Anyone with doubts about the power of sports to unite people need look no further than last month鈥檚 sold-out home opener for Hearts of Pine.
Despite torrential rains, more than 5,700 fans poured into Portland鈥檚 Fitzpatrick Stadium to support Maine鈥檚 new pro men鈥檚 soccer team.
The stands were awash in a sea of blue and green, filled with fans donning the iconic Hearts of Pine jerseys, the Maine Office of Tourism logo across the front, emphasizing this is Maine鈥檚 own team. With executives from the Maine Celtics, Maine Mariners and Portland Sea Dogs flanking the sidelines to cheer on the newest member of Maine鈥檚 professional sports lineup, and Dirigo Union leading the crowds in chants through the final buzzer, there was a palpable sense of the community pride and the collaborative spirit that make Maine so special.
This scene was just the latest sign that Maine is no longer just a mecca for outdoor recreation; it is now an increasingly diverse sports economy and top-notch destination for sporting events across all seasons. Last year, Sports Business Journal named Portland the No. 1 minor league sports market in the nation. SportsTravel magazine selected the National Collegiate Roller Hockey National Championships, held at Auburn鈥檚 Norway Savings Bank Arena, as a top-five finalist for the Best Collegiate Sports Event.
Community leaders 鈥 especially those outside the traditional tourist hot spots 鈥 have recognized what a positive impact sporting events can have for their local economies, especially in the offseason.
In recent years, events like the Enduro World Series Mountain Bike races and XTERRA Trail Running World Championships have come to Sugarloaf Mountain, bringing athletes from around the globe to the ski slopes months after the last snowflakes melt. For three years, the Gran Fondo Hincapie event attracted more than 600 cyclists from 26 states to Bangor in June to ride 80-, 50- and 15-mile routes through the region鈥檚 rolling hills and coastal villages.
Each summer, more than 3,000 players, spectators and coaches descend across baseball and softball diamonds across central and southern Maine for tournaments organized by Firecracker Sports. The Rhode Island-based group has continued to expand its lineup of tournaments since it debuted here seven years ago.
Each July, Ironman 70.3 Maine draws more than 5,400 to the Augusta area, to swim 1.2 miles in the Kennebec River, bike 56 miles and run 13.1 miles through the region. Last year, the triathlon had a $4.25 million economic impact.
Meanwhile, other events continue to grow organically. That includes the Kenduskeag Stream Canoe Race, a 16.5-mile paddle that attracts nearly 1,000 people to Bangor each April. Now in its 58th year, the race has blossomed into the largest paddling event in New England, and one of the largest in the country.
New events and opportunities keep cropping up thanks to the creativity and collaboration of community leaders and local sports enthusiasts, who recognize what a boost these events can bring.
Last June, the Rangeley Oquossoc Adventure Rendezvous debuted, drawing nearly 100 boats for a two-day, 40-mile stage race, to explore the Maine section of the Northern Forest Canoe Trail.
This past weekend, the Bay of Fundy International Marathon, Half Marathon and 10K made its post-pandemic return to Lubec and Campobello after a six-year hiatus. This two-nation race was named one of the nation鈥檚 50 most loved and talked about marathons in the country.
In the Greater Portland area alone, two pickleball facilities opened this season. The largest indoor facility in the Northeast, the Picklr played host to the Professional Pickleball Association New England Challenger this past May, with the goal of welcoming a few higher-level tournaments each year.
And even with clouds of economic uncertainty on the horizon, the future looks bright. At the Governor鈥檚 Conference of Tourism presented by the Maine Office of Tourism in April, Cimarron Global Solutions, alongside our team, presented industry insights from 鈥淭ransforming Maine Through Sports Tourism,鈥 a roadmap for sustainably growing sports tourism in Maine. The report lays out a strategy for how our state can leverage its natural assets, its warm and welcoming community, built arenas and capacity in the shoulder season 鈥 to continue to boost tourism, which brings $9.2 billion in spending to Maine each year and supports 116,000 jobs.
Using this game plan to help guide our vision, and as the Hearts of Pine vividly illustrate, sports can be such a big win for Maine.