski), Shaun Marshall-Pryde (Run), Aaron M. Berntson (Bike), Darryl Spencer and Tinh Vu (Canoe), Todd Gallaher (Mt. Bike) and Kirk Christensen (Kayak).



R.B.Wick, Aaron Berntson, Me, Kirk Christensen, Chris Humbert, Shaun Marshall-Pride



                

The racing resumes of these athletes were off the charts. I was amongst people of great passion, talent, and inspiration. I was honored to join these ‘Gentlemen’. I met many great people including Jordan Hart and R.B.Wick. The Ski to Sea was a great race to participate in and then cheer on my own team-mates as they race off the mountain of snow and down to the waters of Bellingham. The Overall race wining time was 6 hours 11minutes and 22seconds. Our team finished 10^th overall out of 500 teams in 6:36:37.

For results www.skitosea.com