Preparing for the Home Stretch…and then some…

Over the past decade, Sean has competed in Bellingham’s Ski to Sea festival almost every year.  The race is an eight-person relay from Mt. Baker down to Bellingham Bay—cross country skiing, downhill skiing, running, road biking, canoeing, mountain biking, and kayaking.  He’s done every leg—the canoe leg twice—except for one.  The last one.  The one where he the racer rings the bell for their team’s finish.  The kayak leg.
He’s been saving the kayak leg for his last leg, and that will be next year in May 2013.  We have friends who have done the leg once or twice, or many, many times.  Some years, it’s a beautiful race in the bay.  Other years, it’s choppy and cold and you take your life into your own hands (or the organizers cancel that leg of the race).  We’re pretty set on the idea of Sean coming home in one piece from the race next year, so he took a Sea Kayaking 101 course.  He loved it, and soon after, bought a kayak to practice with until next year. 

And after the race is over, don’t expect him to sell this one.  I’d think it’s much more likely he’ll be trying to get the boys into some kayaks of their own (or who knows, maybe his fraidy cat wife, too).