Town prepares for longboards

Cathlamet's first professional longboard racing weekend is getting closer, and local officials continue to work on plans for the event.

The community will host longboarders from around the world August 28, 29 and 30.

Veteran longboarders will present clinics on Friday the 28th at Wahkiakum High School.

Longboarders will compete in two races on Saturday the 29th. At 9 a.m., they start a seven-mile long push race around the western end of Puget Island. At 12 noon, they'll participate in slalom races on River Street.

On Sunday the 30th, streets will be closed intermittently as the longboarders compete in a downhill course starting at the high school and ending on Commercial Street near the funeral home building. Affected streets include South 3rd, Spring, Columbia, Main, Broadway and Commercial.

Organizers will go door to door in town and explain what's happening, Lynda Gerlach, administrative assistant of the Wahkiakum Chamber of Commerce, said Tuesday.

Cathlamet's town council on Monday passed a resolution requiring people to remove parked vehicles from affected streets during the race day. The resolution authorized the towing of vehicles at the owner's expense.

The races will pause to allow residents to drive to and from homes. Longboarders will provide course monitors with whom residents can coordinate trips. The longboards or volunteers will post flaggers to direct traffic, which will be stopped briefly along the routes for the races.

The Chamber is planning for 300 visitors, Event Coordinator Sandi Benbrook-Rieder said. Registration for the races is being conducted on-line by Rip City Skate in Portland (www.ripcityskate.com). The downhill is limited to 100 racers, the slalom to 30 racers, and the push race is open to an unlimited number of participants.