YARMOUTH, Maine — “Great moments are born from great opportunity.”
Those are the words of Herb Brooks, legendary head coach of the 1980 “Miracle” USA Olympic hockey team. And that’s what we have here this weekend.
Rookie shuckers Jack Molmud and Griffin Stockford are slated to represent NEWS CENTER Maine at the annual Yarmouth Clam Festival shucking contest. The competition is set for 11 a.m. Saturday.
Achieving shucking gold may take a miracle of its own. To quote former Celtics head coach Rick Pitino (legendary in his own way): “Larry Bird Amanda Hill is not walking through that door.”
Amanda has been a stalwart of the competition for years now, and she has always risen to the occasion. She’s like the Tom Brady of shucking: Regardless of who she’s teammates with, she finds a way to raise their level of play to match hers. Most importantly, she tends to find a way to win.
But it’s with much regret that we must inform festival fans that Amanda is on vacation this year and thus is not able to shuck for us. After a stationwide search and many contentious conference room meetings, the powers that be approved the dynamic duo of Molmud and Stockford.
Molmud, a California native, has shucked. Oysters, that is. Clams will be a new shuck for him, but at least he’s brandished the knife before.
Stockford, on the other hand, is from Bowdoinham, Maine, a farming community surrounded by fresh water. While he’s eaten plenty of clams, he’s never shucked one. The most he’s ever shucked is corn, and he wasn't particularly gifted at it.
With little experience in the endeavor and the weight of the world on their shoulders, Stockford and Molmud have been seeking advice from those at NEWS CENTER Maine who HAVE competed in or witnessed the event.
"You need to pull the full, intact clam from the shell," Executive Producer of Visual Storytelling Kirk Cratty, who has competed in the past, said. "Otherwise they won't count it, and you're just wasting your time."
In the video below, previewing the 2019 contest, Amanda, Samantha York, and Rob Nesbitt gave similar advice.
"Stay locked in. Ignore the noise," producer Isaac Luken suggested. "If you shuck three quick ones and you're feeling it, maybe give a little love to the crowd."
To Stockford, editor Dominic Brescia posed the simple question: "Do you know what you're getting yourself into?"
"Just know that people take this seriously," he added. "There are some serious shuckers who have been shucking for years, and you're up on a stage with a big crowd watching. All eyes are on you."
Goosebumps. Chills. Butterflies.
Clams.
The Yarmouth Clam Festival runs through the weekend, and the shucking competition starts at 11 a.m. Saturday.
Be there, be loud, and prepare to be wowed. Heckle at your own discretion.
