Ski to Sea Longevity?
John Rybczyk Mar 26 #33450

I was editing my ski to sea team roster this evening and the question occurred to me; What team(s) have the longest consecutive record for participation over the years? I'm guessing it might be Mt. Baker, or perhaps Beaver Tree Service? Baron's possibly, they bowed out recently but were early participants. I'm sure I'm missing some.

What about amongst us paddlers, who has the longest consecutive record of participation? Not counting the covid years, of course.

And, who has the record for the earliest debut (not counting Duncan's participation in the first iteration (1911 - 1913)? The modern era started in 1973 I believe.

Reivers Dustin Mar 26 #33452

Pretty sure LB or Thom has more S2S races under their belt for individual. LB built his entire oversized two car garage just for his S2S t-shirts. Thom has every boat he's ever paddled in S2S somewhere around his place. These two rascals chaired legs for many moons. So they would know teams and race history. I like to goof around (… ya think?) but serously that work they did in the early years set a tone for the race. You can bet there were times when there was a lot of pulled out hair on the floor after some of their meetings.

hehe, what was that old race on the mountain they used to do? There were stories about teams had to exchange underwear during their leg? We think we got game, but those old time folks pulled some real shenanigans.

rd

David Scherrer Mar 26 #33453

I'll elect myself, as Dunc took off a few years…..My first race was in 1975.
D.

Larry Bussinger Mar 27 #33454

I’m pretty sure David has more races under his belt and maybe Dunc and Thom. I’ve only done it 36 times. 29 kayak, 4 canoe, 2 sailboat, and 1 x-country ski.

Big race 37 coming up!

The longest Team name must be Beavers Tree.

I laid these out to see if I had enough to make a quilt.

Larry Bussinger

Edoh Amiran Mar 27 #33455

In the team category, measuring longevity might be tricky. For example, the team I'm on started in 1994 and has had the same name each year. We have had three people who have been on the team, and doing the same legs (road bike and canoe), every year since - meaning every year that the race was held. A fourth person was on the team each year except one, which she missed because of pregnancy. Other racers have been regulars on the team but were not on it the whole time. I suspect that 30 years in a row (well, 28 non-covid year) with the same canoe partner is a record, but I don't know.

Team name would be the easiest to follow (Mt Baker, BFD, Beavers TS, Win's, Barron's?), but how many team members have to be the same, or overlap from year to year, for it to count as the same team rather than the same sponsor? Does longevity require a majority of team-mates throughout the period (Amjay?), or a majority over-lap from year to year?

It would be a difficult task, but the names and numbers of teams were all published in the Bellingham Herald, and old copies are available – at least on microfische. Some folks (Duncan or LB or Rievers or Paul C or David S maybe? - I regret to say I cleaned mine out some years ago) might have copies of the paper results they used to send out, which would make the task of updating the historical records a little easier. The “results” link on seatoski is excellent, but does not go back very far. You'd need a searchable database (or at least a database and some programming) to answer the longevity questions. I see a challenge to create a project for scanners, data cleaning, and perhaps some search or AI software.

Edoh

Jeff Davis Mar 27 #33456

My first trip down the river was 74. I believe Gail Howat preceded Duncan in the race, he’s observant of the fast women folk around him.
Jeff D

John Rybczyk Mar 27 #33457

Edoh wrote,

“In the team category, measuring longevity might be tricky. For example, the team I'm on started in 1994 and has had the same name each year. We have had three people who have been on the team, and doing the same legs (road bike and canoe), every year since - meaning every year that the race was held. A fourth person was on the team each year except one, which she missed because of pregnancy. Other racers have been regulars on the team but were not on it the whole time. I suspect that 30 years in a row (well, 28 non-covid year) with the same canoe partner is a record, but I don't know. ”

Yes, I considered this. Some corporate sponsored teams have been around for a long time, but have different team members every year and the team members might not even know each other. Other teams revolve around a core group of friends with some substitutions every year (like yours). I can't imagine there are many (any?) teams that keep the same eight racers year after year after year, that would be some trick. What is the name of your team Edoh? My team (Darwin's Bulldogs) is like yours, a core group of friends with several rotational racers from year to year. We've been racing consecutively since 2001. Long enough that we have transitioned from Rec to Open to Masters to Veterans!

paul clement Mar 27 #33458

This would be a heavy lift to build a spreadsheet that was complete. I don't think the records are available.
I agree there are a lot of teams that were mostly consistent for many years. When I organized the Amjay teams, we were super consistent for more than ten years but still had a few stand-ins. We also traveled to Wenatchee (Ridge to River) and Bend (Pole, Pedal, Paddle) as essentially the same team for those years.

It seems some form of this conversation comes up every year. I admit to having approximated my years of participation mostly because I never really sat down and figured it out. Connie is out of town and I was bored last night so I finally I put it all down.

So, here it is:
First year: 1982
Missed: 2005 (hip replace), 2009 (hip replace), 2018 (hip replace) and COVID 2020, 2021
Most consecutive: 1982-2004 (23 years)
Double Leg Years (road bike, kayak): 2011, 12, 13, 14, 15, 17
Triple Leg Year (road bike, cyclocross, kayak): 2019
Total Years: 36
Total legs: 44

Just writing this makes me tired…
pc

John Rybczyk Mar 27 #33459

That's amazing Paul, however, what I find most remarkable is that you have three hips!

joanandthom Mar 27 #33460

I would not say that I have been racing the longest ever. I haven't. Over the years there were times when I gave up my seat in a canoe because of STS organization duties and injuries. I would guess LB has probably the longest consecutive streak. As he was on the race committee before me. , But David, I remember being kick out of the canoe because you brother, Ted, wanted to paddle with you.so that would have been my third year, so that predates you by 2 years. But then again I can't remember what I had for dinner last night so how am I to remember details from that far back. Also I remember when we had just over 100 teams I remember tandem canoes, solo canoes, kayaks all going down the river to the Marietta tide flats. I remember this guy named Greg flying down the river in a sprint kayak

Michael Lee Mar 27 #33461

Impressive. If only Ski to Sea had a Lifetime Achievement Award. So many deserving local athletes.

MARC WHITLOCK Mar 28 #33463

I've not kept as close a record as many of the “luminaries” here, but the race definitely got into my blood since 1983. I did the running leg for 18 years straight, which doesn't say much about my intelligence. I took one year off because of a knee surgery. The first time I kayaked I felt guilty because I had so much fun, but ran 2 more times as I was learning the surfski.

This will be my 14th consecutive year paddling. Feeling fortunate to still be part of it.

marc w.

David Scherrer Mar 28 #33466

I believe I took a total of 3 years off after 1975, Hmm that makes total of 40 ski to sea I believe…(BTW Thom, I taught Ted how to marathon canoe)
My first s to s race down the Nooksack was in a plastic Old Town, roly bottom canoe. Paddled with Glen Alexander, a boundary waters canoe guide.
Attempted to sing old voyager canoe songs and chants on our way down. Our team was the “Wilson Library”. Ended at Hovander Park.

bflannelly50 Mar 29 #33467

I know it isn’t possible to outbarnacle a Barnacle, but is there a “consecutive years in the back seat of a canoe while drinking margaritas” category? I started in 1990 and after a few years realized I needed to switch to the blended variety because the sound of clinking ice cubes irritated my bowman. 31 years with Bellingham Firefighters, 33 if covid counts. My best year was 2008, when I equalled Brian Boatman’s time😊
The Other Brian

Larry Bussinger Mar 29 #33473

It would be fun to know if any of the other legs (not paddling) have as long of participation.

Larry Bussinger

Duncan Howat Mar 29 #33475

Ha ,you guys that just paddle canoes with other guys know nothing about years of participation until you race the race with your wife( significant other) of many years,more than once, maybe like 15 .The divorce boat as most mixed doubles are known. So the first year we raced, in a P-3, She insisted I be in the stern, I was fat out of shape, but of course

I knew everything about canoes (not so much) the stern was under water, but we sealed it tight, no water could come in but the bow was almost out of the water with her trying to reach the water with her paddle. Well as the years went by we worked things out, I was in the bow, learned to give up all control,which Tom P hasn't,, and am still going to write a little pamphlet, “Everything I ever learned about how to stay in a relationship I learned in a canoe.

David Scherrer Mar 30 #33478

I can relate Dunc, as Susan and I were in the ski to sea canoe heading down the Nooksack for 13 years. One definitely learns what not to do….
D.

Dennis Mowry Mar 30 #33481

I haven't been in the canoe, but I think driving in a car relates.
:D'