Just before 1:30 p.m. Sunday, 52-year-old Jeff Hilburn was the first to run up the beach at Marine Park and ring the bell at the Ski to Sea finish line, officially making BIRCH EQUIPMENT the overall winner of the race in 5:59:48.
A little more than 30 seconds later, U.S. national team kayaker Jonas Ecker, a former fifth-grade student of Hilburn’s, was crossing the finish line in second place for BEAVERS TREE SERVICE in 6:00:21.
Earlier that day at 7:30 a.m. on Mount Baker, the cross-country ski leg began, where Brian Gregg of Boomer’s Drive-In was the first to finish, but Brent Molesberry from BEAVERS TREE SERVICE caught up to him, putting his team in the lead by the end of the second leg.
From there, BEAVERS TREE SERVICE, Boomer’s Drive-In and BIRCH EQUIPMENT all stayed within seconds or minutes of each other until the finish line.
With the first overall finish, BIRCH EQUIPMENT also won the Competitive Open division. BEAVERS TREE SERVICE placed first in the Whatcom County Open division.
Boomer’s Drive-In finished in third with a time of 6:02:46 to cap off an exciting few minutes at the finish line before the space between coming teams started to widen.
Closing out the top-10 overall finishers of Ski to Sea 2022 were C O M P A S S with a time of 6:22:02, Inn At Lynden in 6:27:51, Evil Bike Co with a time of 6:28:56, Boomer’s Drive-In Legends in 6:34:23, Peoples Bank in 6:44:01, Just Poké in 6:51:11 and Mt. Baker Ravens in 6:52:14.
Biker Jack Bardi throws the timing chip to his C O M P A S S teammate during the bike-to-canoe exchange in Everson. C O M P A S S finished the race in 6:22:02. (Andy Bronson/Cascadia Daily News)
Traci Cole of Just Poké was the first woman to cross the finish line at the 6:51:11 mark and The Real Housewives of Whatcom County was the first all-women team to finish in 7:43:05.
Just Poké won the Competitive Mixed division and The Real Housewives of Whatcom County won the Competitive Women division.
The first high school team to finish was The Kids Aren’t Alright in 7:56:24.
Gregg, a former Olympic cross-country skier, had the fastest time in the cross-country ski with 18:58. Glen Healy of Galloping Gonads was the quickest in the downhill ski/snowboard with a time of 23:44 and Jeret Gillingham of C O M P A S S had the fastest run with a time of 37:14.
The fastest road bike time belonged to Michael Finley of Boomer’s Drive-In who finished the leg in 1:24:57.
On the water, Bob Woodman and Glenn Bond of BIRCH EQUIPMENT were the fastest canoeists with a time of 1:49:40. BIRCH EQUIPMENT also had the quickest time in the cyclocross, with Jack Shuckra clocking in at 37:39.
Ecker of BEAVERS TREE SERVICE finished the final leg of the race in 37:28 to lead the pack, but it wasn’t enough to edge past BIRCH EQUIPMENT’s Hilburn.
Stevie Cairns of Dingleberry Fairies finishes the race. (Photo by Meri-Jo Borzilleri)
Winners by division
Car-free
1. Surfrider Mavericks, 6:58:04
2. Car-Free Spirits of Chuckanut Bay Distillery, 7:26:06
3. Wompmobile, 9:22:34
Corporate
1. Bellingham Firefighters, 6:59:54
2. Alpha Dogs, 8:00:49
3. Everett Firefighters Association, 8:01:46
Family
1. Once Moore For Good Old Times, 8:23:15
2. It’s a Matter of Pride, 8:24:01
3. speedways, 9:20:27
Masters
1. Greatest American Heroes, 6:52:40
2. The Monkey Wrench Gang, 7:07:02
3. Darwin’s Bulldogs, 8:19:54
Recreational Mixed
1. Sardine Shower Rods, 7:46:54
2. Chafing the Dream, 8:02:02
3. Of Ice and Snowmen, 8:06:10
Recreational Open
1. IndustrialCU, 7:19:55
2. Luney Prunes, 7:50:55
3. 2009 Jr. Ski to Sea Runners-Up, 7:54:11
Recreational Women
1. Beastie Belles, 8:36:05
2. Spotted Owls, 9:02:29
3. Janicki Hot Debulks, 9:22:28
Whatcom County Mixed
1. HardCorePhysio, 7:52:40
2. Aging Disgracefully, 8:12:45
3. Whatcom Family Medicine, 8:40:48
Whatcom County Women
1. Hypegirls, 9:05:09
Top 20 teams overall
1. BIRCH EQUIPMENT, 5:59:48, Competitive Open
2. BEAVERS TREE SERVICE, 6:00:21, Whatcom County Open
3. Boomer’s Drive-In, 6:02:46, Competitive Open
4. C O M P A S S, 6:22:02, Competitive Open
5. Inn At Lynden, 6:27:51, Whatcom County Open
6. Evil Bike Co, 6:28:56, Competitive Open
7. Boomer’s Drive-In Legends, 6:34:23, Veterans
8. Peoples Bank, 6:44:01, Veterans
9. Just Poké, 6:51:11, Competitive Mixed
10. Mt. Baker Ravens, 6:52:14, Veterans
11. Greatest American Heroes, 6:52:40, Masters
12. VANDAMMAGE, 6:54:01, Competitive Open
13. Columbia Bank, 6:54:18, Competitive Mixed
14. Surfrider Mavericks, 6:58:04, Car-Free
15. Bellingham Firefighters, 6:59:54, Corporate
16. The Unorthodocs, 7:01:54, Competitive Open
17. Vendovi, 7:02:45, Competitive Open
18. The Monkey Wrench Gang, 7:07:02, Masters
19. Galloping Gonads, 7:12:33, Competitive Open
20. Team Crystal Creek, 7:15:04, Veterans
For a list of all Ski to Sea 2022 results, visit skitosea.pacificmultisports.com/results/leg.
