Whatcom County's largest community event is fast approaching, and the race can't happen without you. Ski to Sea -- the beloved multi-sport relay race that runs from the slopes of Mount Baker all the way to Bellingham Bay -- needs more than 500 volunteers to staff everything from the alpine start line to the kayak finish at Marine Park. The 2026 volunteer sign-up form is open now, and organizers are actively recruiting people to join what is genuinely one of the most fun days on the Whatcom County calendar.
Ski to Sea has been a defining event for Bellingham and Whatcom County for decades. The race winds teams of competitors through seven disciplines -- cross-country skiing, downhill skiing, running, road cycling, canoeing, mountain biking, and sea kayaking -- across a route that spans roughly 90 miles from the Heather Meadows area on Mount Baker to the finish line on Bellingham Bay. It draws thousands of participants and spectators, makes major contributions to the local economy, and serves as a touchstone for community identity in a way few events can match.
None of that happens without the Race Committee -- the corps of volunteers who show up year after year, some for 30 consecutive years, to staff checkpoints, manage transitions, direct traffic, and keep the whole sprawling operation running on time. The event is produced by Whatcom Events, a local nonprofit that operates on lean staffing. Just two full-time employees and one part-time staffer manage Ski to Sea and five other regional events annually. Volunteers aren't a supplement to the workforce -- they are the workforce.
Volunteer roles are available across all sections of the race, from the high alpine segments at Mount Baker to the urban stretches through Bellingham neighborhoods. Positions typically include checkpoint staffing, transition zone management, water station support, traffic and crowd control, and finish line operations at Marine Park on Bellingham Bay. Each role comes with training from experienced Race Committee veterans. For people new to the event, volunteering is actually one of the best ways to understand what Ski to Sea is really about -- seeing the race from the inside, at every stage, is a different experience than watching from the sidelines.
Everyone who volunteers receives a Ski to Sea T-shirt and a lunch provided by race organizers. More than the perks, though, people who have volunteered for years consistently describe the day as one of the highlights of their spring. The Race Committee has a culture of its own -- the kind of community that forms when the same people show up for the same cause, year after year, and find that they're glad they did.
To sign up, visit the Volunteer Center of Whatcom County's registration page for Ski to Sea 2026, or go directly to the official sign-up through skitosea.com. The Bellingham.org events page also lists volunteer information for those who find it there first. Organizers encourage people to sign up early -- popular positions fill quickly, and the Race Committee's training process works best when roles are confirmed well ahead of race day.
Ski to Sea is one of those events that Whatcom County residents either love as participants or love as spectators -- and it turns out the people who love it most are often the ones who showed up one year to help and never stopped coming back. If you have been curious about getting involved, this is the year.
