Snowboarder Wescott honored at Sugarloaf/USA

CARRABASSETT VALLEY – Seth Wescott, the first Mainer to take home a gold medal in Winter Olympic competition, was honored Saturday at Sugarloaf/USA, the mountain where he honed his skills as a snowboarder.

Wescott, who won the inaugural snowboardcross at the Games in Italy, showed off his medal to a crowd of nearly 3,000 skiers and snowboarders who gathered in front of the resort’s base lodge.

Wescott talked about his Olympic experience, answered questions from the crowd and made a half-dozen runs on a short snowboardcross course just above the lodge as youngsters on skis and boards joined in the fun.

He was introduced by Gov. John Baldacci, who had declared Saturday as Seth Wescott Day. The governor said it was an honor for Maine to be represented by the 29-year-old who grew up in Farmington and attended Carrabassett Valley Academy.

Wescott, who is well-known at Sugarloaf and co-owns a restaurant there called The Rack, returned from the Olympics on Wednesday night. He showed up the next evening at The Rack, where he signed autographs and accepted congratulations.

More than 1,000 fans lined up for autographs Saturday afternoon as Wescott signed boards, T-shirts and a special poster of the gold medalist that Sugarloaf had prepared for the celebration.

Wescott will soon return to competition during a three-week stint that includes a visit to Japan, where he will try to win the snowboardcross world championship.