Skate with the Bears

ORONO – The Friends of Maine Hockey will present their annual Skate with the Bears 2-4 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 9.

Join the 2007-2008 University of Maine men’s and women’s ice hockey teams on the ice at Alfond Arena.

The popular family event is a great opportunity for fans of all ages to meet the players, get autographs and have their pictures taken, organizers said. Team mascot Bananas the Bear will be there, too. Have a commemorative photo button made and enjoy some refreshments.

A limited number of free skate rentals are available on a first-come, first-served basis, courtesy of the University of Maine.

Sponsored by Machias Savings Bank, the event is free and open to the public. Kiss 94.5 and WVOM, the Voice of Maine, will broadcast live from Alfond Arena and give away prizes.

Taking care of skis

BANGOR – With the newly fallen snow and a snowy winter predicted, many eastern Maine area skiers will be strapping on cross country skis and hitting the trails. The past couple of winters have been less than ideal for Nordic skiers, but this year is off to a great start.

This month’s meeting of the Maine Outdoor Adventure Club at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 18, at Epic Sports, 6 Central St., will help both beginning and experienced skiers learn how to care for ski bases so their skis will stay in good shape for years to come.

“Most people don’t realize that even ‘waxless’ Nordic skis need waxing and care – they just need to be waxed less,” explained Paul Markson, former ski Nordic coach and L.L. Bean ski tech. Markson will provide a hands-on ski waxing demonstration and tips for taking care of only Nordic ski bases, Alpine skis and snowboards.

Future club meetings will include a Jan. 29 trip report on hiking the Haute Route from France to Switzerland. Upcoming meetings will cover topics such as preparing for your first winter camping trip and bicycle maintenance.

Club activities take place statewide and members communicate via e-mail lists to announce volunteer organized trips and spontaneous outdoor adventures. Activities include hiking, water sports, biking, skiing, snow-shoeing and everything from extreme sports such as ice climbing to more gentle sports such as walking or birding. For more information about the club, visit www.moac.org.

Youth in Motion

BREWER – Youth in Motion is a program for children and young adults who have a disability and want to get together with others with a disability to play games and sports in a wheelchair. Currently these are all played inside a gym.

Any child or young adult who is a wheelchair user or would like to play in a wheelchair is welcome, as are parents, siblings and friends.

Some wheelchair users are paraplegic, quadriplegic or amputee, or have spina bifida, muscular dystrophy, cerebral palsy or other problems with their legs.

Youth in Motion meets 6-7:30 p.m. the first Saturday of the month at the Brewer Recreation Center in the Brewer Armory, 318 Wilson St. Activities are free.

The next session will be Jan. 5.

For information, contact Weston Smith at 941-6553 or (800) 300-6016, or wsmith@alphaonenow.org

Youth in Motion is sponsored by Alpha One and the city of Brewer Parks and Recreation Department.

Skiing, snowboarding

ORONO – The Orono Parks and Recreation Department is accepting registrations for its skiing and snowboarding lessons.

Snowboarding lessons for grades four through seven, and downhill skiing lessons for grades two through seven will be held Wednesdays, Jan. 16-Feb. 6, at Hermon Mountain.

The cost for snowboarding is $85 for Orono residents, $95 for others.

The fee for ski lessons is $75 for Orono residents, $85 for others.

Fees include transportation and equipment rental if needed.

Programs have a minimum and maximum enrollment, so register early. For information, call the recreation office at 866-5065.