Dartmouth was the site for many unusual events this past weekend. At least they might seem unusual if you aren't a member of the Colby Woodsmen's team.
Approximately 10 schools made the jaunt to Vermont to compete in a wide variety of races and competitions. Many teams, including Colby, arrived on Thursday night and began the two-day meet on Friday morning.
Colby brought 12 students, six men and six women, and a couple of alumni to the home of the Big Green. Even though only 10 schools were represented, close to 25 teams competed. Men and women performed as separate teams in many events and some schools were represented by alumni squads as well.
Canoe races started the festivities with a splash on Friday morning. There were categories of singles, doubles and a portage, where one person races in the water, runs with the canoe on their back and then passes it on to their partner. The partner runs the rest of the way and finishes the race in the water.
Colby, who started practicing with canoes the week before the meet, managed a third place finish in the singles race for men.
"We don't really do much practice [with canoes]. It's not one of our big events," said captain Scott Galson '95.
The afternoon featured a wide variety of events, one of which the Colby men won. Coby Reinhardt '95, John Maddox '98 and Matt Kuchar '97 teamed up to come in first in the wood-splitting relay.
Later in the afternoon, the women participated in one of the more interesting events in the meet. They strapped a pack board, complete with 50 pounds of sand, on their back and raced up the Dartmouth ski hill. Mother Nature decided to add her own obstacle with constant rain all day long.
"It was possibly the worst event you could go through," said Galson.
The men took home second place in a log roll the same day. All six members teamed up in a relay where they took turns, two at a time, pushing a 400-pound log through a course on the ground.
Among the events that occurred on Saturday was the chain throw, which Reinhardt took second place in. Kuchar was victorious in the pole climb once again; he has been undefeated since the fall season. Galson noted that Kuchar has gone against some of the best competition in both the United States and Canada without losing once.
"He's basically the North American champion in the pole climb," said Galson.
The men won the fire-build competition, while the women came in third. The object is to construct a fire and boil water in the shortest amount of time.
The meet marks the end of the season for both Colby teams, but the future looks promising for those who will return. The team is in the process of building a cabin that is scheduled to be finished by next fall. Funding is coming through parents and alumni support.