County may host top skiers> Center asked to submit bid on North American Championship

FORT KENT — Cross country and biathlon trails and facilities being constructed in northern Aroostook County could host world class athletes in 2001.

While much of the emphasis in Nordic skiing is with young children, facilities are being constructed to world class standards, and the Winter Sports Center is working on a bid for championship competition in March or April 2001, the executive director of the center said Tuesday.

“We have been asked by the U.S. Biathlon Association to put in a bid for the North American Championship for next year,” said Max Saenger, the center’s executive director, to a crowd of about 100 at a Business Networking Breakfast sponsored by the University of Maine at Fort Kent Corporate Relations Office on Tuesday.

The championships would involve 200 athletes in a series of races over a four or five-day period, Saenger said.

The number of people grows dramatically, he said, when trainers, coaches, waxing experts and fans are included. Facilities at Fort Kent and Presque Isle will be able to handle those kinds of competitions, Saenger said.

“This kind of major event could bring thousands of people here,” Saenger said.

Between now and then, volunteers will be needed and they will have to be trained. Local involvement is critical.

“When we are ready, events will come to northern Maine,” Carl Theriault, one of six directors of the Maine Winter Sports Center said. “When we are done we will have world class centers at Fort Kent and Presque Isle.”

The two men said the site at Fort Kent was an alternate site for several competitions this winter.

“At the last minute, the original sites got some snow,” Saenger said. “Snow has become a very valuable commodity in the ski industry, and it’s something we have plenty off right here in northern Maine.

“No one was skiing in New England in early December, except at Fort Kent,” Saenger said. “People in the industry knew that, and they were calling.”

The Fort Kent facility already has a 2.5-kilometer loop, a 5-kilometer loop and 20 kilometers of cross country trails developed. Plans are to construct a paved roller-ski loop for summer training and a lighted loop for night training during winter’s short days.

Before coming to northern Maine, Saenger was a coach and ski instructor in Switzerland. He was the first from that country to be selected to come to northern Maine. Next month a coach, also from Switzerland, will be joining the staff.