Like many nonprofits and businesses, Bellingham’s annual Ski to Sea race was a near-victim of the COVID-19 pandemic, dragged underwater financially by the expense of canceling the seven-leg, relay-style race two years in a row.
Just one year short of its 50th anniversary, Ski to Sea had no choice but to return in 2022, despite a surge of spring COVID cases in Whatcom County and numerous logistical and financial setbacks, said Race Director Anna Rankin of Whatcom Events.
Even though the race is returning this year, its future isn’t guaranteed, Rankin said. If the race, which costs $320,000 to stage, is to hit its half-century milestone in 2023, the committee will have to find a way to drive up revenue or cut future costs.
“This year we realized we really had to bring it back for the organization and for our community,” Rankin said. “… I’m afraid of what it’s going to look like after we’re done. If we don’t have money to put into a rainy day fund that’s fine, but I just don’t want to see us in the red because we spent the last couple years in the red.”
The Ski to Sea Race Committee initially contemplated bringing the event back last year, Rankin said, after receiving the go-ahead from Bellingham Mayor Seth Fleetwood, Whatcom County Executive Satpal Sidhu and the county health department. But a survey put out to 2018 and 2019 race team captains revealed an overwhelming discomfort and only around 30 to 40 yes votes.
“That’s when we realized, financially, this is going to be a disaster, after 2020 was a disaster for us,” Rankin said. “… The thing about Ski to Sea is it costs the same whether we have 100 teams or 400 teams, all the law enforcement, the course and everything — the only cost that really changes is the T-shirts.”
The race committee canceled Ski to Sea on March 23, 2020. Racers had the choice to be refunded, donate their race fees or defer their fees to cover a future race. Even with donations and deferrals, it was a devastating $75,000 loss, Rankin said.
While a rainy day fund helped carry Ski to Sea through 2020, the race committee had to create a GoFundMe fundraiser to cover basic expenses, like rent for Whatcom Events building headquarters, through 2021. Ski to Sea also received a $25,000 grant to make up for lost revenue from the second cancellation.
Don Miller from Team Crystal Creek begins the cyclocross route while practicing at Hovander Homestead Park on May 24. (Hailey Hoffman/Cascadia Daily News)
Some businesses the race committee relied on for materials or sponsorships shuttered during the pandemic. To add to the financial duress, Rankin said inflation increased the costs of race must-haves, such as sanitation services, food, sound and law enforcement services, by 20% to 25%. Insurance alone is $27,000 for the single-day event.
“Everything I go to do, it’s like, ‘This is so much higher than last year, this is so much higher,’ but I can’t say no to those things,” she said.
Unlike previous years that drew around 400 teams, 354 teams will compete on Sunday. Of those, 250 are paid teams. Ski to Sea typically needs at least 300 paid teams to break even, Rankin said.
There are also fewer volunteers signed up than usual, placing pressure on the chairs of each of the seven legs of the race.
“You need people — 93 miles is a lot of distance to cover,” she said.
This year, the race committee struggled to plan around flood damages and unexpected land development, which changed the course of the cyclocross route. In previous years, the route for that leg wound through some private properties with landowner permission. When the committee explored the same route this year, it found the area had largely been developed.
“That’s why the cyclocross course this year is 100% new and different and going through this Fish & Wildlife land,” Rankin said.
The new cyclocross route runs south out of Hovander Homestead Park and through Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife Land. (Hailey Hoffman/Cascadia Daily News)
The status of the pandemic also influenced the decision to relaunch the race.
In December, when the committee opted to move forward with the 2022 event, Rankin said COVID numbers were down and vaccination rates were high. She became nervous in January after seeing a spike in cases following the winter holidays. Cases waned again, then shot back up over the last month.
Whatcom County is currently hovering between low to medium risk on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s community levels dashboard, said Cindy Hollinsworth, communicable disease and epidemiology manager for the county health department.
It’s difficult to tell how many cases are circulating in the county because many people are mildly symptomatic, or they are doing at-home tests which are not counted in the total caseload unless positive results are reported by the individual. During the week of May 8-14, Whatcom County reported 515 COVID-19 cases.
“I don’t worry about the race that much because it’s outside, teams know each other, but it’s more things like the beer garden, the awards ceremony, where there’s going to be a lot of people together,” Rankin said. “
Hollinsworth said she cannot predict whether Bellingham’s largest event, which draws in thousands of spectators and racers from out of town, will result in an increase in cases in the county.
“I think we’re all just glad to be out on these beautiful days and to have some celebration and fun, but (we need) to remember COVID is still circulating. For some people, it can be very mild and for some people, it can be very serious and life-threatening,” Hollinsworth said.
While Rankin is looking forward to seeing the lively event come to fruition on Sunday, it doesn’t assuage her concerns for Ski to Sea’s longevity. Heading into the 50th anniversary of the race in 2023, she has a lofty goal of bringing in a team from all 50 states.
No matter how Ski to Sea looks in the future, Rankin emphasized the race’s importance.
“For racers, Ski to Sea is important for health, training, camaraderie, challenge, competitions. For some, it’s the win. For some racers, it’s just to finish … For volunteers, I think Ski to Sea is celebrating community spirit — to be part of the largest and longest-running event in Bellingham and Whatcom County. It’s a part of history. For sponsors, it’s giving back to the community,” Rankin said.
“For our board and our staff, Ski to Sea means everything. Certainly six months of my year are just spent living, eating, breathing Ski to Sea,” she added.
The cross-country leg route is groomed daily for skiers to practice. (Hailey Hoffman/Cascadia Daily News)
