RUMFORD — A weekend of family-friendly events will be featured Feb. 3-5 as the Chisholm Ski Club celebrates its 100th anniversary with a Winter Carnival at Black Mountain Ski Area.
The state’s oldest ski club invites all to attend the events, including entertainment acts with past ties to the rich ski history of the area.
“We’re hoping to bring back the feel of the old winter carnival,” said Terry Richard, who is serving as co-chairwoman of the carnival with 2016 Maine Ski Hall of Famer Dan Warner. “Our main goal is to have local entertainment and bring in people who grew up with the Chisholm Ski Club.”
Admission on Friday is free to the public; skiing at Black Mountain will cost only $20 for a lift ticket.
Saturday will include a Winter Carnival Ball in the ski lodge at 7 p.m., preceded by a social hour. The Kahtunes will entertain the crowd.
Cost of the dinner and dance is $20 per person and tickets may be purchased at the Black Mountain ticket office, Davis Florist on Congress Street in Rumford, and at Muriel’s Kitchen and Race Headquarters on race days. Seating is limited to 200.
On Friday, a torchlight parade including middle and high school skiers will begin at 7 p.m. down the front trail, which can be seen from the lodge. The parade will be followed by a fireworks show.
On Saturday at 9 a.m., the John Roderick Marathon Cross-Country Race will be held, with distances of 15, 25 and 50 kilometers. It is part of a six-race circuit across New England.
“John (Roderick) was a local skier, way back,” Warner said. “He’s real famous because he skied marathons as a racer for a long time, right into his 70s and 80s.”
Sunday will feature the Telstar Schuss Alpine race from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
“We’re going with a different format than regular racing,” he said. “We’re doing a dual-drive slalom, where two people race against each other. It’s called a pro format and they race down identical courses, side by side.”
Warner said that those who wish to participate can buy one ticket per run, and they can buy as many tickets as runs they would like to make.
“There’s going to be different categories, for young kids and old kids,” he said. “You could have a grudge match, corporate against corporate — the possibilities are endless. We’re hoping to make this an annual event.”
At 2 p.m., awards will be presented in multiple categories.
The Friday night celebration will include a book sale and signing of the newly published Chisholm Ski Club history book and an ongoing display of historical memorabilia from the Ski Museum of Maine. The event will take place from 4 to 7 p.m.
The book, written by Scott Andrews, a ski journalist, photographer and historian, is titled “A Century on Skis” and is about the first 100 years of the Chisholm Ski Club of Rumford, including the history of Black Mountain.
“I’ve learned a lot about the history of the club and the town from just going into these book sessions,” said Warner, who worked with Dennis Breton, Herb Adams and Paul Maguire over the course of a year on the research for the book.
Andrews said he will be at Black Mountain to sign the book all day Saturday, and perhaps Sunday.
The book talks about how a tiny group of Norwegians settled in Rumford around 1914-15, which sparked the club. Andrews said it could be the second-oldest in the country.
bfarrin@sunmediagroup.net
Friday, Feb. 3
9 a.m.: Skiing at Black Mountain, $20/lift ticket.
9 a.m. throughout the weekend: Open exhibit of Chisholm Ski Club memorabilia in the Museum Room at Black Mountain.
4 to 7 p.m: History of Chisholm Ski Club book-signing.
4 to 7 p.m.: Music by the Gallant Brothers.
7 p.m.: Torchlight parade.
7:30 p.m.: Fireworks.
8 p.m.: Performance by Maine Hysterical Society.
Saturday, Feb. 4
8 a.m.: Registration for marathon race.
9 a.m.: John Roderick Marathon Cross-Country Race.
6:30 p.m.: Winter Carnival banquet social hour.
7 p.m.: Banquet begins.
8 to 11 p.m.: Dance to music of the Kahtunes.
Sunday, Feb. 5
9 a.m.: Registration for the Telstar Schuss Alpine race.
10 a.m. to 1 p.m.: Telstar Schuss Alpine race; dual giant slalom pay-per-run race.
2 p.m.: Awards ceremony.
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