Everson-Nooksack News
Lynden Tribune | Wednesday, May 24, 2017
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Why is Ski to Sea receiving fewer entries? In 2016, just 323 teams entered the annual race, the fewest in eight years By Nick Elges sports@lyndentribune.com
WHATCOM — Without a doubt, the Ski to Sea Race is one of the most popular events that Whatcom County has to offer. First run in 1973, the adventure relay generally draws participants and spectators from all over the state, across the country and even around the world. In recent years, however, the number of teams that are registering for Ski to Sea has notably declined. The reasons for this are up for debate. Entry cost seems to be a likely factor. In 2009, the standard team fee for the race, the lowest level of payment, was $299 — averaging out to $37.38 per participant on an eight-person team. In 2016, the cost had risen to $499, $62.38 per person, about a two-thirds increase. This year, the standard team price was $599 if registered before March 1 and $649 from March 2 onward unitl registration remains open. With the increase in price, Ski to Sea, which is run by Whatcom Events, had just 323 teams register in 2016, the lowest figure in eight years. The race caps registration at 500 teams. As of May 22 this year, just 315 teams had signed up and paid for the Memorial Day weekend event. Another factor with ongoing effects, according to race director Anna Rankin, was the low snow year of 2015, which cancelled the cross-country and downhill skiing legs of the race at the Mt. Baker Ski Area that make the event especially unique and popular. Rankin believes the race hasn’t recovered from that very unusual situation.
A canoeing team was at Riverside Memorial Park in Everson on Monday talking about what to expect on their 18.5-mile leg of the Ski to Sea Race this Sunday, May 28. Everson is the exchange point from the road biking leg. (Calvin Bratt/Lynden Tribune) “Once teams lose that steam, it’s hard to get it back,” Rankin said. In the years prior to 2015, race registration numbers were much closer to the 500-team cap. There were 478 teams competing in 2011, followed by 473 in 2012, 465 in 2013 and 430 in 2014. With
the forced elimination of the skiing legs in 2015, the total dipped to 349 and hasn’t seemed to rebound. “I think it also has to do with the increased cost of the race, but that is unavoidable because we need to cover our expenses,” Rankin said. “There are
so many costs that go into this one-day event and I don’t think the average racer is adequately informed of those costs.” Rankin can go into to detail on just some of the necessary expenses that go into making Ski to Sea what it is — from insurance to the timing system to safety