NEWRY — Like it does in real life, mutual aid helped some of the 15 fire departments competing Saturday in the 21st annual Firefighters’ Race at Sunday River Ski Resort.
Livermore Falls and Jay routinely help each other in the event, which raises money for Maine Handicapped Skiing.
Teams of five persons wearing turnout gear — helmet, jacket and pants — and carrying a 50-foot fire hose, negotiate their way down a giant slalom course. The best time of two runs determines finishing places.
A few years ago, two Livermore Falls firefighters skiied on the Jay team, which won first place, Tim Toothaker, Livermore Falls firefighter, said.
This year, Jay returned the favor and helped Livermore Falls take second place with a time of 38.93 seconds on the 16-gate course midway up the Tempest Trail on Whitecap Mountain.
Wolfeboro Fire Rescue of Wolfeboro, N.H., won the event, posting a time of 38.47 seconds.
“We took the first step in mutual aid today,” Toothaker said. “We combined a few racers on a team. We were just helping each other out. That’s what we do to make it the best time possible.”
Livermore Falls skiied the first run in 41.66 seconds and 38.93 seconds on their second run, while Jay took sixth place with a second-run time of 39.61 seconds.
One team that mutual aid didn’t help was Rumford firefighters.
Deputy Chief Chris Bryant said their fifth man didn’t show up, so for the first run they were joined by an Auburn firefighter.
The Auburn man, however, tumbled halfway down the course, taking out Rumford firefighter Dalton Bradley in spectacular fashion. It took a while to untangle Bradley from the hose.
In Rumford’s second run, Bethel Town Manager and firefighter Jim Doar helped out, but firefighters still tumbled.
“We did awesome. We had people fall both times,” Bryant said.
Since all racers have to start and finish while holding the hose, falls usually meant a disqualifying run, because whoever fell couldn’t get upright in time to catch up to the hose.
But Rumford managed to do that on its second run, posting a time of 1 minute, 5 seconds to best Newry and take 19th place of 20 teams.
During the first run, Bethel firefighters held the lead briefly with a time of 39.27 seconds, before Wolfeboro, who skiied next, took it.
“We were going for it,” Andy Whitney, 21, of Bethel said.
““We were going for Augusta as fast as we could go,” teammate Ken Paquette, 57, of Bethel, said.
On their second run, Bethel firefighters had the speed and finesse to match Wolfeboro, but it wasn’t meant to be. Race rookie Jar Dux of Bethel suddenly fell.
“Lost a ski, took a digger,” Dux said afterward.
Most racers interviewed said the course was very good, but icy on second runs.
“It’s always a challenge getting five people on a 50-foot section of hose and having everyone start and finish at the same time,” Toothaker said. “It’s more difficult than it looks.”
“You know, you can see it on YouTube and watch it while standing there and it looks easy, but trying to ski, you’re watching the guy ahead of you, trying to follow his line and trying not to get flung around on the tension.”
Between the Firefighters’ Race and its accompanying Chili Cook-off event, $2,804 was raised for Maine Handicapped Skiing, resort Spokeswoman Darcy Morse said.
Nine area restaurants and Farmington firefighters from Farmington, Conn., served up their best chilis.
The Maine Handicapped Skiing Ski-A-Thon, which ran simultaneously, raised $297,000, Morse said.
“We’re thrilled that the success of this weekend’s annual Chili Cook-off and Firefighters’ Race could help contribute to Maine Handicapped Skiing’s overall fundraising efforts during their annual Ski-a-Thon,” she said.
1. Wolfeboro Fire Rescue, N.H. — 38.47 seconds
2. Livermore Falls Fire Department — 38.93
3. Bethel Fire Department. — 39.27
4. Auburn Fire Department. Team 1 — 39.50
5. Lewiston Fire Department — 39.60
6. Jay Fire/Rescue — 39.61
7. Falmouth Fire/EMS — 39.88
8. Farmington Fire Department, Conn. — 41.24
9. Hopkinton Fire Department, N. H. — 44.65
10. Auburn Fire Department Team 2 — 44.82
11. Falmouth Fire/EMS — 46.26
12. Falmouth Fire/EMS — 48.41
13. Falmouth Fire/EMS — 49.11
14. Portland Fire Department — 51.27
15. Poland Fire/Rescue — 51.71
16. Gorham Fire Department Team 1 — 51.87
17. Gorham Fire Department Team 2 — 52.47
18. Portsmouth Fire, N.H. — 53.16
19. Rumford Fire Department — 1 minute, 5 seconds
20. Newry Fire Department — 1:06.15
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- Griffin Couture, Tim Toothaker and James Butler lead a string of firefighters during Sunday’s 21st annual Firefighter’s Fundraising race at Sunday River. Livermore Falls and Jay firefighters teamed up in a show of mutual aid to ski in the contest, which benefits the Maine Handicapped Skiing program.
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- A group of Falmouth, Maine firefighters ski down a slope on their way to the starting line before competing in the 21st Annual Firefighter’s Fundraising Race, Sunday, March 27, 2011, at the Sunday River ski resort in Newry, Maine. Teams of five wearing firefighting gear carried a 50-foot hose while negotiating a giant slalom race course. The race benefits the Maine Handicapped Skiing program. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)
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- Griffin Couture, leads teammates Tim Toothaker, Scott Shink, Rick Couture, Justin Shink, as the compete for the Livermore Falls and Jay, Maine fire depts. in the 21st Annual Firefighter’s Fundraising Race, Sunday, March 27, 2011, at the Sunday River ski resort in Newry, Maine. Teams of five wearing firefighting gear carried a 50-foot hose while negotiating a giant slalom race course. The race benefits the Maine Handicapped Skiing program. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)
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- Chris Washburn, leads teammates Dan Masselli, Chris Poremby, Zack Braband, and Mike LeCompte as they cpmpete for the Auburn, Maine fire dept. in the 21st Annual Firefighter’s Fundraising Race, Sunday, March 27, 2011, at the Sunday River ski resort in Newry, Maine. Teams of five wearing firefighting gear carried a 50-foot hose while negotiating a giant slalom race course. The race benefits the Maine Handicapped Skiing program. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)
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- Blake Davis, leads teammates Jay Hallett, Danielle LeClerc, Zack Tooker, Bobby Cooper, of the Falmouth, Maine, fire dept. as they compete in the 21st Annual Firefighter’s Fundraising Race, Sunday, March 27, 2011, at the Sunday River ski resort in Newry, Maine. Teams of five wearing firefighting gear carried a 50-foot hose while negotiating a giant slalom race course. The race benefits the Maine Handicapped Skiing program. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)
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- Eric Knudson carries a 50-foot hose to the bottom of the Firefighters Fundraising course on the Tempest trail at Sunday River. Teams from around New England converge every year for the competion to raise money for Maine Handicapped Skiing.
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- A trio of firefighters rides the chairlift during an annual charity race for Maine Handicapped Skiing at Sunday River on Sunday.
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- Firefighters from around New England competed Sunday at the annual Firefighters Race, an annual fund raising event, for Maine Handicapped Skiing held at Sunday River in Newry.
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- A firefighter looses his footing during the annual firefighter’s hose race at Sunday River on Sunday in Newry. The annual event is a fundraiser for Maine Handicapped Skiing.
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- A team of firefighters on skis and snowboards make their way through the race course at Sunday River in Newry on Sunday.
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- A team of firefighters moves through the gates at Sunday River on Sunday as part of fund-raising event for Maine Handicapped Skiing.
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