Race to Alaska founder challenges America’s Cup champs to enter 750-mile race

Answers to important questions nobody has asked me yet:

Q: Can a set of steak knives lure the world’s fifth richest man to Port Townsend for a 750-mile boat race to Alaska?

This summer’s inaugural Race to Alaska, a fundraiser for the Northwest Maritime Center, was deemed a success thanks in no small part to the marketing charm of director Jake Beattie.

At last weekend’s Wooden Boat Festival, also run by the center, details were announced for the June 23, 2016, race. Once again, racers in engineless boats are invited to pay the $650 entry fee to race to Ketchikan, Alaska. The winner gets $10,000. Second place gets a set of steak knives.

And, once again, Beattie is getting creative in his efforts to promote the adventure race. Last week, he posted a video and launched a campaign challenging two-time America’s Cup champion Larry Ellison, the billionaire former CEO of Oracle Corp., to enter the race.

In a video posted Sept. 11 to YouTube, Beattie promises to waive the entry fee if the “fancy sailor” starts the race and guarantees him a pair of R2AK steak knives if he can finish.

On the event website, the race description now starts with a warning for those considering the race. “This isn’t for everyone,” it reads. “We doubt Larry Ellison and his America’s Cup boats could even finish.” On another page, dedicated to the Ellison “throw down,” Beattie adds “If they did finish, could they beat the kayakers?”

In June, the winners used a sail boat to finish in just over five days. Thirty-five teams started, but only 15 teams in a variety of boats (including one kayak) finished.

“Someone called this race ‘The America’s Cup for Dirtbags,’ but we try to be inclusive,” Beattie said in a statement. “Last year, there was a lot of fear among the racers that he (Ellison) would show up in a multimillion-dollar boat and turn this good-natured, grassroots thing into an arms race. But the more we thought about it, the less we were sure that an America’s Cup boat would actually make it. They sail fast, but seem to break a lot.”

Beattie also mailed a letter to Ellison and is attempting to launch a social media campaign using #WillLarryStart and #CanLarryFinish.

It’s all (presumably) tongue-in-cheek. At one point in the video, Beattie holds the letter in front of his face in what appears to be an attempt to mask a smile.

The challenge video concludes with a close-up shot of the steak knives in their handsome carrying case sitting on a rotating display in the bed of a pickup truck.

Ellison may be worth $50 billion and own a yacht roughly the size the Port Townsend, but clearly there are some things money can’t buy.

Q: Mountain biking is one of the fastest growing outdoor activities. What’s a good way to get my kids into it?

It’s not uncommon for the Evergreen Mountain Bike Alliance to get more than 300 participants at its annual Take a Kid Mountain Biking Day event at Issaquah’s Duthie Hill Park.

The alliance has been at the forefront of the sport in Washington, building trail systems like Duthie Hill and Tacoma’s Swan Creek Park designed for mountain bikers of all skill levels.

The Oct. 3 event at Duthie Hill starts at 10 a.m. and includes guided rides and short skill clinics teaching the basics of riding. A barbecue lunch, a challenge on the pump track, prizes and a jumping demonstration are also part of the festivities.

The event is free, but alliance officials request people sign up at evergreenmtb.org/TakeAKidMTB.

Q: What are the best trails for hiking this fall?

The Washington Trails Association, a trail advocacy group is hosting a get together for hikers Oct. 14 in Tacoma. Trails and Ales is scheduled for 6 p.m. at The Swiss, 1904 Jefferson Ave., Tacoma. The association is covering the hors d’oeuvres.

The group, which hosts numerous volunteer trail construction and repair work parties each year, envisions the event as an opportunity to meet fellow hikers, share summer stories, recommend good trails for fall and learn about the group and protecting trails. For more information, visit wta.org.

This story was originally published September 19, 2015 at 2:36 AM with the headline "Race to Alaska founder challenges America’s Cup champs to enter 750-mile race."