BELLINGHAM, WA (MyBellinghamNow.com) – Registration for the 2025 Ski to Sea race opens on Jan. 1, with race coordinators incentivizing people to sign up before the end of the month.

The annual multi-sport race that takes racers from the Mt. Baker Ski Area all the way to Bellingham Bay will take place on Sunday, May 25. Teams that sign prior to Monday, Jan. 13 will be entered to win a 50th anniversary hoodie. The 2024 race sold out by March 22, and Ski to Sea urges those who want to race in the 2025 race to sign up as soon as they can.

The 2025 race will see some changes from previous years. Ski to Sea says that shirts for competitors are available in unisex sizes only, the entry fee has increased $20 per-team for adjusted inflation, the Early Bird discount ends on Jan. 31 compared to the previous Feb. 28 and team captains assume responsibility for the equipment used with replacement costs of $15 per lost/damaged timing chip and $10 per lost/damaged kayak number assigned at inspection.

A kayaker stages their kayak at Zuanich Point in Bellingham, WA for the kayak leg of the 2024 Ski to Sea race. Photo by Sam Kristofferson

The biggest change to this year’s race is the announcement of a new race director. Whatcom Events, the organization that runs Ski to Sea, has named Aurielle Buermann as the new race director of Ski to Sea. Buermann has worked for Whatcom Events since 2022 as the assistant race director under Anna Rankin, the previous race director.

“This transition allows our team of three to focus on individual events while maintaining a strong support system,” Rankin said. 

Click for coverage from last year’s race, as well as photos from the event on the Nooksack River and at the finish line in Fairhaven.