Ötillö Swimrun Orcas Island 2026: Full Course Preview with Race Director Brent Molsberry + Race Tips

We got race director Brent Molsberry on to walk through every leg of ÖTILLÖ Orcas Island — all three distances. Experience, Sprint, World Series. If you're racing in 2026, pull up the course map and follow along.

We cover getting to the island (ferries book fast — don't sleep on this), what's new on the 2026 course, and why Mount Pickett and Mount Constitution will humble you if you don't respect them. Plus training, gear, fueling, and cold water strategy.

Use code LTBZ26 to save 10% on registration → otilloswimrun.com/races/orcas-island

IN THIS EPISODE

Getting to Orcas Island: Anacortes ferry, Kenmore Air seaplane, shuttle options
Rosario Resort + what to do Saturday before race day
Leg-by-leg breakdown: Experience, Sprint, and World Series distances
What's new in 2026 — course direction changes, new swims on Mountain Lake
The "Pit of Despair" and why the new routing takes it off your worry list
Mount Pickett and Mount Constitution: pacing and what to expect
Cascade Falls, cliff jump, Twin Lakes, rope swing
Cold water management and the case for earplugs
Training: hill repeats, eccentric downhill loading, burning matches early
Gear: trail shoes, wetsuits, arm sleeves
Fueling: soft flasks, aid station timing, eating every 20 minutes

⏱️ TIMESTAMPS
00:00 – Intro & Orcas Island magic (Ewoks, gnomes, and possibly Bigfoot)
~3:00 – How Orcas Island became an ÖTILLÖ race (the backstory with Lars)
~10:00 – Getting there: ferry, seaplane, and shuttle logistics
~18:00 – Saturday pre-race: packet pickup, East Sound, farmer's market & fika
~22:00 – Course overview: all three distances start the same
~25:00 – Experience distance: leg-by-leg breakdown
~35:00 – Sprint distance: leg-by-leg breakdown
~50:00 – World Series distance: the full beast (~26 miles, 13 swims, 6,000 ft vert)
~1:12:00 – Training tips for Orcas
~1:20:00 – Gear recommendations
~1:26:00 – Wrap-up + discount code

🔗 LINKS & RESOURCES

🏁 Register for ÖTILLÖ Orcas Island: otilloswimrun.com/races/orcas-island/%E2%80%94 use code LTBZ26 for 10% off
🌊 Washington State Ferries (book early!): wsdot.wa.gov/ferries
✈️ Kenmore Air (seaplane from SeaTac): kenmoreair.com
🛖 Rosario Resort lodging:
🌐 Low Tide Boyz website: lowtideboyz.com
📸 Instagram: @thelowtideboyz
💌 Email us: lowtideboyz@gmail.com
❤️ Support us on Patreon: patreon.com/lowtideboyz

ABOUT THE SHOW
Löw Tide Böyz is our weekly podcast covering everything swimrun — beginner basics to ÖTILLÖ World Series race strategy. New episodes every week on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube.