FORT KENT, Maine — Dominic Albert of Quebec was the top finisher Saturday night at the Fort Kent Outdoor Center’s first day of skijoring races. The competitions Saturday evening and again Sunday afternoon were organized by the center in cooperation with Can-Am Crown sled dog race organizers in an effort to expand the mushing event and to highlight outdoor recreation opportunities in the area.
Albert, who raced with his dog in the 2.5- kilometer contest, was one of 17 competitors combined from New England and Quebec in that race and in a 5-kilometer run, both run under the lights Saturday night. At least as many were expected to compete in another 5-kilometer contest and a 15-kilometer race scheduled for Sunday afternoon.
Some skijoring racers had just come off the Can-Am trail earlier in the day after competing in the 30-mile sled dog race.
This is the second year the center has organized skijoring. Last year, a total of 18 competitors took part in three races.
For Lara Renner of Alton, New Hampshire, and her father, Steve, skijoring is another way to train their mushing dogs and themselves.
“We’ve been doing it about four years now,” Steve Renner said Saturday morning before he and his daughter took off for their mushing race.
This weekend will be the first time his wife and other daughter will compete in a skijoring race as well.
Renner said that when Lara is starts her own mushing career, he may stop mushing himself, but he will always have dog and he intends to keep skijoring.
Carl Theriault, one of the organizers of the skijoring events this weekend was happy to see more people enter the races this year.
“It continues to grow,” Theriault said.
Although the event draws recreational skijorers and mushers looking to give their dogs some extra training, Theriault said, some “skijoring specialists” also showed up this year.
“These folks are serious,” he said.
“It’s a small community,” Theriault said of those interesting in skijoring. “There was great word-of-mouth about what we offered last year.”
People who were here in 2015 told their friends about the great trails and conditions, he said.
Competitors really appreciate that the course is on dedicated cross country ski trails and not mushing or snowmobile trails.
Neil Fisher of Old Town returned to Fort Kent this year with his dog Henry.
“These are world-class trails, so it’s great,” he said.
David Laing of Westfield was at his first skijoring race with his dog Levi.
He first started bikejoring with his dog for exercise but that evolved into skijoring as way to stay active and be with his dog in the winter.
But, with the lack of snow this winter, “it’s been hard to get any cross-country skiing in this year,” Laing said. “Its was great tonight to get out and ski.”
Organizers include a veterinary check for each dog before the skijoring races, and the Fort Kent Outdoor Center opens its 10th Mountain Lodge to competitors and spectators.
Steve Renner said he thinks the simplicity of having just one or two dogs, as compared to maintaining and training an entire team, makes skijoring attractive to those interested in mushing but who do not have the time or resources.
Lucien Theriault, longtime Outdoor Center volunteer, said Saturday night that what started as whim last year has turned into another signature event for the center.
“We did a better job organizing it this year,” he said. “It’s more work for us, but it’s great.”