The Maine Sports Commission has announced its schedule of events for the 2014 summer season. From traditional summer sporting events to more unique competitive opportunities, Maine is poised to offer a number of new and popular returning outdoor sporting events designed to challenge and excite even the most experienced outdoorsmen and women and their fans.
Baxter Outdoors: New this summer is the Baxter Outdoors’ New England Trail Series. Baxter Outdoors is an independently managed subsidiary of Baxter Brewing Co. specializing in adventure races and outdoor sporting events. The first event on the Baxter Outdoors’ calendar is a speed climbing event, the Great Falls Vertical Challenge on June 21st in Lewiston, ME at the Baxter Great Falls Brewfest. Later in the summer, the Mt. Abram Ascent Mountain Trail Run takes place in Greenwood on September 9th. Visit www.baxteroutdoors.com for more information.
Untamed New England: The Forks in Somerset County will host the Untamed New England Adventure Race from June 17th through the 22nd. This 100-mile race through the Maine wilderness includes mountain biking, paddling, map and compass navigation and other obstacles designed to challenge true outdoorsmen and women. Participants will work in teams of two, three or four to try to capture their piece of the $10,000 prize purse. In addition, this event is a qualifier for the USARA National Championship.
The Great Race: The Hemmings Motor News Great Race presented by Hagerty will start in Ogunquit, Maine, on Saturday, June 21, organizers have announced. The Great Race, the world’s premiere old car rally, will bring more than 100 antique automobiles to Maine for up to four days before the beginning of the $150,000 event. It marks the first time since its inception in 1983 the event will be in the state of Maine. The race will weave its way 2,100 miles down the Atlantic Coast to Florida over nine days and passing through 13 states before the finish at The Villages near Orlando on Sunday, June 29.
West Grand Lakes Race: The ninth annual West Grand Lakes Race will take place on August 3rd in the small village of Grand Lakes Stream. Whether you are a competitive kayaker or canoeist or looking for a relaxing day on the water with family and friends, the West Grand Lakes Race can meet your needs. The race offers four, six or twelve mile courses starting and finishing in the village of Grand Lake Stream and are round trips around islands in West Grand Lake. Paddlers will enjoy seeing some of the undeveloped shoreline of the land trust’s 33,708-acre Farm Cove Community Forest, and their current conservation effort, the West Grand Lake Community Forest project on the east shore of the lake. At the conclusion of the race, all participants are treated to a cookout courtesy of the Grand Lake Lodge.
Senior League World Series: The Senior League World Series returns to Mansfield Stadium in Bangor for the thirteenth consecutive year on Saturday, August 9th and Saturday, August 16th. Senior Little League is the 15-16 year old division of Little League Baseball. The tournament involves ten teams coming from five United States regions, four International champions from Canada, Asia Pacific, Latin America, and Europe/Middle East/Africa, along with the Maine District Three host team.
The Lobster SUP Cup: The 2014 Lobster SUP CUP, or The Battle for Penobscot Bay, is a 2-Day Stand Up Paddle Stage Race on August 8 -10. This 26-mile race will benefit the Challenged Athletes Foundation’s Operation Rebound, the premier sports and fitness program for veterans with permanent physical disabilities. The Lobster SUP CUP is an exposed open water event for experienced and physically fit paddlers since conditions can be challenging in Penobscot Bay, the second largest embayment on the East Coast. While the 2-day stage race is geared towards experienced paddlers – there will also be events, demos, and a fun race open to anyone. More than just a race for competitors, The Lobster SUP CUP is an event to be shared by the Midcoast community and visitors.
The Shipyard Cup: The Shipyard Cup returns to Boothbay Harbor on August 7th-10th, featuring some of the world’s finest yachts in an exciting and competitive race. The race is held in the "Corinthian Tradition" celebrating the "true spirit" of yachting, which seeks to maintain a “high standard of sportsmanlike conduct,” and is one of two such races in the entire United States. Though the social events are private, spectators are encouraged to climb aboard their own vessel and cheer on participants racing toward the finish line.
Tough Mudder: Westbrook’s Sunset Ridge Golf Course will host the first ever Tough Mudder competition in Maine on the weekend of August 23rd & 24th. This event is not for the faint of heart, featuring a grueling 10-12 mile obstacle course designed to push the boundaries of physical and mental endurance. Participants will navigate over man-made mountains, through fields of live electrical wires, swim through freezing cold underwater mazes and ascend walls engulfed in flame in search of their orange headband and earn the title of a “tough mudder.”
REV3: Also, on August 24th, REVOLUTION3 Triathlon returns to scenic Old Orchard Beach for its third year. This exciting triathlon race experience provides a memorable experience for the entire family. Some of the top pros in the sport will be competing, and this race offers spectators and age group athletes the opportunity to see them up close and on the course.
For more information about these events and a complete list of summer sports opportunities visit the Maine Sports Commission’s website at www.mainesportscommission.com.
About Maine Sports Commission: The Maine Sports Commission’s primary goal is to strengthen efforts to attract national and regional sporting events, with hopes of increasing Maine's share of the $7 billion industry. Commission members are representatives of seven of the eight tourism regions; Carolann Ouellette, director of the Maine Office of Tourism; representatives from the Bangor and Portland Convention & Visitors Bureaus; as well as representatives from the sports, education and tourism industries.
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