The Ski to Sea marathon start out on Mt. Baker. Thanks to Ramona Mayhem on Flickr for the photo.

For you hardcore athletes out there (yeah, I’m sure there are TONS reading my beer blog), Ski to Sea up in Bellingham/Mt. Baker is your chance to kick some ass in a marathon that goes from the top of Mt. Baker all the way to Bellingham Bay. This is a team relay competition that involves 90 miles of Cross Country Skiing, Downhill Skiing, Running, Road Bike Race, Mountain Bike Race, Canoeing and Kayaking. It’s not too late to register. The actual race is Sunday, May 24.

While the race doesn’t start until Sunday, the celebration in Bellingham really begins on Friday. If you’re looking for something to do for Memorial Day, you might think about taking a trip up to Bellingham for the weekend.

Here’s a post from Boundary  Bay’s blog on what they’ll have going on:

Ski to Sea Weekend is, arguably, the kick off to summer here in Bellingham and the fun this year will be taking place May 22nd-24th!

The annual Ski to Sea Race from Mt. Baker to Bellingham Bay can be traced back to the Mt. Baker Marathon held from 1911 to 1913.  The idea for the marathon was developed by the Mt. Baker Club, a group of conservation minded citizens that were attempting to have the North Cascades area designated as part of the National Park System. The foot race to the top of Mt. Baker was a publicity stunt aimed at focusing the government’s attentions on the region. In 1973, the Mt. Baker Marathon was recreated and called the Ski to Sea Race. The Race, now a relay, was designed to showcase the recreational opportunities in Whatcom County. The Race has evolved into the “Grand Daddy” of all races, attracting participants from all over the world. In 2005, the Ski to Sea Race was featured nationally on the “Fox Sports Northwest” network, reaching 3.2 million households.

Interestingly, this race has also become a long weekend packed with celebrations all over town for racers and non-racers alike. The actual race is on Sunday, May 24th, but like the training the racers undergo, those of us on the celebrating side of things like to get a good warm up in too.  And that’s where Boundary Bay Brewery comes in to help!

We’re kicking off the fesivities on Wednesday, May 20th when we officially open our Beer Garden season with the very first Yogoman’s Wild Rumpus of 2009!  DJ Jordan Rain has been gracing our garden for years now on Wednesday nights in the summer.  He spins reggae while adults and children alike enjoy the beer garden, the BBQ, and hula hooping in the sunshine.  The event is all ages until 10 pm and kids get in free ($3 cover for everybody else)!

Then, on Thursday, we’ll have our Happy Hour BBQ down in the Beer Garden from 4-6 pm where you can grab pints for $1 less than usual and score brats, burgers, and/or bocca burgers (all with fries!) for $4.  What a steal!  Plus, every Thursday during our Happy Hour, we tap a different type of Cask Ale for your drinking pleasure and we have Robert Blake on hand to bring music to the Beer Garden and make your Happy Hour even happier.

Friday night is when all the fun around town this weekend gets kicked into high gear!  On Friday, Jordan Rain returns to the Boundary Bay Brewery, but this time he’s leaving the records at home and bringing his band instead.  At 9 pm, Yogoman’s Burning Band will take the stage in our Beer Garden and get everyone dancing with their fun, slightly kooky and super lively music replete with horns, percussion, and lots of guitar.  This is, seriously, not a performance that you want to miss! (check out the video below for a sneek peak.)

Acorn Project, another favorite Bellingham band, keeps the party going strong on Saturday night down in the Boundary Bay Beer Garden (9pm/$8 cover).  As a six-piece ensemble featuring saxophone, guitar, slide, keyboards, bass, drums, and percussion, Acorn Project produces an irresistibly unique sound and seemed to have perfected funk-infused progressive rock. Formed in 2004, this Bellingham, WA based sextet is rapidly building a devoted fan-base around the country.  Bring your dancin’ shoes for this show!

Sunday morning, May 24th, is the day of the actual race and, while we’ll have a women’s team competing in Ski to Sea, we’re also fitting in just a little more celebrating before the festivities end.  Ryder Cunningham will be playing down in our Beer Garden from 6-8 pm and then the Atlantics will play at 8 pm to wrap up our long weekend.  We’re certainly excited about Ski to Sea weekend…and we’re sure you are too.  Come celebrate Memorial Day weekend with us here at Boundary Bay Brewery!

And here is what is going on at Chuckanut Brewery:

Chuckanut Brewery & Kitchen (601 W. Holly St.) will celebrate Bellingham’s Annual ‘Ski to Sea’ Event over the Memorial Day Weekend. There will be waterfront outdoor seating, BBQ with Beer & Wine, along with Live Music.
The BBQ will start at 4pm on both Saturday (May 23rd) and Sunday (May 24th) outside on the back patio. Live Music from local Bellingham bands will play on both Saturday (Sabrina Los Reyes, Latin Fusion) and Sunday (Snug Harbor, Jazz Funk) beginning at 8:00PM under the covered patio. All ages welcome. No cover on Sat, May 23rd (Sabrina Los Reyes), $3 cover after 8:00PM on Sun, May 24th (Snug Harbor).

The outdoor bbq will be offered under the back covered patio and have a choice of Local Hempler Brats with house sauerkraut, Local Misty Isle Cheese burgers, and Garden Burgers all served with Tim’s Potato chips. The regular dinner menu for Chuckanut Brewery and Kitchen will only be offered inside and on the waterside outdoor patio.

Sabrina y Los Reyes will be performing their lively mix of Spanish/English Latin Fusion music Saturday Night and Snug Harbor ($3 cover) will perform their Earthy Melodic Jazz and Funky Bass line Sunday Night both shows at 8:00PM. Both shows will be all ages, and customers can enjoy dancing the night away with great beer & food!

Chuckanut Brewery and Kitchen, located in Old Town, Bellingham, it is a brewery and restaurant offering a full-service menu. Started by the originators of Thomas Kemper Brewery in 1984, Mari and Will Kemper are now pleased to welcome guests to their new brewery and restaurant starting at 11:30 am every day. For additional information, contact Mari Kemper at (360)752-3377.