Boards, boas: It's Ski for Women SUNDAY: City's biggest costume party is a race, festivity and fundraiser.

The Super Bowl of skiing is today at Kincaid Park, where more than 1,300 girls and women will ski about five kilometers -- some looking sleek in racing suits, others looking silly or spectacular in bird beaks or boas -- in what has become the city's biggest costume party, the 15th annual Ski for Women.

Or, as some might call it, in keeping with that other Super Bowl, the Ski for Women XV.

In honor of the occasion, we present XV facts about North America's biggest all-female cross-country ski race:

I: When Sally Burkholder and Ann Mize organized the inaugural Ski for Women, they had no idea they had scheduled it on the same day as the Super Bowl. That proved to be a happy coincidence rather than a conflict; it became part of the race's identity and made the date easy to remember. And because the race is in the morning, there's ample time to catch the big game (or, because the game is in the afternoon, there's ample time to compete or volunteer in the big race).

II: It's a race. Serious skiers -- the ones who aren't dressed like sunflowers or sled dogs or scarecrows -- race against the clock and one another beginning at 10:30 a.m. (duathlon racers and skate skiers) and 11 a.m. (classic skiers).

III: It's not a race. Less serious skiers participate in what's called the "party wave." They gather in the stadium area at 11:30 a.m. for a costume parade and awards and hit the trails at 12:30 p.m. with no clock keeping track of their times. Sometimes the party wave starts earlier, so be ready, organizers advise.

IV: Sorry, no boys allowed. Just like the Run for Women, the Bike for Women and the Gold Nugget Triathlon, participation is restricted to girls and women -- though boys and men show up in force as volunteers.

V: Three shuttle buses will help bring the masses to the Kincaid chalet. Ed Kornfield, who is in charge of parking, encourages people to park at Kincaid Elementary School (across from Kulis Air National Guard Base) and take the shuttle. The shuttle will also stop at five small lots inside the park; Kornfield said the shuttles will run from about 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.

VI: Yes, a porta-potty will be available at Kincaid Elementary. And two will be at the Kincaid chalet.

VII: If you arrive early enough, you might snag a parking spot in the chalet lot. One year, Kornfield said, he was meeting with his volunteers at 8:30 a.m. at the chalet, two hours before the first race, when he felt as though he were in a movie. "There was this stream of headlights coming down the road," he said. "It was like the end of 'Field of Dreams.' "

VIII: In 14 years, the Ski for Women has raised $800,000. Its mission is to help stop the cycle of abuse by donating to charities that provide services and promote self-esteem and healthy lifestyles for women and children.

IX: What can you do if you get there early? A yoga stretch is at 9:45 a.m. and chair massages are available in the chalet from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

X: What can you do when you're done? If you go to Snow City Cafe, you get a 10 percent discount for wearing your race bib and a 15 percent discount if you're wearing a costume and your bib.

XI: From 9 a.m. to noon, get your classic skis kick-waxed -- free -- at the yellow TOKO tent in the stadium area.

XII: Organizers estimate 120 volunteers, many of them men, help on race day.

XIII: Two volunteers will slice 220 bread loaves, donated by Great Harvest Bread, into 2,000 slices of bread for hungry skiers. A couple more will fill thousands of compostable cups from Green Alaska Solutions with water, and two or three will slice five cases worth of fruit from Di Tomaso, said Linda Hulen, who's in charge of refreshments.

XIV: Results will be posted at AlaskaSkiForWomen.org.

XV: No, it's not too late to join the party. Registration is available at 9 a.m. for the 12:30 p.m. party wave. It is too late to enter the earlier timed events. No entry fee is charged but donations are encouraged.

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