Next Maine Event: All’s flair in Snowman Adventure competition

It’s not surprising to see a regular stream of sledders tackle the snow-covered hill on Portland’s Eastern Promenade in the winter. Seeing those sledders wearing mullet wigs, Superman tights and wings of pink feathers, on the other hand, might give an onlooker pause — particularly when most of the downhill riders are adults. On Saturday, […]

Love lifts you up at Saddleback, and much more

It’d be a shame to suffer through an entire first date to discover the only thing you and your dinner companion have in common is a disdain for breadbaskets. Common interests should be what bring people together, so the folks at Saddleback ski area in Rangeley are helping singles who love to ski meet other […]

Off Beat: Chute to thrill

Watch the National Toboggan Championships this weekend or take a wild ride yourself – the Snow Bowl welcomes all comers.

From Portland to the ‘Real World’

What happens in Vegas won’t stay in Vegas for a 22-year-old Portland man — it will be aired on MTV.

Michael Adam Royer is one of seven cast members on MTV’s upcoming reality series “Real World: Las Vegas,” scheduled to air beginning March 9 at 10 p.m.

Off Beat: Necessity spawns a sublime example of winter madness

Necessity is the mother of invention — or at least that’s the lineage we’ll stick with until maternity results prove otherwise. As a mom, Necessity must be overjoyed to have given birth to such productive and influential kids. Her countless offspring include invaluable gems like indoor plumbing, pacemakers and the Cuisinart. But I have to […]

Next Maine Event: Try a new freedom on slopes at telemark fest

Telemark skiers say it’s a whole new skiing world when you free the heel. Trapped in downhill skiing boots and bindings, the heel is rendered immobile and powerless. But offer freedom of movement in a telemark boot, which connects to the bindings only at the toe, and suddenly it’s less like downhill and more like […]

Trail & Error: Snow detractors, you’ve met your match

Snow divides people. When the fallen fluff gathers on streets, fields and front steps, people typically have one of two disparate reactions. They either rage against it, wielding shovels and cursing nature from the driveway, or they revel in it, on skis and sleds and snowshoes. It’s a winter-specific “fight or frolic” response. Psychologically speaking, […]

Expect Mushers Bowl to beruff sledding, and very cool

The Mushers Bowl and Winter Carnival returns to Bridgton Saturday and Sunday. The dogsled-centric weekend includes two days of dogsled rides and races, skijoring (wherein people on skis are pulled by their canine friends), as well as winter hikes, guided snowshoeing, a polar dip, a Saturday-night dance and snowmobile rides.

Next Maine Event: Mushing and other snowy fun in Bridgton

The well-groomed trails at Five Fields Farm in Bridgton are typically occupied by Nordic skiers and snowshoers in the winter months. But next weekend, the snowy trails will be scattered with paw prints instead of parallel grooves, and the rhythmic slide of skis will be replaced by canine panting and the loud call of “Mush!” […]

Off Beat: All hands on deck for arm wrestling showdown

For as long as there have been men on Earth, there have been manly ways of settling disputes. When Cro-Magnon men fought over girlfriends or cave property lines, they might have clubbed each other with logs or held speed-climbing competitions to decide who was the better man and who’d have to say goodbye to Sheila, […]