The road to Artist Point, the final 2.7 miles of State Route 542/Mount Baker Highway, is closed for the season.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
January 8, 2024

MEDIA CONTACT:
Anna Rankin
anna@skitosea.com
360-746-8861

Registration Is Open for Ski to Sea & The Mt Baker Hill Climb

Whatcom Events is pleased to announce that registration is open for two of our biggest events of the year!

Ski To Sea

The 2024 Ski to Sea Race will be Sunday, May 26th and registration opened on January 1st. As of today (January 4th), we already have 67 teams signed up! We are running a incentive for teams who sign up before January 15th, one team will be chosen at random and receive 50th Anniversary hoodies for the entire team! All teams who register prior to February 28th receive a $50 discount off the team entry price. Currently, there are no changes to 2024 registration, divisions or rules.

We had a blast celebrating the 50th Anniversary of Ski to Sea last year. Here are some of our highlights… 

  • We had a nearly sold-out year (478 teams of the 500 teams)
  • We hosted participants from 40 of 50 states (and six different countries) for our 50th Anniversary Challenge! We aim to get someone from the remaining states of AL, AR, DE, KY, LA, MI, MS, ND, RI, and WV this year and will give any team with a racer from one of these states a 50% discount code for team entry.
  • We clocked over 20,000 at the Marine Park Finish Line (a record).
  • We added a beer garden at Hovander Park (we won't run out of beer this year, we promise).

The Jr Ski to Sea Race (for elementary, middle and high school racers) will be Saturday, May 11 this year and registration will open February 1. More details to follow on that event.

Mt Baker Hill Climb

Registration for the September 15th Mt Baker Hill Climb also opened on January 1st and we currently have 33 racers signed up. This event is capped at 450 total riders and last year the event sold out! Big thanks again to Phil Gaimon for attending the event last year and helping us continue to put this race on the map! His record is going to be hard to beat!

Phil had this to say about his experience, "Mt. Baker Hill Climb was well-run, safe, scenic, and challenging but with a positive atmosphere. I had tons of fun racing and meeting all of the riders, and I'll keep an eye out for more reasons to return to Bellingham. This was a perfect way to check Mt. Baker off of my list, and I'm excited to share the episode of Worst Retirement Ever with you all."

We are thrilled to announce that we started registration early this year in conjunction with the Gran Fondo Guide Award announcement on January 1. You can see their Top 10 North American Gran Fondos list here. We are so honored to have made this list.

Giving Back to our Community

Whatcom Events is thrilled to announce that our charitable contributions to non-profit organizations in 2023 was $23,000. This brings our grand total of contributions since we began operations in 2010 to $177,850! The 2023 total is based on contributions from all five of the events we host; Jr Ski to Sea, Ski to Sea, the Tour de Whatcom, the Mt Baker Hill Climb, and Trails to Taps Relay

The recipients of our 2023 donations were:  

  • Lydia Place
  • Incite Cycles
  • Shifting Gears
  • Habitat for Humanity
  • Food Banks - Bellingham, Nooksack Valley, Foothills, Ferndale and Lummi Island
  • Bellingham Canoe and Kayak Sprint Team
  • Girl Scouts of Western Washington
  • Whatcom County Search and Rescue
  • Whatcom Emergency Communication Group
  • Area Fire Districts
  • WWU – Men’s Rugby
  • WWU - Water Ski Team
  • WWU - Running Club
  • Explorations Academy
  • Blaine High School Ferndale Band Boosters
  • Cascade Bike Club

We are proud to standby our mission of showcasing the diverse natural beauty and outdoor recreational opportunities Whatcom County has to offer while supporting local nonprofit organizations in our community. 

        We acknowledge that Whatcom County is located on the unceded territory of the Coast Salish Peoples. They cared for the lands that included what we’d call the Puget Sound region, Vancouver Island and British Columbia since time immemorial. This gives us the great obligation and opportunity to learn how to care for our surrounding areas and all the natural and human resources we require to live. We express our deepest respect and gratitude for our indigenous neighbors, the Lummi Nation and Nooksack Tribe, for their enduring care and protection of our shared lands and waterways.
Bellingham Whatcom County Tourism
Visitor Center Located at I-5 Exit 253 - Check Hours
904 Potter Street, Bellingham, WA 98229
Phone: 360-671-3990
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