King of the Mountain races reign at Poley Mt.
Two hundred entries, 1,000 spectators converge for snowmobile race fundraiser
SUSSEX - Snowmobile enthusiasts from around the Maritimes arrived at Poley Mountain March 29 to stake claim to being King of the Mountain in the annual uphill snowmobile drag racing event.
With the roar of the 68 competing snowmobile engines nearly matched by the infectious excitement of the more than-1,000 spectators who came to witness the event throughout the day, competitors faced off in the double elimination tournament until only one rider remained victorious.
"It's all about the bragging rights -- you're the best of the best. Any sled can run it from a 400 to a 1,000 cc or more. It is the bragging rights -- the King of the Mountain, that's the fastest, quickest sled to the top," said event organizer Gary McEachern.
In the end, Jean Fabien Arsenault of Balmoral was crowned King of the Mountain, as well as winner of the 700 class.
A steady crowd of spectators arrived at Poley Mountain throughout the day, to watch the racers travel up the ski hill at speeds reaching 70 miles per hour in an effort to best their adversary and move on.
"So far it looks awesome -- it's amazing how fast they can get up that hill and twist and turn and bump," said Earl Garnett of Rothesay, who travelled with his 16-year-old son Drew via snowmobile to take in the event.
"You've got to be big and strong, you have to have the right equipment in the track and you've got to have enough horsepower to ride it."
Drew, who is in his first year of snowmobiling, said watching the competition makes him want to get involved in future years.
"It makes me want to practise more and it makes me want to go faster," he said, noting the amount of skill it would take to be successful in the event. "You have to know how to shift your weight right -- if you don't you'll slip. You have to know where to position yourself right or else you're not going to get a good grip."
While much of the end result would come down to the quality of the snowmobile, there's also quite a bit of skill involved.
"You've only got to make one mistake and the other person beats you," said Adam Hoar, a 26-year-old competitor from Saint John. "If you let off the throttle the other person can usually get by you, if you don't get a good start it's hard to play catch up going up the hill.
"Or your thumb can slip off the throttle, there's all sorts of things that can happen."
While only one rider could be crowned King of the Mountain, there seemed to be no shortage of good times for all involved.
"You see a lot of fast sleds here, it's interesting to see who's running what. You meet a lot of guys -- a lot of guys that I only see them here once a year, but I talk to them every year," said Sean Woodill, 34, of Riverview, who was attending the event for a ninth year.
Although Woodill wasn't able to capture the event's top spot, he said the event is always an enjoyable experience and a chance to connect with fellow snowmobilers.
"There's a mutual respect -- everybody's in the same sport and they've got a passion for it. There's a mutual respect among all the racers I think. Of course everyone wants to win but you still respect the guy that beat you too," he said.
There was also a "Queen of the Mountain" women's competition and although the event had only three entrants, the competition was hotly contested, with Mallory Mallette from Saint John crowned champion, by besting her own sister and defending champion Melissa Mallette in the finals.
"Last year I beat her and this year she got the best of me. The starting is really icy and I just spun and she had a good sled. It's good for her," said 18-year-old Melissa, noting she will be out for revenge in next year's competition.
Funds raised from the event are in support of the Southeastern New Brunswick Snowmobile Association and the Goshen Snowmobile Club.
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