Before the winter drizzle early last week, residents of Aroostook County enjoyed perhaps the nicest weekend of the winter season thus far.
Nowhere was the sunshine and blue sky more appreciated than in the rolling hills of Madawaska. The previous weekend, members of the Four Seasons Trail Association could be found outside their bustling lodge preparing a newly-constructed sprint course for the third Aroostook Cup event, the Madawaska Valley Classical Ski Sprints, held Jan. 24.
As race-day temperatures reached their peak, men and women took their turn racing, in the classical ski discipline, around a 1.4-kilometer course to qualify for head to head heats later in the afternoon. Racers advanced through quarter and semi-final rounds to eventually take their turn in heats of five to six competitors attempting to earn top honors for the day.
In the men’s final round it was John Dixon of the Nordic Heritage Sports Club in first, Joey Bard of Caribou’s Northern Skiers Club in second, and Seth Hubbard also of the Nordic Heritage Sports Club in third. Filling out the final heat for men were Derek Rowe (fourth), Nick Michaud (fifth) and Austin Ross (sixth).
On the women’s side, Eileen Carey of Presque Isle’s Nordic Heritage Sports Club took the win, with Vicky Bernard of the 10th Mtn Club in second, and Sarah Dominick of the Snowy Mtn Ski Club in Stockholm taking third. Danni Anderson, Alice Goodwin and Sherry Dubis finished 4th, 5th and 6th respectively.
After three Aroostook Cup events the club leader remains the 10th Mountain Club of Fort Kent with 75 points. The Nordic Heritage Sports Club is in second and gaining ground with 45 points, and the Northern Skiers Club remains in third with 35 points.
Temperatures in the single digits and beautiful sunny skies greeted skiers in the St. John Valley on Jan. 10 for the opener of the 2010 Aroostook Cup tour series.
Volunteers from the 10th Mountain Ski Club hosted the annual Frostbite XC Ski Race series.
Skiers from clubs throughout northern Maine and western New Brunswick were in attendance to try their hand at a challenging course. In the men’s 40K, it was Marco Boucher of Madawaska’s Four Seasons Trails taking third at 2:18:18, while 10th Mountain’s own Jeff Dubis claimed second completing the course in 2:15:54. Seth Hubbard of the Nordic Heritage Sports Club in Presque Isle took a definitive first place with a time of 2:09:17.
The women’s 40K marathon saw two impressive finishes with 10th Mountain’s Sherry Dubis skiing to second place in 3:04:42, while Kelly Murray of Fredericton, New Brunswick’s Radical Edge took the victory in 2:58:43.
In the largest field of the day, the men’s 20K race, Carson Spencer of the 10th Mountain Ski Club took third in 1:06:42. Aaron Schmersal, a member of the University of Maine at Presque Isle’s ski team, took second place with a time of 1:06:12 and skiing to first place for the Four Seasons Trails Association was Austin Ross of Madawaska.
Members of the UMPI women’s Nordic team swept the field with Chandra Wisneski claiming third (1:24:17), Hannah Shepard second (1:24:04), and Justine Cyr, also of Fort Kent’s 10th Mountain Ski Club, first (1:11:40).
For those interested in a shorter race distance, the Whoopie Pie 5K offered excitement. Jeff Spencer, Ryan Washington and Russell Currier took third, second and first place, respectively. On the ladies side, Catherine Packard took third, Laura Decision took second and Anderson claimed the win.
Nearly 70 participants came out to the Caribou Ski Trails Jan. 17 to participate in the season’s second Aroostook Cup Series event, the 2010 New Year’s Ski Race and Scavenger Hunt.
January’s cool temperatures and lack of precipitation in combination with diligent grooming and trail maintenance resulted in a blazing fast race course. Taking advantage of the awesome conditions were Will Sweetser and Dominick of Stockholm’s Snowy Mountain Ski Club. Sweetser and Dominick took the fastest overall time for men and women with times of 12:40 and 13:42, respectively.
On the men’s side Jeff Dubis of the 10th Mountain Club took second, while Anthony Drouin, also of 10th Mountain, took third. In the women’s field Sherry Dubis (10th Mountain) took second to Dominick, while Patricia Hebert (10th Mountain) took third.
The next race in the Aroostook Cup series is the Karen Sprague Memorial Race in Stockholm on Sunday, Feb. 14.
