WHATCOM COUNTY, WA (MyBellinghamNow.com) – On Sunday, racers from around the country will arrive in Whatcom County to take part in the annual Ski to Sea race.

The multisport race that begins at the Mount Baker Ski Area and ends at Marine Park in Fairhaven is celebrating its 51st year in 2024. Signups for the race have sold out, giving the opportunity for up to 500 teams of three to eight racers to compete.

Since 1973, Ski to Sea has been a staple event for Whatcom County residents, signaling the start of the summer season. As the days and months leading up to the race get warmer and warmer, it is not unusual to see participants at local lakes or trails training for their respective legs. But the winter leading up to this year’s race made planning more difficult than usual.

The race relies on a solid snowpack at the Mount Baker Ski Area for the first two legs of the race: Cross Country Ski and the Downhill Ski/Snowboard. Racers take off at 7:30 a.m. with a shotgun start near the Heather Meadows Day Lodge. After completing the first leg of the race, timing chips are passed to their teammate competing in the Downhill Ski/Snowboard leg.

Earlier this year, Ski to Sea organizers announced that the low amounts of snow at Mount Baker over the late-winter months had the potential to alter the racecourse. But as the cold months continued and snow continued to fall and pack near Heather Meadows, organizers confirmed that the race would go on as normally scheduled.

Anna Rankin, Race Director for Ski to Sea, spoke with MyBellinghamNow this week and shared how excited she was that the ski legs are good to go this year.

“It would be a totally different thing if those didn’t happen,” Rankin said. “Luckily, the weather has been on our side.”

The pressure was on in the months leading up Memorial Day weekend, as plenty of teams meticulously built their roster with trained athletes to better their chance at winning the race.

Rankin and the rest of the folks behind Ski to Sea closely monitored the Mount Baker Ski Area and kept the public informed of any potential changes that would have to be made. If the ski legs could not happen this year, the race would then include the addition of a mountain bike leg and an extra running leg at Galbraith Mountain and Lake Padden.

Racers gave the race organizers positive feedback as they waited to hear the final decision.

“People were patient, and they realized that we couldn’t do anything to control the weather,” Rankin said.

Following the ski legs is the eight-mile run and 41-mile road bike legs, continuing west towards the Nooksack River where the race sees its first of two water sport legs.

The 18.5-mile-long canoe portion is one of the most grueling of all of the race legs, where groups of two battle the currents in the Nooksack River to finish at Hovander Park in Ferndale.

Rankin said that the river is looking good as of Wednesday, as water levels are not too high or too low.

Once racers complete the canoe leg, they will pass their timing chip to the cyclocross racer who will complete the 11-mile trek heading towards Zuanich Point. The cyclocross course was cleared earlier this week by Ski to Sea volunteers and a test race will happen on Saturday to ensure the safety of racers.

The final leg of the race is a five-mile sea kayak leg through Bellingham Bay. Racers get to Zuanich Point early on race day to get into the staging area with their kayaks, paddles and lifejackets. Some kayakers launch from the point as early as 1:00 p.m. as others wait anxiously until later in the afternoon.

In 2023, the kayak portion of the race was cut short after dozens of racers were rescued in Bellingham Bay due to strong SSW winds across the water. This year, Rankin says that safety boats will still be patrolling the waters and that race organizers in charge of the kayak leg will be monitoring the bay closely on the morning of May 26.

As many Whatcom County residents know, the race concludes at the finish line at Marine Park in Fairhaven. Kayakers will ring the famous bell, signifying the success of a triumphant team effort.

Following Ski to Sea, racers and watchers alike can explore the Fairhaven Festival in the heart of Fairhaven. This community event highlights local vendors and artists, merging the outdoors and arts in one.

On behalf of the MyBellinghamNow newsroom, good luck to the 500 teams this weekend at Ski to Sea. If you see one of us on the course, smile for the camera.