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"A Family Tradition for 128 Years" PORT PERRY STAR - Tuesday, December 12, 1995 -15 By Kelly Lown Port Perry Star Local sleddog musher Bruce Langmaid is seeking financial assistance for an upcoming race in Wyoming, that will pit him against the top racers in the world. Mr. Langmaid, who has been racing dogs for several years, is one of 30 com- petitors and one of four Canadians who will take part in the first ever International Rocky Mountain Stage Stop Sleddog Race to be held February 1-11, 1996. The Iceman Alaskan Sleddog Racing Team from Scugog Township has long focused on competing against the best in the world. The local team is the only Canadian team this side of the prairies to be competing in the upcoming interna- tional competition. Mr. Langmaid is one local resident to appreciate the early snowfall in the town- ship as it has allowed him to train daily over the past few weeks, an edge the Alaskan teams would usually hold over him. THE LOCAL RACING TEAM has made a name for itself in Canada and the United States over the past few years. The team was crowned the Canadian Long Distance Champions in 1995 and have won'most of the 60 mile races in Southern Ontario and the northeast United States. Last year they also won the Marmora sleddog event, which is the most high pro- file, and longest running event in the country. In preparation for the upcoming event Mr. Langmaid has been training 12 hours a day for the past two months to have both himself and his dogs in the best possible shape for the race. Although his team is used to days of rest after a 60-mile race, they will need to be conditioned to race consecutive days. Mr. Langmaid has taken the team to Bancroft to run them consecutive days and is pleased with the performance. "It's amazing how dogs just bounce back. They don't act like they already ran the day before," he meu MR. LANGMAID has been soliciting local business and individuals for help in seeing his dream realized and says every little bit of money that comes his way will be a great help. Although the said. "The training end of things is going very well," Mr. Langmaid said, but finan- cially he needs help to the tune of $10,000 to represent the | country in the race. Mr. Langmaid and his team have long been ambassadors for Scugog Township. The team has provid- ed dog sled dem- onstrations through visits to more than 20 schools in the past two years. The children learn about rac- ing and goal set- ting as well as and the team- 8 race will attract the top racers in the world, Mr. | Langmaid feels | he has a legiti- 8 mate chance to | make his mark in international competition. The local team will be arriving at the race site "| one month early ® | to allow both Mr. | Langmaid and his team time to 8 adapt to the dif- 1 ferent altitude. | The actual | race will differ from typical rac- es in that it will be held over a number of days, with the winner of day one start- ing out at the back of the pack for the next race instead of the usual front. work, trust and hard work that goes into achiev- ing those goals. Mr. Langmaid carries the name of Scugog with him to races, always talking about a township that is rarely recognized in the circuit. He hopes it provides some tourist interest in the area. BRUCE LANGMAID Mr. Langmaid said it is then that the mush- ers must use tremendous strategy and training techniques to get ahead of the slower competitors. THE 450-MILE RACE will take in many different towns. Each race will Local "Iceman" racer Bruce Langmaid to compete with top 30 mushers in the world begin in one town and end in another. There are six different stage races in the event ranging from 30 to 70 miles. The huge area it is reaching is already attracting a frenzy of media attention from around the world. THE TOP 30 RACERS in the world will be at the event. The competitors were hand picked based on a number of criteria, including the care and way the owner han- dled his dogs at previous races, veterinar- ians' impressions of the care and those skilled enough to handle the terrain they will have to challenge. Mr. Langmaid feels he has the skills to be competitive in the race which will see mushers face between 6,000-10,000 verti- cal terrain with wildlife and avalanche hazards all a natural part of the race. The one drawback of the competition is the local sleddog team will be looked at as amateurs and long-shots, mainly because of they hometown and country of origin. He will be considered a long-shot much like the Jamaican bobsled team that took the Olympics by storm. Although many of the other mushers have full-time sponsors and compete as a full-time job, Mr, Langmaid believes he can compete with the best. "I feel I have enough dog handler know how and the quality of dogs to do well. My goal is to finish in the top 10 of the 30 com- peting," he said. "I will find out if that is realistic," Mr. Langmaid added. Mr. Langmaid is excited about the opportunity to compete. It has been a five- year plan of the Iceman Alaskans to com- pete in such an event. "I'm going to be racing with the icons we only read about. It will be a complete thrill," he said. Anyone wishing to help the team finan- cially is asked to call Bruce at 985-9170. Room The Front m1 Antiques & 8) ° | Collectibles Township of Scugog ~Open Every Day~ at Landfall Farm PLEASE NOTE 3120 Hwy 7A Solid Waste/Garbage Collection wast of Blackstock Holiday Schedule with Bunty Webb & Linda N Reetham-Clayton BIA/ Chamber Office Woek of December 26th to December 29th, 1995 * Monday, December 25th pick-up (Scugog Island and Caesarea) will be picked up on Wednesday, December 27, 1995, » Tuesday, December 26th pick-up (Commercial) will be picked up on Wednesday, December 27th, 1995, » Tuesday, December 26th (Residential) will be picked up on Friday, December 29, 1995, BED & BREAKFAST --AVAILABLE-- 005) 986-5588 No GST + 10% Discount through December 24, 1995 The Regional Municipality of Durham « Thursday, December 28th (Residential), - regular Beside the HOLIDAY CLOSURE eskot dana 1.1 th. 1088 Big Tree! OF THE REGION'S WASTE MANAGEMENT FACILITIES * Monday, January 1st pick-up (Scugog Island and Caesarea) will be picked up on Wednesday, January 3, 1996, Tuesday, Thursday & Friday regular schedule. Please Note; The following dates and times for using the 8cugog and Cartwright Transfer Stations Closed 12:00 noon Friday December 22, 1996 Re-Open Wednesday, December 27, 1996 through 8aturday December 30, 1996 with regular hours (8:00am to 4:00pm) Closed December 31, 1996 & January 1, 1996 Regular Hours will begin on January 2, 1996 (8:00am to 4:00pm) Christmas Tree Pick-up Christmas tree pick-up will be on January 10, 1996. Please place trees in general area of your garbage pick-up. December 16 11:00am to 1:00pm Hot Chocolate and Cookies DURHAM REGION The Region's Oshawa, Cartwright and Scugog Waste Management Facilities will be closed from noon on Friday, December 22, 1995 to and including Tuesday, December 26. 1995. Normal operations will resume Wednesday, December 27, 1995 through to Saturday, December 30, 1995 from 8am to 4pm. dl \_ After the New Year's Day Holiday, normal operations will resume Tuesday, January 2, 1996 to Saturday, January 6, 1996 from 8am to 4pm. "Have you an interesting story to tell...?" Call the Port Perry Star & Weekend Star Call (905) 985-7383 V.A.Silgailis, P.Eng. Commissioner of Works