Staff Writer
On Sunday, March 8, the Nordic Heritage Center hosted the eighth annual Himie Towle Memorial X-C ski frolic.
With nearly 75 skiers registered and a total of 122 participants, this was “the most popular Aroostook Cup event of the year,” according to Mark Shea of Maine Winter Sports.
Lined Up and ready to go, participants wait to start the 7.5K open race on Sunday. The race welcomed registered and unregistered skiers from ages 13-72. The day also offered a snowshoe poker run and open touring for all non-competitive recreational skiers.
Though most were local athletes, participants came from as far east as Canada and as far south as Orono and ages ranged from 13-72 years old. Additionally, all skiers represented a variety of clubs such as the Nordic Heritage Club, Northern Skiers Club, Four Seasons Club, Black Bear Gliders Club and Wostawea Club.
Held in memory of skier Himie Towle, the frolic is currently a fundraiser for the Nordic Heritage Club but Towle’s son, Paul, remembers the first year it was held.
“It was an inaugural event for the Club when it first opened, but they held the registration in the construction center that first year, because the lodge wasn’t even built yet,” he said.
This year, the event welcomed skiers as well as snowshoers. Though the snowshoe poker run event was a first, 25 snowshoers registered to participate, and, in the words of another Towle son, Tom, it was “quite successful”.
But the day also welcomed younger athletes and the lollipop races are a draw for children. “The kids always have fun, and we get a lot of experience in understanding kids at that age, the things that make it exciting for them to be out there, having fun rather than just racing. We try to make the children’s events a little more interesting,” said Paul. Which could be why anyone participating in the lollipop races doesn’t have to win to have fun, they just have to cross the finish line to receive their prize: a lollipop.
The registered races were split into age and gender divisions with the highlighted event being the 7.5K.
In women’s 14-15, Melissa McKenney finished with a time of 31:35, Ginger Kieffer crossed in second at 34:19 and Emily Soderberg finished third at 34:23. Hilary McNamee finished first in women’s 16-19 with a time of 26:54 and Hannah Smith’s time of 1:00:28 put her in first for women’s 20-29.
In women’s 30-39, Sherry Dubis finished with the best female time in all divisions at 25:18. She was followed by Michelle Roy at 53:40.
Patricia Hebert took first in women’s 40-49 with a time of 29:34.
Cindy Watson finished second at 30:45 and Catherine Packard was third at 32:25.
Connie McLellan took first in women’s 50-59 with a time of 36:30 and Linda Page finished at 42:25 in women’s 60-69.
In the men’s age 13 division, Ryan Washington finished first at 27:05, Darin Jandreau second at 28:49 and Jon Rochester third at 30:32.
Men’s 14-15 saw Caleb Chapman first at 25:17, Tyler Strid next at 33:56 followed by Alex Jandreau at 39:30.
Christian Sleeper crossed first in men’s 16-19 with a time of 28:32.
Kevin Strid finished second at 29:50 and Brendan McLaughlin third at 32:59.
Men’s 20-29 saw Austin Ross in first for men overall at 21:08 and Emerson Wright behind him at 31:08.
Jeff Sparks took first in men’s 30-39, followed by Mike Davis at 25:10 and Sean Donavan at 40:52.
Jeff Dubis finished at 21:37 in men’s 40-49 with Carl Soderberg crossing at 25:11 and Peter Dykea at 26:49.
Paul Cyr took first in mens’ 50-59 with a time of 21:41 with Paul Corrigan at 24:39 and Tom Campbell at 24:42 following. Bob Sprague finished with a time of 28:34 for men’s 60-69 and Ben Paradis followed with a time of 32:29.
Finishing up in men’s 70+ was Norman Page with a time of 47:08.
Contributed photo/Paul Towle
From left at the line, Jon Rochester, Ryan Washington and Chelsea Bard race in the 13-14 age division as spectators look on.
