Eight Oak Harbor competitors braved snow, sea and the miles of road in between to compete in the Ski to Sea marathon race over Memorial Day weekend.

Team Whidbey Coffee was one of 500 teams battling in what used to be the Mount Baker Marathon, which began in 1911.

There are seven events in the race from Mount Baker to Bellingham Bay. In order, Susan Briddell took on cross country skiing; Kyle Bodamer did downhill skiing; Mike Briddell was the runner; Brian Wood did road biking; John Burks and Mark Willstatter canoed; Matt Plush mountain biked; and Jackie Bykonen kayaked.

The team chose their name because Whidbey Coffee is a popular hangout spot for members of the Whidbey Island Bicycle Club, which some team members are part of.

“There were a lot of crazy team names on the Ski to Sea roster, but we wanted something that let everyone know that we are proud of our island,” Wood said.

Not only did Dan Ollis of Whidbey Coffee allow the team to use the name, but he purchased weatherproof shirts for the team members that read “Whidbey Coffee.” The team expressed their thanks to Whidbey Coffee.

The team was made up of teachers, retirees, a firefighter and a ninth-grade student, four of whom had prior Ski to Sea experience.

“We were not in the event for top times; rather, we enjoyed the camaraderie of pulling a team together to represent our island. Our times were decent, which reflected solid effort and athleticism on the part of all team members. The sun was shining, our timing chip handoffs were clean and there were no significant injuries or mishaps during the all-day event so it was definitely a success,” Wood said.

For Susan Briddell, cross country skier, the experience was entirely new. While she said she enjoys recreational skiing, she agreed to do the race and even made it in 59 minutes, beating her goal of one hour.

“I had a great time,” she said. Susan Briddell is a second-grade teacher at Oak Harbor Elementary School.

Her largest obstacle was at the start line as 500 skiers took off at the same time on the four-mile course.

“The biggest problem was dodging the people falling in front of me,” she said.

She handed off to Bodamer, the downhill skier. His course consisted of two and one-half miles of skiing and hiking up ski slopes.

Bodamer, a ninth-grade student at Coupeville High School, was unable to be reached for comment.

This was Mike Briddell’s second time participating as a runner on the eight-mile trek from the upper lodge at Mount Baker to the Washington Department of Transportation facility 2,000 feet below. He teaches science at North Whidbey Middle School.

“Eight miles downhill takes its toll on the legs. The hardest part is when you hit the flats with about a half mile to go. After running downhill for that long, the flats seem hard,” Briddell said, adding that the slight incline into the finish was a killer.

He clocked in at just over 55 minutes feeling good about his run.

“I had a great day participating with a great team,” Mike Briddell said.

He handed off to Wood, road biker and Coupeville High School science teacher. When he got to his starting line, it was about 38 degrees with several hours to wait until his leg began.

“For awhile, everything was pretty relaxed, but then the band stopped playing and the first team number was called, and all the riders quickly snapped to attention,” Wood said.

Wood took off on the 42-mile course, facing strong winds while a few riders formed pace line to fight air resistance. He rode alone until the final four miles of the course, when he formed a pace line with a few other riders, then handed off with a time of one hour and 49 minutes.

Burks and Willstatter set off in the canoe for 18 and one-half miles of racing on the Nooksack River.

Both are retired, Burks from the pharmaceutical industry and Willstatter from an electronic business. With water temperatures of 45 to 50 degrees, Willstatter said safety was their first priority. They’d prepared by taking a class in April, since they hadn’t been in a canoe since Boy Scouts, and are also part of the Puget Sound Dragon Boat club in Oak Harbor.

While the pair didn’t face any trouble, they saw a number of their competitors fished from the water and one boat pinned against logs by the current.

“Our trip was mostly uneventful except for one occasion when one of the supposed helpers in a sheriff’s department launch picked exactly the wrong time to accelerate up stream, causing a wake that might well have swamped us if not for quick action by John (Burks) to turn us perpendicular to the wake,” Willstatter said.

They almost made their time goal of two and one-half hours; they finished at two hours and 34 minutes.

“Ski-to-Sea was a great experience. We stayed alive and dry and even almost met our time goal,” Willstatter said.

Plush, a firefighter in Woodinville, headed on the 13-mile mountain bike leg. This was his first time doing the bike leg and he completed in under an hour, placing him in the top 25 percent of riders. While Plush said the wind was a challenge, the route itself wasn’t too technical.

“It was very good. The festival afterward was great,” Plush said of Ski to Sea.

Bykonen finished the race as the kayaker. She teaches physical education and coaches basketball at Coupeville High School but plans to move to Bellingham this summer.

In the past, she has done the running leg but was excited to try the challenge of kayaking five miles.

“I was so glad I did not capsize in my kayak, and was even more thrilled that I now know that I can paddle in choppy water,” Bykonen said.

While she said she wasn’t happy with her time because she had to backtrack when she missed a buoy, she said she had a wonderful experience participating in the race and expanding her skills.

“We all met at the end to watch our kayaker paddle in to Maritime Park and run up to ring the bell that signals the end of the race. Afterward we all went to the Big Fat Fish restaurant in Fairhaven and recounted our day’s events,” Wood said.

“And we’re looking forward to doing it again next year,” Plush said.