TINA L. SCOTT
EDITOR
Seven-year-old Carter Madden, a second grader at Washington Elementary School, has been riding four wheelers since he was two years old and dirt bikes since he was five years old according to his mother. Carter is the son of Erica Madden and James Madden of Merrill. On Sunday, he was racing on frozen Lake Alexander with his friend, Carter Schmidt.
Carter Schmidt is in third grade at Kate Goodrich Elementary School and is the son of Tim Schmidt and Mandy Schmidt, also of Merrill. He has been riding four wheelers since he was two years old and dirt bikes since he was seven.
“The boys have been friends since they were about 3 and 4 years old,” Erica Madden said. “They have always called each other ‘buddy’ since they have the same [first] name.”
On Sunday, the “buddy’s” were riding around on the ice and racing each other for fun. Carter Madden was riding a Honda XR80 dirt bike, with studded tires for the ice. Carter Schmidt was driving a Polaris Predator 90 four wheeler. Erica Madden said they usually stud the tires on the four wheelers, too, but just “haven’t had time” to do them yet this year. While the boys “just ride right now for fun,” it’s possible “racing may happen in the future,” Erica Madden said.
