Sideline Stories: Kristina Cannon, Executive Director, Main Street Skowhegan

On September 17, 2015, I started a job that would change the trajectory of my career and my life—I accepted the challenge to lead Skowhegan revitalization efforts as the Main Street Skowhegan (MSS) Executive Director.

During my first few months on the job, I led a town-wide strategic planning process. We solicited feedback from more than 500 members of our community. In survey responses and focus groups, when we asked what they hoped Skowhegan would look like in 10 years, so many of them named the Run of River Whitewater Recreation Area as the #1 project for Skowhegan’s future.

As a result, Run of River became a major focus of the strategic plan and a top priority for MSS. I joined the Run of River Committee, assisted with the economic impact study, and started drafting grant applications.

Now, if you polled other Main Street directors around the country about their top priorities, I highly doubt many of them would name building a whitewater paddle and surf park in their downtown. I’m one of the lucky ones! Our work at MSS has become more important than just planning events—we’re leading major economic and community development initiatives that will improve the quality of life for everyone.

The positive economic impacts of whitewater parks became even more evident in 2017, when Skowhegan Town Manager, Christine Almand, and I took a trip to Colorado to visit several whitewater park communities. After meeting with business leaders in these towns, I WAS BEYOND SOLD on Run of River’s potential. Whitewater parks are proven tools for community revitalization.

It became my personal mission to make our whitewater park a reality—and to ensure our locals would enjoy using it, too. Thanks to a partnership with the Outdoor Sport Institute (OSI), we’re making that happen! MSS now leads Skowhegan Outdoors, an initiative to ensure equitable access to the outdoors. We host three activities per week, and we’re building a gear library with equipment that locals can borrow for free—which currently features standup paddle boards (SUPs), and will someday include whitewater kayaks and surf boards, all for residents to put to good use in the new destination.

I’m a believer that one should walk the walk if they are going to talk the talk, so I took advantage of an OSI whitewater kayaking training held on the West Branch of the Penobscot in 2019. Leaving Millinocket that weekend, I WAS HOOKED on the thrill of whitewater. This summer, I traded a kayak for a SUP, and I’ve been honing my whitewater paddling skills every chance I get, though I wish I could carve out more time on the water.

Someday I will—when I can walk down the street to Skowhegan’s downtown gorge, throw my board in the river, and surf our Waveshaper during my lunch break.

The realization of Run of River has become more than just a professional goal—it’s my passion project!

Image is courtesy of Outdoor Sport Institute.