SKOWHEGAN, Maine — As I pulled into Skowhegan on Saturday, I quickly knew I wasn’t in Topsham anymore.
Though I’m a Bowdoinham boy born and raised, I felt like a Hickory boy that morning. Like I was getting off the bus in Indianapolis for the big championship game. Heck, I could even hear the prolonged, suspenseful ring of the "Hoosiers" soundtrack in my ear as I gawked at the grandstands.
Instead of Butler Fieldhouse, I entered the Skowhegan Fairgrounds, where I could feel the storied history of Maine skijoring surround me. The towering grandstands and the fresh corduroy track told me this was the real deal. The Topsham event began last year, but this was the fifth year a skijoring event has been held in the town affectionately dubbed “Skowvegas.” I was ready to gamble.
A sport of Norwegian origin, skijoring translates to "ski driving." Skiers and snowboarders are pulled by horses and riders through a course of gates and jumps, with each team getting two runs through the course. Best time wins, and time penalties are given for any failures to follow the course correctly.
By my calculations, Saturday was a perfect day for skijoring. I hope the Norwegians would agree. It was chilly, probably 15 degrees at best. But the skies were clear, the sun was shining, and the snow from the week before had track conditions looking perfect.
Competitors, including the horses, were able to walk the track beforehand, which was beneficial for all involved. It was longer than the course in Topsham, but the jumps looked much more manageable. The biggest difference was the rollers and the ring at the end.
Ahhhhhh those ruthless rollers and that pesky ring. Four rolling bumps with an orange ring hanging in the middle were the final obstacle to skijoring glory. The ring, hanging by a magnet, required skiers to move left to right and take one hand off the rope to slip their arm through it while still absorbing the bumps with their knees. If a skier made it over the bumps and grabbed the ring, it was smooth sailing to the finish line. If not, it was likely a "That skier liked it but they should've put a ring on it" from the announcer.
Speaking of the announcer, the man they had on the mic was perfect. Every great fair or rodeo needs someone eloquent and loquacious booming through the loudspeaker during the biggest events, and they had that in Skowhegan. The announcer was full of quips and one-liners while also imparting random bits of wisdom and interesting information about the competitors to the crowd.
When you get the ski crowd and the horse crowd together, you know it's going to be a good time. And it was. These folks know cold temps can be easily combatted with beer, whiskey, and chili, all flowing. Kids and families were abundant, too, with the only expectation being to have fun and cheer loud.
The prizes were nothing to scoff at either, the most important being the $50 for best costume. I never did my journalistic due diligence to find out who actually won, but I'm fairly confident it was this guy, Jay Abbott. Skis and steeds...and skin! As you can see, Jay Abbott put a ring on it.
The Pro Division was separated into skiers and snowboarders, with the winners taking home $400, second place taking home $300, and third place taking home $200. Registration was $80 per team, so there was money to be made by the teams that placed. Results for all divisions can be found here.
Before the horses and humans in attendance had even thawed, people were taking to Facebook Saturday night to weigh in on the prospect of a Maine triple crown of skijoring.
In other words, adding another event to the Maine skijoring schedule. Though it’s seemingly nothing more than an idea at this point, it’s an idea that a lot of people seem to like. Kristen O’Connor proposed the idea in the “Skijor Maine” Facebook group, and subsequent suggestions for a third host site included Farmington, Fryeburg, Oxford, Bangor, and Presque Isle, among others.
The more the merrier, of course. But for now, we'll celebrate what has become one of the premier winter events in Maine: Skijor Skowhegan. Thanks to the volunteers, organizers, vendors, competitors, and fans, all of whom made the event so enjoyable and successful. Organizers in Skowhegan and Topsham said they're planning to put on events again next year.