You have to cara-pace yourself
The Garibaldi Crab Races make a triumphant return
By Emily Lindblom
For the TODAY
To the sounds of pounding fists and cheering onlookers, Dungeness crabs race their way down a slanted six-lane track as fast as they can. They might not know it, but the stakes are high for these competitive crustaceans — only the winner escapes the dinner plate at the end of the day.
After a two-year hiatus, the Garibaldi Crab Races are returning, slated for Saturday and Sunday, March 12 and 13 at the Old Mill Marina.
Human participants are not allowed to touch the crabs during the race, so the only way to get them to move is by pounding and slapping on the track behind them and yelling words of encouragement.
“Even one guy broke his wrist, he’s a gung-ho racer who has competed so many times,” said Judy Riggs, president of the Garibaldi Lions Club, adding that the event is the club’s main fundraiser.
The Lions’ plan to use the funds raised for the club’s sight and hearing program, which works with the three optometrists in town to provide affordable prices for eye and hearing exams, eyeglasses and hearing aids.
“We have a lot of elderly and low-income families we’re able to serve,” Riggs said.
The crab races include a competition for adults and a separate one for kids.
After the races, human race winners win prizes and the event continues with a crab dinner. Winners’ names go on a plaque to be remembered for years to come.
Laurie Wandell, a Garibaldi City Council member, has been involved in the races for the past two decades.
For several years she would help decorate and get everything set up. In the past few years she’s been volunteering in the kitchen to help prepare the crab dinner, which includes garlic bread, coleslaw, crab melts, shrimp melts, tuna melts, grilled cheese, salads and desserts. Local restaurant Pirate’s Cove provides clam chowder and a local tavern offers beer and wine.
“It’s a great event with a good purpose of course,” Wandell said. “It’s so fun to watch everybody sitting around with their goofy crab hats on and having the time of their life. It’s a good way to promote the city and it's a family activity.”
Many families attend the event every year, and some adult participants have been involved since they were children.
Wandell’s own children used to participate in the race when they were teenagers, and her daughter even won the junior race one year.
“It’s fun to watch and we have a lot of volunteers,” Wandell said. “We wouldn’t be able to do it without them.”
After a weekend of cheering on crabs, participants can go home with a variety of collectible wear, including crab hats, beaded crab necklaces and custom sweatshirts for each year of the race.
“It’s a piece of history here in Garibaldi,” Wandell said.
The Garibaldi Crab Races started in 1985, when a group of fishermen were bragging about their latest crab catch and decided to see which of them were the fastest. They drew a big circle on the floor of the Ghost Hole Public House, placed the crabs in the middle and stomped behind and encouraged them until one crossed the line out of the circle.
The race has moved to different locations and evolved over the years to eventually take place at the Old Mill Marina with a custom-built track table.
In March 2020, the event organizers were all geared up with t-shirts and swag to celebrate the races’ 35th anniversary. But two days before the big race, news came that all public gatherings were to be canceled in an attempt to stem the spread of the coronavirus. Now that pandemic-related restrictions are lifting, the races are back on.
“We’re hoping people will be curious and we can get new people to attend this year,” Riggs said.
The races will be run from 11 am to 5 pm on Saturday and 11 am to 4 pm on Sunday at the Old Mill Marina, 227 Garibaldi Avenue. Admission is $5 for adults, $2 for kids aged six through 12 and free for those five and younger. For more information, visit the 2022 Garibaldi Crab Races page on Facebook.