It all started with an idea. Daren Holscher thought other cycling events in the state were successful so why not hold one on Lopez. Becky Smith recalls that the Chamber of Commerce was interested in the event. And so the Tour De Lopez was born.

“We started talking about bicycling because it is one thing people come here to do – the terrain makes it an ideal location,” said Smith, chamber vice-president and Tour de Lopez coordinator.

This year marks the tenth anniversary for the non-competitive ride that is still going strong.

Registration has closed for the ride, but you can still jump aboard for the lunch the day of the ride, April 27, at the Lopez Center for Community and the Arts with a beer garden while listening to the music of the Lucky Dawgs from 12-3 p.m.

For visitors, there is free parking in the upper lot at the Anacortes Ferry Terminal,  Thurs.-Sun., courtesy of Washington State Ferries and Diamond Parking. WSF also offers an extra unscheduled sailing from Anacortes to Lopez at 7:35 a.m. on Saturday to accommodate riders coming for a day trip.

There are four routes (5, 12, 17 and 31 miles) that begin from the ferry landing or Lopez Village and are marked with “unique” recycled bikes.

The event started as a way to help the chamber pay for operation and maintenance of the public restrooms and shower in Village Park.

“Until the Tour de Lopez we were trying to fund that out of our dues and it got to the point that we could not do that anymore,” Smith said.

The success of the tour has eliminated the chamber’s concern about funding and has even gone a step further. The tour brings tourism without detriment to Lopez’s landscape.

“Bicyclists tend to be very conscientious of their impact,” said Smith. “It is a good match … by Sunday morning you would never know 900 riders were on the island. We also wanted to come up with an event for the island to bring tourists here at the end of April – a time when things are pretty slow.”

Smith who has helped coordinate the event from the beginning has watched the ride grow to more than 900 riders each year and she has learned a thing or two along the way. For instance one year she replaced Holly B’s baked treats at the rest stations with trail mix and fruit. But many of the participants complained about that decision and the baked goods were back at the stations the next year.

Then there was the year that they used chalk to point out the routes, but the rain washed it all away. Smith’s solution was to get old bikes at the dump, decorate and paint them and use the bikes as markers.

“They are unique and people love them,” said Smith.

She added that Christa Campbell and the 50 or so dedicated volunteers that help out each year make the event successful.

“We couldn’t do this without volunteers; it’s a group effort,” Smith said. “Just ask my family, they get recruited every year.”

For more information about the tour, visit www.lopezisland.com.