1. march 2016 Alaska beyond Magazine 1918 Alaska beyond Magazine march 2016
Aboveright,GreaterSitkaArtsCouncil/BobbiJordanof
AftermathPhotography;right,courtesyofUSATF
PhotoCourtesy:ClipperRace
Sailing into Seattle
Completing a challenging 6,637-mile journey
from Qingdao, China, sailors in the Clipper
Round the World Yacht Race are due to arrive in
Seattle between April 15 and 20 as part of the
event’s 40,000-nautical-mile circumnavigation
of the globe. Twelve teams (with a total of
200-plus crew members) are expected in Seattle
for the race’s first-ever stop in the Emerald City.
The public will have access to the race’s
70-foot yachts during free open-boat tours at Bell
Harbor Marina/Pier 66, April 22–26. During Q&A
sessions, visitors can talk to crew members about
their experiences. Public talks and other forms of
entertainment will also be held at the pier.
For the first time, Seattle’s visitor bureau is
sponsoring an entrant in the race: the yacht Visit
Seattle. Spectators can also help send off the
hometown crew and the rest of the fleet on
Thursday, April 28, when the crews slip lines to
begin their next challenge: the Coast-to-Coast leg
to New York City through the Panama Canal.
The race began in London last August, and it
will finish there on July 30. The worldwide race
involves participants with diverse levels of
experience—from novice sailors to seasoned
skippers. Visit clipperroundtheworld.com and
visitseattle.org or call 206-461-5800 for more
information. —Anna Jacobson
Sitka, AK
Wearing Alaska
A dress draped with 3-D glasses, a belt
fashioned from fishhooks, an outfit made
from work gloves—these are past examples
of the creativity shown at the Alaska Airlines
Wearable Arts Runway Show
presented by the Greater Sitka
Arts Council, part of the
broader Arti Gras Arts & Music
Festival that runs this year from
March 18 through April 2.
Arti Gras will also include
events such as a 12-venue art
walk spotlighting established
and emerging local artists, a
film festival, comedy perfor-
mances and the new Vintage
Cake Decorating Workshop.
This year’s runway show will be
themed “Alaska: 8 Stars of
Gold.” Artists will create—and
models will wear—costumes
highlighting the culture of the
49th state. The runway event will be held at
the Sitka Performing Arts Center on March
26, with a matinee and evening showing.
To learn more, call 907-747-2787 or visit
thinkartthinksitka.com. —Anna Jacobson
Portland, OR
Racing in the Rose City
Many of the nation’s and the world’s finest track and field athletes are coming to Portland
this month for two major events: the 2016 USATF Indoor Championships, March 11–12,
and the IAAF World Indoor Championships Portland 2016, March 17–20. A temporary
7,000-seat stadium will be built inside the Oregon Convention Center to house the events.
Competitions at the USATF event will determine the U.S. team for the world champion-
ships the following week. About 600 athletes from up to 200 countries are expected at
the world championships, which are being held in the United States for the first time in
almost 30 years. Among the expected athletes is Portland native and University of Oregon
alum Ashton Eaton, the current world-record holder in the indoor heptathlon.
Portland’s Pioneer Courthouse Square will host a free fan festival on each competition
day, with food, drink, live music and a video board displaying event competitions. Nightly
medal ceremonies will also be held at this venue. Visit portland2016.com. —Jeffrey Giuliani
Ashton Eaton, shown here setting the decathlon
world record last year, will compete at the IAAF
World Indoor Championships in the heptathlon.
This dress made with 3-D glasses was
one of the entries at a past year’s
runway show in Sitka.
The sailing yacht
Visit Seattle is
among the vessels
participating in the
Clipper Round the
World Yacht Race,
which makes a stop
in the Emerald City
in April.
journal