Man Expo BDN Maine 2013 by Bangor Daily News

BDN MAINE MAN EXPO • BDNMaineManExpo.com • September 26, 2013

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BDN MAINE MAN EXPO • BDNMaineManExpo.com • September 26, 2013

Hot wing eating

contest • Arm

contest • Arm wrestling

wrestling tournament •

Mechanical bull

riding • Live music

from Paranoid Social

Club • Pie eating

contest • Indoor

paintball • Archery •

NASCAR simulator •

Mixed Martial Arts

demonstrations •

Golf simulator • Arm

Arm wrestling

Arm wrestling competition

tournament • Mechanical

bull riding • Live

Archery • NASCAR

Saturday, Sept. 28 • 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 29 • 10 a.m.-4 p.m. $5 per person free to children under age 12

simulator • Mixed

Parking available at Bass Park or Hollywood Casino

music from Paranoid Social Club • Pie eating contest • Indoor paintball

Martial Arts demonstrations Hot wing eating

music from Paranoid Social Club • Pie eating contest • Indoor paintball Archery • NASCAR simulator • Mixed Martial Arts demonstrations Hot wing eating

We get it. You work hard all week long. Your job, boss, bills, and house all need your attention. You long for just a few hours with your family or buddies, and a chance to do the type of stuff that you want to do. The Man Expo is a chance to unwind for a few hours and be entertained. This show will feature many events you love and things you’ve only dreamed about.

contest • Arm wrestling tournament • Mechanical bull riding • Live music from Paranoid Social Club • Pie eating contest • Indoor paintball • Archery • NASCAR simulator • Mixed Martial Arts demonstrations • Golf simulator • Arm Arm wrestling tournament • Mechanical

We want you to come and have a good time. That’s why we have jampacked the new Cross Center with unique entertainment, dynamic activities, great food and drink, and outstanding vendor services. Follow that up with vendors showing off ATVs, outdoor gear, toys for boys, and ideas on how to design the perfect Man Cave. Plus, you can do it all while snacking on great food and with a cold beer in your hand. So grab your friends and family and bring them to the Man Expo for a not-to-be-missed weekend.

contest • Arm wrestling wrestling tournament • Mechanical bull riding • Live music from Paranoid Social Club • Pie eating contest • Indoor paintball • Archery • NASCAR simulator • Mixed Martial Arts demonstrations • Golf simulator • Arm Arm wrestling competition tournament • Mechanical

bull riding • Live

music from Paranoid Social Club • Pie eating contest •

music from Paranoid

BDNMaineManExpo.com

Social Club • Pie eating contest •

BDN MAINE MAN EXPO • BDNMaineManExpo.com • September 26, 2013

Friend & Friend will display

POLARIS OFF-ROAD VEHICLES at Man Expo By Brian Swartz BDN Special Sections Editor

“The Boys with the Toys” will display the latest Polaris off-road vehicles during the BDN Maine Events Man Expo — and while riding isn’t permitted inside the Cross Insurance Center, the trails aren’t that far away. Well known for decades for selling and servicing street bikes (2014 will mark the company’s 50th year with street bikes), Friend & Friend has sold off-road vehicles for a long time, too, but has expanded substantially into the off-road market as the popularity of ATVs and UTVs (also known as “side by sides”) explodes across Maine. Man Expo visitors can check out Polaris off-road vehicles at Friend & Friend’s booth inside the CIC’s expansive Arena and at the company’s outdoor display near the CIC’s Southeast Entry. The Polaris vehicles will include ATVs, UTVs,

BDN MAINE PHOTO BY BRIAN SWARTZ

Cooper F. Friend (right) and his son, Cooper P. Friend, own and operate the Friend & Friend dealerships on State Street in Ellsworth and Stillwater Avenue in Orono.

BDN MAINE MAN EXPO • BDNMaineManExpo.com • September 26, 2013

and snowmobiles; Friend & Friend will also display a Global Electric Motors vehicle. Cooper F. Friend and his son, Cooper P. Friend, will be at the Man Expo, as will Polaris District Manager Jordan Niquette and the Friend & Friend sales team. The company’s business managers will be available to discuss financing with Man Expo visitors interested in acquiring a Polaris off-road vehicle. During the Man Expo, Friend & Friend representatives will hand out flyers containing discount coupons for vehicles, parts, and service. Expo visitors can inquire about customizing off-road vehicles with parts and accessories. “There are so many accessories that you can buy for all the products,” Cooper F. Friend said. “In particular for the side by sides and the ATVs, it’s winches, plows, chains, full enclosure cabs. “You can get heat, you can get air conditioning, radios, windshield wipers. The list is almost endless,” he said. Such accessories will almost inconceivable when Harry Friend and his son, Norris, started selling Ford automobiles after opening Friend & Friend at 1 Main St., Newport, in 1916. Automobiles gave way in time to motorcycles, the vehicle long associated with the company. In 1976 Friend & Friend relocated to 32 High St., Ellsworth, the same building now occupied by Cadillac Mountain Sports. “It used to be Bar Harbor Motor Co., and we rented half of it,” Cooper F. Friend recalled. On Dec. 1, 1979, Friend & Friend relocated to 227 State St., literally at the “Fork in the Road” on the edge of downtown Ellsworth. In Ellsworth, Friend & Friend carries Honda, Kawasaki, Polaris, Suzuki, and Yamaha vehicles and Victory motorcycles. The company opened its 29 Stillwater Ave., Orono dealership in 1999. That dealership carries Suzuki, Victory motorcycles, Yamaha, and electric vehicles manufactured by Global Electric Motors (GEM), owned by Polaris. Cooper F. Friend described the GEM vehicles as “low-speed electric vehicles, cars, that are registered for the highway.” According to Cooper F. Friend, the most popular street motorcycle line sold by Friend & Friend has been “Kawasaki [for] the last few years. The models they have are appealing. They have the esthetics, they look good, they ride good.”

All motorcycle lines are popular, and the many models offered by Honda, Kawasaki, Polaris, Suzuki, Victory, and Yamaha give bikers a good selection of models to check out. “Under one roof you can try out two or three different models, and you can make the decision right there yourself in one visit,” Cooper F. Friend said. He notices that “in today’s age, they (customers) have done a lot of online research” before visiting Friend & Friend, which provides detailed inventory information for customers logging onto friendandfriend.com.

“We know what it’s like to be on the other side of the counter,” he said. “We just like to treat people the way we want to be treated.” – Cooper F. Friend By the time customers visit a Friend & Friend dealership, “they’ve probably got it narrowed down to less than three [models], maybe two. It’s something they like the looks of, and it’s going to fit their riding needs,” Cooper F. Friend said. “We’ll have two or three models in stock, and they can try them right out.” Although some customers are brand loyal, “the younger generation, I think they’re a little bit less” so, said Cooper P. Friend. He stressed service, important for everyone who operates a Friend & Friend vehicle. “That’s another thing that sets us apart: The brands that we carry are

all under one roof, and we are able to sell and service all those brands,” Cooper P. Friend pointed out. His father noted that the service technicians are “all factory trained. There’s online training and attendance at off-site schools.” Service after the sale is an important component of Friend & Friend’s top priority, which is “our customer service,” Cooper F. Friend said. “We try to give the customer a great experience that builds a customer for life. We’ve always tried to do that.” Customers quickly discover that at Friend & Friend, “we’re enthusiasts,” and “we ride our product,” he said. “We not only sell it; we ride it, we enjoy it. “We know what it’s like to be on the other side of the counter,” he said. “We just like to treat people the way we want to be treated.” For Cooper P. Friend, business is about “creating relationships with people.” Satisfied customers tell their friends and relatives and return to Friend & Friend to buy more vehicles. “It’s really important to create that relationship,” his father said. “Word of mouth is so important, and repeat business is our lifeblood.” Experienced employees have helped the company develop such business, according to Cooper F. Friend. “We have been incredibly fortunate to have had many wonderful and productive employees over the years,” he said. “They have always been passionate about our industry and have always enjoyed working with people. “That has definitely been a key to our success and longevity,” he said.

To learn more about Friend & Friend, visit

friendandfriend.com

To learn more about the BDN Maine Events Man Expo, visit

bdnmainemanexpo.com

To learn more about off-road riding in Maine, contact ATV Maine at

atvmaine.org

To find information about specific trail systems, log onto

riderplanet-usa.com/atv/trails/maine_list.htm To find information about state-maintained multi-use recreational trails, log onto

maine.gov/doc/parks/programs/snowmobile/trails.html.

BDN MAINE MAN EXPO • BDNMaineManExpo.com • September 26, 2013

Arm wrestling tourney to Man Expo crowd

wow By David M. Fitzpatrick BDN Special Sections

When the Man Expo organizers contacted Nate Gagnon about setting up an arm-wrestling tournament at the Man Expo, Gagnon was thrilled. “I’m looking forward to this more than probably any other [arm-wrestling] event, just because of the potential,” he said. After attending some small-scale arm-wrestling events in Maine — many of them in back-alley taverns with a handful of people — Gagnon felt he could do it be bigger and better. He formed 207 Arm Sports and held the First Annual Maine Call to Arms in South Portland in June 2012 with 70 competitors. “I had instant success,” he said. “It was an event that people could be proud of. That was what I was going for.”

“I’m expecting this to be my biggest turnout ever.”

Excitement and online buzz flared over the next year, and in 2013 competitors came from all over the Northeast. “Everyone was excited, motivated, and supportive,” Gagnon said. At the Man Expo, there will be four divisions. The men’s right-handed division has five weight classes and the lefthanded has three. There are also novice and women’s divisions. Women have only one weight class… and nothing hits home during a Man Expo more than women who don’t want to reveal their weights. “The women complain about not having weight classes,” Gagnon said, “but if I give them weight classes, they don’t enter.” Competitors weigh in when they sign up the day of the event. The entry fee is $15 for the first division and $10 per division after that. Those under 18 can compete with signed

– Nate Gagnon

SY OF 207 ARM

PHOTO COURTE

SPORTS

BDN MAINE MAN EXPO • BDNMaineManExpo.com • September 26, 2013

PHOTO COURTESY OF 207

ARM SPORTS

“It could be the fisherman from the coast or that lumberjack from the woods of Maine who could show up and surprise everyone.” – Nate Gagnon

permission from a parent or guardian. There will be trophies for first through third place in all weight classes and divisions. There will also be six $100 cash prizes to the first-place right-handed men and for the women. With competitors from all over the Northeast and the Maritimes he knows are making the trip to Bangor, Gagnon is excited about the Man Expo. “I’m expecting this to be my biggest turnout ever,” he said. With arm wrestling coming back into the public consciousness, there’s even a reality television show in the works. Many amateur arm wrestlers are hoping to get discovered — and, at an event like this, even here in Bangor, could launch someone into stardom. “It could be the fisherman from the coast or that lumberjack from the woods of Maine who could show up and surprise everyone,” Gagnon said. He’s excited to educate people, and to shatter the stereotype that arm wrestling is only the kind of thing drunks in seedy bars do. Gagnon’s tournaments stress good sportsmanship; competitors shake hands after a match, and poor sports are disqualified. “It’s supposed to be a sport and it’s supposed to be fun,” he said. Gagnon is excited about the level of the crowds who will be exposed to that sport. With 3,000 to 5,000 people per day expected at the Man Expo, it should raise a lot of awareness. “As long as the Man Expo is around, I think 207 Arm Sports is going to want to be involved.” If you’re ready to try your hand — and arm — at this, visit the Max Expo and get involved. Weigh-ins are Saturday from 10 a.m. until noon, and the event begins at 1 p.m.

BDN MAINE MAN EXPO • BDNMaineManExpo.com • September 26, 2013

Team Irish and Marcus Davis to bring

MIXED MARTIAL to the Man Expo ARTS

Team Irish is set for five weekend demos: three on Saturday at noon, 3 p.m., 5 p.m., and two on Sunday at noon and 2:20. Demos will including conditioning, padding boxing, kickboxing, and grappling. Along with several Team Irish fighters doing the demos, crowds can expect to see world-famous MMA fighter Marcus Davis on Sunday. Davis, who has compiled a record of over 200 fights with only 15 losses, is a former U.S. Regional boxing champion and USKBA MMA champion, as well as a cast member on The Ultimate Fighter 2 on Spike TV. His broad repertoire of fighting skills include a black belt in choi shin do and studies in boxing, kick boxing, Thai boxing, judo, jiu jitsu, karate, tae kwon do, and jeet kune do. He’s trained with such people as Master Seung O Choi, Pat Miletich, Randy Couture, Matt Hughes, Rich Franklin, Jorge Gurgel, Joe Maffei, Mark Laimon, Ganyao Fairtex, Peter Welch, Joe Lake, and Mark Delagrotti. Also appearing is Jon Lemke. Lemke started on his high-school wrestling team. During four years in the Marines, he did a year and half on the Marine Corp Boxing Team. He has been a member and amateur pro fighter for Team Irish for four years,

with an 8-1 combined amateur and pro record. He’s ranked number two in the Northeast at 155 pounds as an amateur by NortheastMMA.com. The demonstrations, in a 14-foot by 14-foot matted area, will include grappling and striking techniques. With strikes and kicks, one demonstrator will use handheld pads and call out strikes for the fighter to deliver.

“It doesn’t make us Neanderthals. We don’t go around looking for fights or looking to hurt people.” – Scott Lavoie Team Irish member Scott Lavoie will man the microphone to describe the techniques and what the audience is seeing. “There will be a conversational piece about what mixed martial arts is, but also explaining what they’re doing,” Lavoie said. But the participants won’t be engaging in full-on fights. “We’re not going to be doing anything that will be endangering anyone

in the crowds or the fighters themselves,” he stressed. He’ll also tell the audiences about the fighters doing the demos — and spectators might be surprised at what these fighters do in their day jobs. For instance, Lavoie is a computer technician. “And tonight I’m going to go to the gym to practice mixed martial arts,” Lavoie said. “It doesn’t make us Neanderthals. We don’t go around looking for fights or looking to hurt people.” Sen. John McCain famously referred to mixed martial arts as “human cockfighting,” but Lavoie, like many in the MMA, speaks out against that label. “I respect his opinion, but I want people to know the truth,” Lavoie said. Lavoie said Team Irish hopes to increase awareness about the athletic aspects of their sport and expand its gym membership. “What I expect is for us to come and present our sport and our passion in a professional manner so that people who are coming might join,” he said.

TESY OF TEAM

PHOTO COUR

IRISH

Jon Lemke

PHOTO COURTESY OF TEAM IRISH

Marcus Davis

BDN MAINE SPECIAL SECTION • BANGORDAILYNEWS.COM • September 26, 2013

Expo to feature

CHICKEN WING By Ardeana Hamlin BDN Special Sections Real men like to eat with their hands. They don’t mind a bit if they end up with sauce on their faces. That in a nutshell, said Christina Paradis, co-owner of Hero’s Sport Grill at 41 Washington St. in Bangor, is one strong reason why men go for deep fried chicken wings. And therein lies the appeal — wings are more than just chicken, they are honest-to-goodness American guyfood — the operative word here being “goodness.” There are several stories about who developed the idea of chicken wings deep fried to a crispy turn, then tossed in tasty sauces. One story is that the idea cropped up in a restaurant in Buffalo, N.Y., in the 1960s — then again, maybe not. It could have been Ohio. But what is known for sure is that everyone loves wings and wants them on the table at special occasions, especially if the event involves sports. “Men love the association between sports and wings,” Paradis said, over of a plate of wings — bone-in — prepared in Hero’s kitchen. The wings were fried golden brown and tossed with a sauce that generates medium heat, with several pale green sticks of celery, cool and crunchy to complement the wings, on the side. The medium sauce at Hero’s is one of 11 the restaurant has available. The others are mild, hot, hot damn, barbecue, golden barbecue, citrus chipotle, sweet chili, teriyaki, cinnamon chipotle and garlic parmesan. The most requested sauce at Hero’s, Paradis said, is sweet chili, with medium and barbecue at second and third. At Hero’s you can get wings tossed in sauce or ask for it one the side. You also can choose bone-in or boneless wings.

Eating Contest

Or take it a step further and order breadsticks filled with wing meat, or macaroni and cheese with wing meat chopped up in it. “The mac and cheese with wing meat started out as a once a week special,” Paradis said, “but within six months

wing eating contest Hero’s will sponsor at the BDN Maine Man Expo 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 28, and 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 29, at the new Cross Insurance Center in Bangor. Six lucky individuals will have their names drawn for the honor of competing in the contest. Two names will be drawn from a sign-up box at Hero’s, two other names will be selected through online Real men like to eat with applications and two more will be chosen in a drawing their hands. They don’t mind from sign-ups at the Hero’s booth at the Expo on Sept. 29, the day of the contest. a bit if they end up with Contestants will attempt to consume two pounds of sauce on their faces. bone-in wings laced with a hot sauce within two minutes. Winners will be determined by the total weight of it became a fixture on the menu.” wing meat eaten, measured by a contest judge. When Hero’s opened at its present location three years Contest prizes are Hero’s gift certificates in the the ago, the restaurant sold more boneless chicken wings, amounts of $100, $50 and $25 — which, if the winner but that trend has passed and now customers want bone- wishes, can be redeemed for heaping plates of chicken in wings, she said. wings, bringing with it the pleasure of gnawing the meat, “Kids, everyone, loves wings,” Paradis said. “It’s some- with gusto, right off the bone. thing you can eat off the bone with your fingers. It’s OK to get messy while you eat them. There’s not a polite way to eat them. You have to pick it up and go for it. No one will tell you it’s not OK.” That “dive-right-inthere” attitude will come in handy at the chicken

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BDN MAINE MAN EXPO • BDNMaineManExpo.com • September 26, 2013

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“Wasted [is] the soundtrack to every college party in America.” – Paranoid Social Club

PHOTOS COURTESY OF PARANOID SOCIAL CLUB

Portland-based

PARANOID SOCIAL CLUB to perform By David M. Fitzpatrick BDN Special Sections

Paranoid Social Club will bring its original, Maine-bred musical blend to the Man Expo, and probably will include a song that has become a nationwide cult classic. The group’s 2002 debut album was Axis II included “Wasted,” which was featured as the theme for the Broken Lizard cult classic movie Beerfest — and is, the band says, “the soundtrack to every college party in America.” Formed in Portland in 2002 by Dave Gutter and John Roods of Maine band Rustic Overtones, the band’s Web site says that it is “Equally inspired by punk, soul, psychedelic rock, and the human psyche … Picture Jimi Hendrix smashing a keyboard or The Clash backing Bob Dylan at the Newport Folk Festival.” That’s a pretty apt description, but PSC is even deeper. “We’re about having a good time, playing music, and trying to connect with people — and letting people have fun with us,” said rhythm guitarist Trent Gay.

Gay says that PSC defies description, but that it contains elements of soul, punk, hip-hop, funk, and more. “It’s a little bit of a stew,” he said. “Dave writes for Paranoid Social Club generally from a positive standpoint. It’s inclusive and it’s kind of embracing and it’s trying to make the most of the short time all of us have here — and to have a good time.” All the members’ musical influences are part of the band’s sound, Gay says. “Not all of us listen to the same things,” he said. “Between the four of us, there isn’t anything someone in the band isn’t into. All the musical bases are certainly covered. There isn’t anything we’re trying not to do.” If it’s good music, he says, they’ll play it — especially “Wasted,” always super-popular with the college crowd. Gay said the band loves the widespread fandom of the song. continued on page 14

BDN MAINE MAN EXPO • BDNMaineManExpo.com • September 26, 2013

from page 13

“We’re about having a good time, playing music, and trying to connect with people.” – Trent Gay “It’s great,” Gay said. “We were out on a national tour this spring, and we still have people who don’t recognize the band until we play that song.” With rumors of Broken Lizard’s planned Beerfest sequel, Gay said PSC would love to do another song. “They should call us if they’re reading this,” he said. They probably aren’t, but anyone familiar with Bro-

ken Lizard knows the comedy troupe would fit right in at the Man Expo. But Gay admits he doesn’t know quite what to expect at the Man Expo. “I don’t know what a Man Expo is,” he said. “Personally, I can change a flat tire, but… I don’t know what to expect. I’m growing my beard. I don’t know what the other guys are doing. I’ll leave it at that.”

So what can the crowd expect when Paranoid Social Club takes the stage? “A display of masculinity unlike anything that they have ever seen,” Gay said. “To be overwhelmed with the machismo and raw sexuality.” So was that sarcastic or deadpan serious? “Deadpan serious,” he said sarcastically. Paranoid Social Club’s current lineup is Dave Gutter (vox, guitar, and vacuum), Jon Roods (bass, synths, and percussion), Trent Gay (guitar and vox), and Craig Sala (drums and vox).

The Man Expo is a BDN Maine Events production: Articles and photography: David M. Fitzpatrick, Ardeana Hamlin Brian Swartz Man Expo map: Shelley Sund Pagination and Advertising design: Bridgit Cayer, Michele Dwyer, John Koladish, Carolina Rave

BDN Maine Events Team: Pat Lemieux, Events Producer Shelley Sund, Head Marketing Designer Kelly Donnelly, Events Coordinator Ellie Barker, Vendor Sales Coordinator Justin Lynch, Event Sponsor Coordinator

BDNMaineManExpo.com

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BDN MAINE MAN EXPO • BDNMaineManExpo.com • September 26, 2013