This year’s Ski to Sea roster includes racers from neighboring states and provinces as well as folks traveling from as far as Texas, Minnesota, and Virginia. But only one team hails almost entirely from the Last Frontier.
First drawn by the siren call of the 50th anniversary Ski to Sea in 2023, the recreational mixed team Alaska All-Stars is back this year.
Team captain Dr. Anne Morrison of Bellingham is still an honorary Alaskan, commuting to Anchorage every two weeks to work as a trauma surgeon, but she and her husband, Rob Schroeter, moved to Washington in 2020.
They struggled to plug into the social scene because of COVID-19, but through their neighbors, they learned that Ski to Sea needed volunteers. In 2022 they worked at the canoe inspection station, and volunteered on-course during the 2023 Jr. Ski to Sea.
“The vibe was so fun, so awesome, so celebratory, that we decided we needed to put together a team,” Morrison said.
The only problem was that most people they knew in Bellingham were already spoken for. But for the anniversary in 2023, race organizers called for representation from all 50 states to celebrate. Morrison and Schroeter had a bevy of sporty Anchorage friends, and when they started recruiting for Ski to Sea, the response was immediate and enthusiastic.
Morrison handles the race logistics for the team (think lots of spreadsheets), while her two deputies in Anchorage, Jackie Klecka and Charlotte Weston, “crack the whip” on team meet-ups, training and travel.
“Anne is a top-notch planner and leads the coordinating efforts,” cyclocross racer Jan Rogers said.
The 2023 event couldn’t have been better for the Alaskans. As the runner, Morrison had some reservations about how hard the downhill jolting would be on her joints, but after previewing the course, she took on the 8-mile race leg with aplomb. Klecka, the road biker, loved the thrilling, scenic ride down Mount Baker Highway and through rolling farmlands to Everson. Schroeter was one of the last kayakers released before the leg was canceled due to high winds, so the Alaska All-Stars got to experience the satisfaction of ringing the bell at Marine Park. They placed 24th in the Rec Mixed Category.
Every team member had so much fun that they all signed up for this year without hesitation (saving one spot for Jenny Owens, who drove a support vehicle last year because she was pregnant).
Alaska All-Stars have the logistical advantage of local ties — Schroeter owns a sea kayak and the team rents a canoe from Bloedel rather than transporting boats from Anchorage. The bikers and skiers, however, fly with their own gear, and getting the team to HQ at Morrison and Schroeter’s house requires multiple airport shuttles.
Jenny Owens and Vince Stewart, who are signed up for the cross-country and downhill ski legs, are happy they’ll get to slide down snow, since they’ve spent plenty of time skiing in Alaska this winter.
Starting the weekend off right with a barbeque and yard party on Friday, the Alaska All-Stars believe they “go above and beyond” in contributing to the festive Ski to Sea atmosphere.
“We’re definitely vocal,” Morrison said. “We have team uniforms and decals, we proudly waved a massive Alaska flag everywhere we spectated. The Alaska crew goes pretty hard — it’s a rowdy, fun-loving group.”
Klecka said about this year’s event, “I’m most looking forward to visiting beautiful Bellingham, trying to beat my time from last year, and spending quality time with our team again.”
Julia Tellman writes about civic issues and anything else that happens to cross her desk; contact her at juliatellman@cascadiadaily.com.
