WHIDBEY ISLAND — “Kettle” is a geologic term for a small hollow or depression formed in glacial deposits when outwash was deposited around a residual block of ice that later melted. In laymen’s terms, it is where a giant ice cube once sat but has long since melted.
On Saturday, mountain bikers from around the region took to the pedal-pounding trails of Kettles Park, an area pitted with just such indentations on Whidbey Island for the inaugural Cookin’ in the Kettles mountain bike race.
The event was sponsored by Skagit Cycle Center of Burlington and Anacortes, Bicycles Northwest of Oak Harbor, and the Skagit Bicycle Club.
“This race will certainly be back next year,” said race director Marshall Will of the Skagit Bicycle Club. “And it’s going to be bigger. Once the word really gets out, this race is going to take off. This is such a great venue. It deserves to have a race such as this.”
About 61 riders competed on the 6.3-mile loop course comprised of numerous single-track trails. The trails took racers deep into the kettles and out along the bluffs high above the blue waters of Admiralty Inlet.
Those in the beginners class made one lap, sport class two (12.6 miles) and expert/open class three (19 miles).
Andrew Widman of Bellingham cruised across the finish line in the beginners category in a time of 44 minutes, 47 seconds. He raced in the men’s 18 and under age group.
In the sport category, Doug Graver of Snohomish completed the two laps in 1 hour, 22 minutes, 52 seconds. What made Gaver’s efforts even more impressive was that he accomplished the feat on a single-speed mountain bike.
Anacortes’ Nathan Bannerman paced the expert/open class. The 19-year-old barrelled across the finish line in 1:48:12.
Bannerman, who spends plenty of time on his mountain bike, expected to fare well at the Cookin’ in the Kettles.
“It’s a fast and fun course,” Bannerman said before the race. “There’s a lot of twisty stuff and steep climbs. Stuff that can really push you as a rider.”
Starts were staggered among the different classifications.
Riders started the race in a wide line in a grassy meadow. In a matter of yards, the wide meadow became a single-track trail as racers ripped into the forest and were immediately greeted by a hairpin turn to the right followed by a steep descent.
With no room for error and even less room to pass, Bannerman said the start of the race was going to be pivotal.
“You have to get out in front,” Bannerman said before his race. “It’s important. That way, you can see what is coming up on the trail. If I’m in the top three, I’ll be fine.”
Sticking to his strategy, Bannerman took off like a shot at the start, allowing him to be the first rider into the woods. Once in the lead, it was just a matter of fending off the competition and pedaling like he’d stolen something.
That was exactly how Mount Vernon’s Mike Hammer did it.
Hammer finished first in the sport division, men’s 45-plus. The 46-year-old firefighter’s time for two laps was 1:29:08.
“It was great,” Hammer said after the race. “I concentrate mainly on local races and I like to support local bike shops. So this venue was a perfect fit. Plus, my folks live in Coupeville, so I can head there and recuperate for a while.”
Hammer said the course, despite recent rainfall, was relatively dry. There is a scientific reason why it was so dry.
“This entire area was formed during the last ice age,” Hammer said. “There is a lot of glacial till so the area drains really well. It doesn’t get muddy. So for mountain bike racing, this is a perfect area.”
As far as the course was concerned, Hammer was impressed.
“Today, it was really a mix,” he said. “I think it was a little more technical than usual because so many people rode it pre-race. That stirred things up and exposed a lot of roots and rocks. That made it interesting. It was a test.”
Eric Dixon of Anacortes chose the Cookin’ in the Kettles as his first foray into the world of mountain bike racing. Riding in the sport class, the rookie was sixth in the men’s 35-44 age group and seventh overall in the division.
“I decided to race in the sport class just to see what I could do,” said Dixon, who is an avid recreational mountain biker. “I finished. I survived and I didn’t kill myself. I’m riding in sport class, but really I am a beginner. Everyone here was very courteous and helpful.”
Dixon said the route tested his two-wheel skills, particularly when it came to passing.
“There was a lot of single track,” he said, “but you were able to pick people off here and there. Like on the forest roads. There, you could get up to speed and make a pass.”
The Kettles Park area was familiar to Dixon. He said adventure racing had brought him to the venue before. And as far as mountain biking is concerned, he’s a veteran.
“I ride in the Anacortes Community Forest Lands all the time,” Dixon said. “So that certainly prepared me for this first race. That area can’t be beat either when it comes to mountain biking. This course (Kettles) had a lot of climbs. There were a lot of long, uphill pulls and plenty of tight turns and switchbacks.”
Like many, Hammer and Dixon said they will return to compete at The Kettles.
“I’ll be back,” Hammer said. “It was great. Races like this are really revitalizing the sport. Plus, the course was so scenic. That just adds to it.”
Dixon said it was good to see so many local riders supporting a race. He believes the best is yet to come, not only for him but for the race as well.
“I just retired from the Navy,” he said. “Now I’ll have some time to really ride. This race is sure to grow by word of mouth. Next year, it will be even bigger and better.”
An increase in size won’t cause any problems. There is plenty of room to race when it comes to the Cookin’ in the Kettles.
Vince Richardson can be reached at 360-416-2181 or by e-mail at
