BELLINGHAM, WA (MyBellinghamNow.com) – Ski to Sea 2024 saw a familiar team ring the first finish line bell on Sunday, May 26.
It was a three-peat win for Birch Equipment as they finished the annual county-wide relay race in just over six hours and seven minutes. The team’s official time was 6:07:05.3. Second-place finishers Boomer’s Drive-In were right behind them five minutes later, and the Inn at Lynden followed up with a third-place win.
The Sunday morning race saw snow showers at the Mount Baker Ski Area and moderate rain showers throughout Whatcom Conty, which added a layer of challenge for the race’s participants. Slippery roads caused a biker to fall near Riverside Park in Everson and loose mud created dangerous sub-par conditions for racers and attendees.
The race kicked off with the Cross-Country leg at 7:30 a.m. Skiers and snowboarders then made the near 1,000-foot climb up Pan Dome before skiing down Blueberry Cat Track to hand off to the runners. Inn at Lynden was in the lead after the cross-country leg, but Birch Equipment overtook them on the Downhill leg and led for the rest of the race.
The real battle was for third place, with Inn at Lynden and Beavers Tree Service neck-and-neck for much of the race. Inn at Lynden pulled away during the canoe leg and ultimately finished the race a minute and a half ahead of Beavers Tree Service and U.S. Olympic kayaker Jonas Ecker.
A total of 504 teams registered to participate in this year’s Ski to Sea race. A full list of the results is available here.
