57 turn out for Frostbite

FORT KENT - On a windy, snowy day, 57 participants turned out to ski Northern Maine's annual citizen ski race and tour series at the 10th Mountain Ski Center in Fort Kent, the Frostbite 5K, 20K, and 40K Freestyle.

FROSTBITE BEGINS - The start of the 20 and 40K races is shown here. - Karen Otstot image

Do you think ski races are just for the professionals? Think again.

Carl Soderberg of Caribou blew away the 17-member field in the 5K race, coming in over two minutes faster than the next fastest finish. George Ferland of Stockholm took second place and Carl's daughter, Anna Soderberg of Caribou, came in third as the fastest woman finisher. Desiree Smith of Thomaston, skiing with the Nordic Heritage Sport Center in Presque Isle, came in fourth, the second place female finisher.

In the 20K half marathon, the largest field of participants with 26 competitors, Mike Lessard of Caribou won by an even larger margin, almost 3.5 minutes faster than the next fastest finish, and an hour and twenty minutes faster than the last finisher.  Two other skiers from Caribou, Welly Ramsey and Derek Rowe, came in second and third. A skier from Williamstown, Mass., with the Nordic Heritage Sport Center, placed fourth. The fastest female finisher was Justine Cyr from Fort Kent, followed by Sarah Dominick of Stockholm, and Hillary McNamee of Fort Fairfield.

POWERING UP - John O'Meara is shown at the start of the 5K race. This ten-year old boy from New Sweden successfully competed in a field of adult participants, finishing a respectable 11th place out of 17. - Karen Otstot image

Fred Bailey of Presque Isle had his own impressive finish in the 40K race in a field of 15 competitors, coming in over two minutes faster than another NHSC club member, Austin Ross, and over an hour before the last finisher. Will Sweetser of Stockholm placed third for the men, followed by Jeff Dubis of Fort Kent. Lauren Jacobs of Presque Isle finished first for the women in this race, followed by Sherry Dubis of Fort Kent, and then Sue Plissey of Stockholm.

The 5K race is for "those people who just want to come out and ski", said Jeff Dubis, a previous 10th Mountain Ski Club president. "The 40K is for those training to race in a marathon. The 20K is for those in between."

Grooming the trails before the Frostbite races was an issue before the races, said Dubis. The groomer broke down, on its regular schedule, a couple of nights before the races, requiring staff and volunteers to work through the night before the race to prepare the trails.

Anyone interested in making a donation toward a groomer less prone to breaking down should contact the Club, said Dubis. "It would help."

FATHER AND DAUGHTER COMPETE - Carl Soderberg and Anna Soderberg competed against each other and 15 other competitors in the 5K race, to place first and third overall, and first for each of their gender categories. Carl Soderberg is shown here approaching the finish line. - Karen Otstot image

This year Paul Cyr, a long-time skier, biathlon volunteer and ski coach, organized the races for the first time.

Both Cyr and Sherry Dubis, the previous year's race director, said organizing the races was time-consuming.

"For a guy who works in the woods, takes off early in the morning, comes home late, it's hectic," said Cyr. He said he would have been unable to do it without the help of his wife.

"Bonnie took over organizing for the feed station- that's my better half."

Dubis said, "This race was the first one I can remember that wasn't lung-burning cold. It skied pretty well considering the snow we got." She also said the organizers have been getting better and better at putting on an effective race.

STILL GOING STRONG - George Dumond of Fort Kent is shown approaching the finish line in the 5K race. - Karen Otstot image

"We've learned a lot about how to make the [the feed loop, where athletes stop for water and food] more accommodating."

The Aroostook Cup races are a series of seven races that occur between mid-January and early March. One of the different ski clubs in Aroostook County sponsor and organize each race, with coordination from Mike Smith, director of the Maine Winter Sports Center Healthy Hometowns program.

The Aroostook Cup races have been a part of wintertime activities in northern Maine since 2003.

The first Aroostook Cup race this year occurred in Madawaska.  The next one will take place in Limestone at the Aroostook National Wildlife Refuge, then at the Stockholm school for the Karen Sprague Memorial, then in Caribou for both the New Year's Race and the Henry Anderson Ski Dag, and finally at the Nordic Heritage Sport Center in Presque Isle for the finish of the season during the annual Himie Towle Memorial Ski Frolic.

More information about the upcoming races can be found on the following website: http://www.goaroostookoutdoors.com/events/aroostookcup.php

FUTURE CROSS COUNTRY SKI CHAMPIONS? - Two unidentified competitors in the 1K kids race are shown head to head at the finish line. - Karen Otstot image

WINNER OF THE HALF- MARATHON - Mike Lessard of Caribou is shown crossing the finish line. - Karen Otstot image

CLOSE FINISH - The closest finish of the day occurred as Andrew Nesbitt of Williamstown, Massachusetts and Daniel Dermody of Cheshire, Massachusetts, both skiing with the Nordic Heritage Sport Center, approached the finish line in the 20K race. - Karen Otstot image