Aroostook River race kicks off summer Aroostook Cup series
By Mike Smith
Special to Pioneer Times
WASHBURN — Despite early morning temperatures dipping to near freezing, clear skies and sunshine turned Saturday into the perfect stage for the annual spring Aroostook River Fun Run. Starting at Washburn’s Thomas Brewer Park, the river race had participants paddling from the Washburn boat launch to Presque Isle’s Fish and Game Club, approximately eight miles downstream.
Over 60 people took part in paddling on Saturday, with winners in more than 14 divisions. The race is a collaborative effort of the Washburn and Presque Isle Rotary Clubs, with help from generous local sponsors and volunteers.
Although the spring season has not brought an abundance of rainfall, the Aroostook River carried plenty of water and swift current for the May 18 race. The fastest race time of the day was posted by Dan Baumert of Levant, winning the men’s expert solo kayak division with a time of 58:49 minutes. Close behind in the expert mixed tandem canoe division were Stockholm’s Will Sweetser and Sarah Dominick, in a time of 59:00. Winners in the men’s expert tandem canoe division were Fran Cyr and Dave McCrossin, both of Caribou, finishing with the third fastest time of the day at 59:05.
Winning the Century Category (both paddlers’ combined ages over 100) were Charlie Namur and Mel Fitzherbert, both of Presque Isle; while 17-year-old William Popov, also of PI, won the Student Division.
The full results are available on the PI Rotary website: www.pirotaryclub.org.
This weekend’s river race marked the beginning of the newly extended Aroostook Cup Series. Hosted by the Maine Winter Sports Center, the Aroostook Cup was initially created to tie together various citizen ski races throughout The County during the winter. Participants earn points for themselves and for their local community outdoor clubs, whether they choose to race or simply participate. Awards and prizes are given to the individuals and clubs that earn the most points.
With the success of the winter series, the Maine Winter Sports Center is now extending the Aroostook Cup into a year-round series of events. This summer will serve as an exhibition series tying together three events in each of the following disciplines: cycling (road and mountain), paddling, and trail running. Participants can take part in as few or as many events as they prefer, and winners will be recognized in each discipline as well as overall.
For more information on the Aroostook Cup, details on upcoming events, and full results from the Aroostook River Fun Run visit www.GoAroostookOutdoors.com. The Washburn and Presque Isle Rotary Clubs would like to thank all who participated in this year’s event, and look forward to bringing the action back to the river next spring.
The next paddling event in the Aroostook Cup is the Lion’s Club Fish River Race in Fort Kent on Saturday, June 8th.
