RUMFORD — Black Mountain of Maine will be hosting their first Snowmobile Hill Climb of the 2013-2014 season at 1 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 14, at the Black Mountain ski lodge.

Marketing Director Paige Carter said that the hill climb will be the “same setup as previous years,” except that it will be starting earlier.

“In previous years, we’ve started as late as 3 p.m.,” Carter said, “but this year, we’ll be opening the lodge at 11 a.m. so people can pick up their bibs and sign up for the race. The race will begin at 1 p.m.”

The price for registration is $15 if the racer preregisters online, over the phone or at the lodge, Carter said. The price will increase to $20 if the racer registers on the day of the race.

“We’re going to have seven different classes for men and women to compete in together, and two classes for just women,” Carter said.

Also returning for the first hill climb of the season are grudge matches, which Carter described as a “fun rivalry thing for racers to compete with.”

While the hill climb that begins at 1 p.m. will feature racers traveling up the hill one at a time, Carter said that the grudge matches will take place after the main event and will offer racers a chance to compete and “prove that they’re the best.”

“It’s sort of about bragging rights,” Carter said with a laugh. “Most of the time, after the main event, we’ll have friends going up to each other and saying that they’re the fastest. The grudge matches allow them to race and settle it on the slopes.”

Any racer wishing to participate in the grudge matches will have to pay an additional $5 fee.

Carter added that the “Black is Back” Snack Shack and the Last Run Lounge will open at noon and will remain open until the race has finished.

For more information, or to preregister for the race, call 364-8977.

mdaigle@sunjournal.com