Before most races, cross-country skiers spend their time keeping warm inside a lodge or a van. This was not the case on Saturday, when the 68 competitors in the second annual Lobster Roll spent part of their pre-race routine staving off a stiff sea breeze aboard a ferry to the coastal Maine island of North Haven.
Organized by the Maine Winter Sports Center (MWSC), the Lobster Roll is a 15 km freestyle rollerski race that serves as Maine's collegiate championship. Participating teams included Bowdoin, Bates, Colby, and the University of Maine at Orono and Presque Isle, as well as MWSC's elite team.
This year, MWSC's Nick Kline took the overall victory in the men's race, while Tom Cook of Bowdoin was the first collegiate finisher in third, successfully defending his championship from last year. Sarah Dominick, another MWSC athlete, took the women's title, while Bates's Ingrid Knowles was the collegiate winner.
MWSC's mission is to create “a model for the sustainability of rural communities through a skiing lifestyle,” which was reflected in the day's schedule. In addition to the race, North Haven residents served lunch to the competitors and their coaches, and House Majority Leader Hannah Pingree–the state representative from North Haven and neighboring islands–gave a presentation on island life and lobster fishing. MWSC President Andy Shepard also spoke about revitalizing the economy of Maine's islands and rural communities.
Before the return trip, most teams opted for one last quick ski or jog on the island's roads. Athletes and coaches returned home on the ferry, no doubt already looking forward to next year's race.
Complete results follow photos. To read a personal account of the race, visit Nat Herz's FasterSkier blog!
All photos courtesy of CurranPhotography.com. Copyright 2008. To view or order the photos go to http://www.curranphotography.com/eventspostframe.html and open the LOBSTER ROLL 10-25-08 folder.
Men
| 1 | Nick | Kline | MWSC | 0:34:21 | |
| 2 | Dave | Chamberlain | MWSC | 0:36:02 | |
| 3 | Tom | Cook | Bowdoin | 0:36:38 | |
| 4 | Sylvan | Ellefson | Bates | 0:37:14 | |
| 5 | Silas | Gill | Colby | 0:37:30 | |
| 6 | Joey | Bard | MWSC | 0:38:14 | |
| 7 | Nick | Michaud | MWSC | 0:38:15 | |
| 8 | Fred | Bailey | MWSC | 0:38:53 | |
| 9 | Wyatt | Fereday | Colby | 0:39:17 | |
| 10 | Matt | Briggs | Colby | 0:40:35 | |
| 11 | Sam | Mathes | Colby | 0:40:44 | |
| 12 | Jeremy | Blazer | Colby | 0:40:50 | |
| 13 | Chris | Mawhinney | Bowdoin | 0:40:59 | |
| 14 | Dylan | Mogk | Bates | 0:41:01 | |
| 15 | Connor | Cushman | Bates | 0:41:07 | |
| 16 | Peter | Rummel | Colby | 0:41:31 | |
| 17 | Nat | Herz | Bowdoin | 0:41:53 | |
| 18 | Tim | Whiton | Bates | 0:42:15 | |
| 19 | Spencer | Eusden | Bowdoin | 0:42:29 | |
| 20 | Harry | Poole | Bates | 0:42:39 | |
| 21 | Jimmy | Bernham | Bates | 0:42:45 | |
| 22 | Nick | Crawford | Bowdoin | 0:42:57 | |
| 23 | Luke | Siebert | Colby | 0:43:49 | |
| 24 | Justin | Fereshetian | MWSC | 0:44:08 | |
| 25 | Liam | Donnelly | Bates | 0:44:33 | |
| 26 | Ben | Smeltzer | Bowdoin | 0:44:42 | |
| 27 | Shem | Dixon | Bowdoin | 0:44:55 | |
| 28 | Aaron | Schmersal | UMPI | 0:45:00 | |
| 29 | Chase | Hammond | Colby | 0:45:54 | |
| 30 | Will | Tyson | Colby | 0:45:58 | |
| 31 | Ben | Haydock | Colby | 0:47:25 | |
| 32 | Chris | Sanville | Bowdoin | 0:47:36 | |
| 33 | Corey | Park | Colby | 0:48:28 | |
| 34 | Scott | Lessard | UMO | 0:49:03 | |
| 35 | Gabe | Griswald | UMO | 0:51:40 | |
| 36 | Joe | Gagnon | UMO | 0:59:26 | |
| 37 | Benton | Shattenberg | UMO | 1:30:4 |
