(SEDRO-WOOLLEY, Wash. – May 12, 2026) Janicki, an engineering and manufacturing company, will enter a team in the 2026 Ski to Sea relay race with a full set of racing equipment the company designed and manufactured itself using aerospace-grade materials and processes.
Ski to Sea is one of the Pacific Northwest’s longest-running multi-sport relay events. On Sunday, May 24, the race starts at Mount Baker Ski Area in Whatcom County and finishes at Bellingham Bay. Relay legs cover downhill skiing, cross-country skiing, running, road biking, cyclocross, canoeing and kayaking. Janicki employee teams have participated in the race for many years.
New this year, the “Made by Janicki” team will compete in the corporate division using equipment designed and manufactured entirely in-house: downhill skis and snowboard, cross-country skis, road bike, cyclocross bike, canoe and surfski kayak. Janicki employees built every piece of equipment used by the team in the race except the running shoes.
Each piece of equipment was built to the same standards Janicki applies to parts and assemblies for aerospace programs, using precision tooling, high-performance composite materials, machined metal components, 3D-printed parts and specialized coatings.
Used as technology demonstrators, constructing these pieces of equipment provided opportunities for Janicki engineers and manufacturing teams to explore new materials, processes and design approaches outside of normal aerospace production program environments. Several pieces also served as testbeds for more sustainable alternatives to traditional aerospace manufacturing techniques.
“We are excited to share our technical capabilities with the community through this unique project,” said TJ Chace, senior director of research and development at Janicki. “Though the final products are functional sporting equipment, they represent the same high-precision tooling, parts and structural assembly standards we apply to our work in aerospace, marine and defense.”
Two additional Janicki employee teams will also compete in this year’s race in the corporate division, racing on standard equipment. Janicki has sent employee teams to Ski to Sea annually since 2008.
About Janicki
We Create Solutions
Janicki is a privately owned engineering and manufacturing company that designs and builds composite and metallic tooling, parts, prototypes and assembled structures for customers across aerospace, defense, space, marine and other industries. As one of the largest privately owned Tier 1 aerospace suppliers in the United States, Janicki brings full-scale production capabilities to programs of any scope. Learn more at www.janicki.com.
Contact:
Erin Hurley | Marketing Manager
360.873.6955
[email protected]