Longboard races return this month

On August 27, 28 and 29, Cathlamet and Puget Island will host the Second Annual Cathlamet Downhill Corral, a series of internationally sanctioned longboard races.

The event kicks off Friday at 4 p.m. with dual races: A slide competition will begin on Main and Broadway streets and a tight slalom race that will start at Broadway and River streets.

There will be three races on Saturday, push races of 7.5 and 15 miles on Puget Island in the morning and a "mystery slalom" in the afternoon on Una Street.

Stockhouse Farm will host the morning races and will provide a breakfast for all pre-enrolled participants.

Saturday night, there will be a live band at the Marina, and the Wahkiakum Chamber of Commerce will have a beer garden.

Racing concludes Sunday with the downhill race starting at Wahkiakum High School and weaving down the town hill to the waterfront at Broadway. Racers will warm up on the course starting at 9 a.m.

So far, 40 racers have registered for the event, Chamber Executive Director Lynda Gerlach said Tuesday. She said organizers expect 60 or more.

She added that organizers are looking for volunteers to help with the event.

Individuals or organizations are invited to sponsor a racer, she said. They can sponsor an individual for $100, or a $90 donation will be split among two racers.

Volunteers would also be welcome to serve as course marshals or assistants, she said. Interested persons should contact her at the Chamber office, 795-9996.

“We have a wonderful list of sponsors this year," Gerlach said, "including Rip City Skate, Venom, The Stockhouse Farm, Bank of the Pacific, Inertia Longboards, Sector 9, the UpRise, PDX DH, Coast Longboarding, Fireball, Ninkasi Brewing, Northwest Shirts, Pizza Schmizza, Timeship Racing, Rayne, ABK Skateboards, Longboard Larry, Subsonic, Eastlake Longboards, HIH, Switchback Longboards and the Wahkiakum Chamber of Commerce."

“This will be quite an event! Hundreds of guests will be coming to town to view this three day event,” said Sandra Rieder, Chamber past president.

Registration and more information can be obtained on line at http://www.cathlametcorral.com.