Longboard races, chili cook off are just ahead

Two coming events will wrap up Cathlamet's summer weekend festivities.

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.

On September 4, Buzzards' Breath Chili Cook Off will take place at the Elochoman Slough Marina.

The Wahkiakum Chamber of Commerce is sponsoring both events.

The longboard races start Friday at 5 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 starting at 9 a.m. at Stockhouse Farm on West Birnie Slough Road and a giant slalom in the afternoon on Una Street.

Saturday night, there will be a live band at the marina, and the Chamber will have a beer garden.

The Sunday downhill race starts with early morning warm-ups and competitive runs around 11 a.m. The course starts at Wahkiakum High School and weaves down South Third, Spring, Columbia and Broadway to finish on Commercial.

Parts of streets will be closed for the races. On Friday, Broadway and River streets will close at 3 p.m. On Saturday, Una Street will close at the highway end at 10 a.m. to set up for the Giant Slalom race. At 8 a.m. Sunday, the downhill course will close to set up.

The town council passed a resolution closing the streets along the course to parking during races and gave law enforcement authority to have violating vehicles towed away.

The SR 409 intersection at the foot of Columbia Street will be closed at times during the Sunday races, and the SR 409 intersections with Birnie Slough and Sunny Sands roads will be closed at times Saturday.

Chamber Race Chair Sandi Benbrook Rieder said chamber members will go door to door before the races to explain to residents what is happening. Volunteers will monitor the course and make sure action is stopped so that residents can go to and from their houses.

So far, 46 racers have registered for the event, Benbrook Rieder said. She said organizers expect 60 or more.

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.

The Seventh Annual Buzzards Breath Chili Cook-Off will take place at the marina on September 4, and the Chamber is looking for participating teams.

Teams should contact the Chamber office at the phone number above or find a copy of the rules and application at the office or on the Internet at http://www.wahkiakumchamber.com.

There is no cost to enter, and teams have the opportunity to win a unique trophy and bragging rights.

Cooking starts at 10 a.m., and the public will start tasting at 1 p.m. Judging is at 3 p.m.

Other activities include a Tortilla Throwing Contest--kids get prizes, live music, a beer garden, and the Cow Plop Raffle--if the cow hits your spot, you will win 25 percent of the pot from the day's proceeds.