Rolling in on the Saturday morning tides onto the shore of Marine Park, rain or shine—and even sometimes snow—you are likely to find members of the surf ski group who have named themselves The Barnacles.
Their group is well known by fellow surf skiers on the water. If you find yourself in conversation with someone about the group, it’ll spark curiosity to learn more about them. Between humorous banter and friendly arguments about how old you really need to be to get labeled a Barnacle, you’ll learn how impressive and tight-knit their community is.
Photograph by Tristyn MacDonald
Reivers Dustin, 74, is part of the original Barnacles group, along with Larry Bussinger, 75. Dustin has been paddling for over 30 years and is the one who coined the longstanding group name.
“I was kind of gently complaining about being old and grumpy,” Dustin said. “So I decided to call ourselves a bunch of old barnacles. I think that’s a seafaring term. They’ll talk about old sailors like that.”
The group consists of about 30-40 guys ranging in age from 65 to their oldest current member, Duncan Howat, who’s 81 years old. A majority of them are in their 70s and have been paddling for up to 50 years. Gary Southstone, another Barnacle member, has been paddling since 1973.
Photograph by Tristyn MacDonald
Coming from all walks of life, the group is tied together by surf skiing. When the guys first began getting together it was at Lake Whatcom, where they will still go out occasionally. But the conditions are better for this particular sport on the ocean waters. Even though Bellingham Bay doesn’t have open ocean access, it can still be quite fun.
As this particular water sport has gained popularity over the years and people want to learn, it’s important to learn properly because of the potential dangers out on the water. An organization called the Sound Rowers has been holding races since long before Dustin got involved. The races used to consist mainly of rowers and canoers, but surf skiers have begun to pop in there.
Photograph by Tristyn MacDonald
Dustin wanted to highlight the sport of outrigger canoes, which have a rich history in Hawaiian culture. There are intricate rituals that are sometimes incorporated into their races. He also notes that some of the Lummi tribe community has been coming out to paddle on outriggers with The Barnacles at their get-togethers.
“They are phenomenal athletes, wonderful paddlers,” Dustin says. “It’s fun to see those guys bring a little culture into the paddling.”
It’s apparent that the sport is rewarding in more ways than one for The Barnacles. It’s brought them community in ways they never expected and keeps them feeling alive. It has even inspired one paddler, Tim Niemier, 73, to start a Bellingham Beach Club, which was recently given a permit to start by the Port of Bellingham.
Photograph by Tristyn MacDonald
The Port of Bellingham also put in the wash station in Marine Park, which is extremely useful for paddlers to wash off their canoes and kayaks after being out on the ocean.
After washing their surf skis and drying off, you might catch the Barnacles hanging out for coffee in Fairhaven on Tuesday, Thursday, or Saturday mornings after their ride. There is no doubt that these guys will be paddling until they can’t paddle anymore. Bellingham
Meet some of the Barnacles in “Another Year Down,” a funny and heartwarming short video by local surf skier @denise-ski907 on YouTube.
