ROCKLAND—After a two-year hiatus, the Maine Lobster Festival opened to the public for free in Rockland this week. Sunday, August 7, 2022 marked a favorite event: the International Great Crate Race, where kids and adults in shorts and socks were raring to run across a long string of lobster crates attached to floats. The event was “open to anyone brave enough to risk falling into the chilly ocean with thousands of people watching your every move!”

Congratulations to the 2022 International Great Crate Race Champion Aiden Genthner, 12, of Owls Head, with 2,522 crates. His younger brother, Kobe Genther, 9, won second place with 1,798 crates.

Docked lobster boats provided the party in the background as the contestants lined up on the float in their stockinged feet. Professional photographers and a production company filming the crate races for a Maine-based independent movie documented their spectacular falls and triumphs.  The race, with approximately 100 kids and adults participating, was interrupted by a passing shower, but resumed once the sun came out.

Check out our gallery of photos and videos and download the attached 2022 Crate Race Results.

For more information visit: International Great Crate Race on Maine Lobster Festival’s website.

Kay Stephens can be reached at news@penbaypilot.com