Around ten years ago I headed north from my home in the San Francisco Bay Area to race in the San Juan Challenge. Long story short, by the end of the trip wheels were in motion for my wife, Luanne and I to move to a small Canadian Island in British Columbia.Now, I look out my front window and on a clear day a beautiful snow-covered mountain is in my line of sight. Mt. Baker is just outside of Bellingham, Washington – home to one of the most active and friendly paddling communities you can imagine. It is also the home of the annual “Ski to Sea” race, http://www.skitosea.com/ which can trace its roots back to the early 1900’s. This is a team event with eight racers per team. There are seven legs to this relay race – cross-country ski, downhill ski/snowboard, running, road bike, canoe (2 racers), mountain bike and kayak. There are five hundred teams and around two hundred of which race in the recreation-class.
View from my house, Mt Baker in background, Look again!
Me and my wife Lula showing the hardware after her first race.
Taking it home, Photo Dylan Hart
Rounding the Buoy, Photo Dylan Hart
Living on an island like Salt Spring has its drawbacks. One of which is that getting to Bellingham and back involves four ferry rides, an international border crossing – twice, and a drive. As a result, I only get to race in the many local races there a few times a year. For years I thought of participating in the “Ski to Sea” and last year I finally did. Not having a team, I put my name on an online bulletin board and was offered the kayak spot on the Sound Source team. Not knowing anybody on the team was a leap of faith that I would be glad I took. It turns out that I stepped into a group of fabulous people and athletes.So now I have a team and I have nine boats, most of which I built myself. Two were built to comply with varying sets of race rules. Turns out my closest boat to the “Ski to Sea” recreation class rules was ¼” out of spec. With it being that close, I was tempted to use it. Who would really care, right? Fortunately, Drew Harrison from Stellar Kayaks offered the use of a Stellar 18S for the race and luckily I accepted.
Wahoo that I built
One of my many kayaks I made. This taken at the Round Bowen Race
Since this is a relay race with a timing chip being handed from one leg member to the next, the kayak (final leg) has a staggered start. For that reason you don’t know how you are fairing against some of the other paddlers until the results are posted. When the mountain biker hands the timing chip off to you, it’s time to make a run of a hundred yards or more, jump in your boat and paddle as hard as you can to complete the 5-mile leg, jump out, run up the rocky shore and ring a bell to complete the race.Last year being my first attempt, I didn’t know what to expect on that cool, rainy day. When I jumped into the yellow 18S, I had the feeling that the competitive “alien within” was taking over. Most of the paddle was a blur. But when all was said and done, I managed a first in the rec. class paddle division with our team placing third. The race committee later contacted me as another paddler questioned whether my boat was appropriate for the rec. class. I guess a 60-year-old guy should not come out as number one when there are 189 boats in the class! I’m glad I paddled the Stellar 18S, which was well within spec.
1st Place Recreation Division, Photo Dylan Hart
Fast forward to this year when the Sound Source team invited me back to join them in the 2014 race. I had some doubts, feeling a bit out of shape and knowing that I had only one direction to go in the standings and that would be down a few notches. Realizing that there were some younger and stronger paddlers to compete against left me doubting if I wanted to give it another go. This year, Stellar lent me an orange 18S. It looked like a faster color so I figured I still had a chance. On race day, when Scott, our mountain biker handed off the timing chip and I began to run, it happened again. That alien within took hold. Luanne helped me get the boat in the water and off I went. I counted around eight boats that started ahead of me that I passed. The alien was whipping me hard. When I completed the five miles, ran up the hill and rang the bell, I was in my own world – me and the alien. To my amazement, I was number one in the rec. division again! The second place paddler was not far behind and the third close to him. I love that the second place finisher is probably 20-years my junior and the third was probably 40 years younger! I beat last year’s time by about 50 seconds, probably due to the fast orange color. Sound Source did great as well with a fourth place finish in our class.
I have a year to decide whether to do it again or quit while I am ahead. We will see what the alien has to say.
Link to some great pics of the kayak leg including Greg Barton and Kenny Rice.
Photos taken by http://www.dylanhart.com/
https://www.flickr.com/photos/skitosea/sets/72157644505038890/
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