Saddleback hosts skimming contest Saturday

SANDY RIVER PLANTATION – Saddleback Maine will host its sixth annual Pond Skimming Contest on Saturday, April 4. This is the second event of the “Spring Fever” event series which started last Saturday with the fifth annual Cardboard Box Race and will culminate on April 11 with “Park Shark Two.”

Pond skimming is a local favorite and often quite a spectacle. The event is just as the name suggests. Participants ski or snowboard across a manmade “pond” in an attempt to reach the other side as dry as possible. Those who fail to navigate the pond are treated to an ice water bath.

“It’s fun, it’s exhilarating, and anyone can do it,” said Jim Quimby, director of Mountain Operations at Saddleback Mountain. “Just don’t lean forward or too far back and you’ll sail right over it like glass.”

Registration for the event is free, and does not require a lift ticket. Registration starts at 9 a.m. and ends at 12:30 p.m. The skimming starts promptly at 1 p.m. The event is open to anyone who is willing to chance an icy dip. All are welcome to attend and cheer on these brave souls. Contestants will need to sign a liability release, and entries under the age of 18 will need a parent or guardian to sign.

For more information about Saddleback and its year-round offerings, visit www.saddlebackmaine.com.