Nine Athletes Named to World Championships Biathlon Team
January 26, 2008 on 8:25 pm | In Biathlon, Sports | No CommentsPublished: Fri Jan 25, 2008 10:11 AM MST
New Gloucester, ME. The International Competition Committee of the US Biathlon Association today named nine athletes to represent the US Biathlon Team at the Biathlon World Championships February 8 -17 in Ostersund, Sweden.
US Biathlon Executive Director Max Cobb commented on the diverse nature of this years team, This team represents a great mix of youth and experience; two junior athletes will be on the team after the World Junior Championships while three of the five men have had top ten performances at the World Championships in previous years.
Topping the roster are two Top 10 finishers from 2007: Tim Burke (Paul Smiths, NY), seventh in the Individual competition at the 2007 World Championships and Jay Hakkinen (Kasilof, AK), who finished ninth in the Mass Start at those same Championship. Hakkinen and Burke are currently ranked 34th and 41st in the Overall World Cup rankings. After an early fast start, with top 15 finishes in the Kontiolahti World Cup, and a December slump, due to illness, both have recently come back with excellent results. Hakkinen had a 17th place in the Sprint and 16th in the Pursuit at Ruhpolding. Burke placed 26th in the Antholz Sprint and came back with 17th in the Pursuit. With these improving results, both expect to vie for top positions in Ostersund.
Joining these two on the mens team are Lowell Bailey (Lake Placid, NY) and Jeremy Teela (Anchorage, AK). These two, along with Hakkinen and Burke comprise the mens relay, which placed 8th at Ruhpolding and hopes to have a top six finish at the World Championships. Bailey had two top 30 finishes at Ruhpolding as well as an outstanding relay leg there. Teelas ski speed in the final meters at Ruhpolding gave the US the eighth place finish in a photo finish with the Czech Republic.
An additional junior man will be added to the Ostersund roster after the Youth and Junior World Championships next week in Ruhpolding, Germany.
Cobb feels the experienced mens team could provide some thrills in Ostersund, The team suffered some illness this season but is back on track now. I think they will have some Top 10 results, while I also think they have a chance to finish in the top six in the relay, which would be a huge stride for his group.
In addition to the four men, five women will compete in Ostersund. This group includes Lanny and Tracy Barnes (Durango, CO), Caitlin Compton (Minneapolis, MN), Haley Johnson (Lake Placid, NY) and Laura Spector (Lenox, MA). The Barnes sisters, who among the most consistent performers on the shooting range in biathlon, are veterans of several seasons on the World Cup circuit and numerous World Championships. However, the other women are all World Championships rookies. Compton, as the US 5K cross-country champion is the fastest woman on skis in the US, but in just her first year of biathlon competition. Johnson, a veteran of several seasons in the Europa Cup circuit recently placed 12th in the Sprint at Osrblie, Slovakia. Spector is a junior competitor, competing in the Youth and Junior World Championships the week before Ostersund.
On the relatively inexperienced womens team, Cobb added, This is a rebuilding year for the womens team with three women on the World Championships Team for the first time. Together, these three represent the broad spectrum of development programs in the country; Laura from Dartmouth College is on the Junior National team, while also training at the Maine Winter Sports Center in Fort Kent. Haley recommitted herself to biathlon after college and has trained with the development team for several years, while Caitlin, began biathlon in May and has made excellent progress.
The 2008 Biathlon World Championships open with Sprint competitions on February 9.
Live streaming video coverage of Biathlon World Cup competitions for the remainder of the season, as well as archived highlights, is available by clicking the athlete photo at the top of the news column at www.usbiathlon.org.
Continue reading Nine Athletes Named to World Championships Biathlon Team…
UMFK to Offer Winter Sports Management Concentration
January 8, 2008 on 10:00 pm | In Biathlon, Sports | No CommentsPublished: Tue Jan 08, 2008 2:00 AM MST
Fort Kent The University of Maine at Fort Kents Natural and Behavioral Sciences Division will offer a business concentration in Winter Sports Management beginning with the 2008 fall semester, it was announced today by University officials.
The Winter Sports Management concentration within the business major at UMFK will be designed to prepare students to enter positions of responsibility within the community-based ski industry.
Maine currently has many small, community-based, ski areas including two in Fort Kent (10th Mountain Ski Center and Lonesome Pine Trails) and three others in Aroostook County, alone. Although there are several current college programs throughout the country in ski area management, those are geared toward ski resort management.
The development of the Winter Sports Management concentration at UMFK fits well with the Universitys mission, which embraces our proximity to Maines wilderness and the joys of outdoor sports, said Dr. Richard W. Cost, president of UMFK.
The Winter Sports Management concentration will be the only program nationally, which focuses on small, non-profit, ski areas each with its own set of unique management goals and objectives.
The focus of the Winter Sports Management concentration will be on how to develop a business model that is sustainable. Areas to be covered include fundraising, event hosting and grant writing. The concentration also will focus on aspects such as coordinating volunteer activities, community-based programming, and the basic development and maintenance of ski area infrastructures.
Small community-based ski facilities are an important, but often overlooked, resource especially in regard to college programs, which train individuals for the ski business, said Jeff Dubis, an instructor of Forestry at UMFK who is coordinating the development of the Winter Sports Management program.
Dubis is very involved in many aspects of Nordic skiing, including ski venue management, programming, event hosting, and instructing various youth ski programs. He is an international referee with the International Biathlon Union and will be serving as Chief of Competition for the upcoming 2009 Biathlon World Cup.
Hopefully, the Winter Sports Management program can provide people with the skills necessary to run these small facilities. UMFK has a world-class Nordic facility practically at its door. The Winter Sports Management program will help to strengthen ties between the University, 10th mountain Ski Center, and the Maine Winter Sports Center, Dubis added.
The Winter Sports Management concentration will consist of 24 credit hours within a classroom setting and 12 credit hours in an internship capacity. Ties between the University and the Maine Winter Sports Center will create ideal opportunities for internships at any of Maine Winter Sports Centers various alpine and Nordic ski facilities throughout the state, and especially here in Aroostook County. Those 36 credit hours are in addition to general education, business management core courses, and electives totaling 128 credit hours for a Bachelor of Science in Business Management degree.
The concentration will incorporate three new classes specific to Winter Sports Management (Introduction to Winter Sports Management; Ski Area Equipment Operations; and Trail and Facility Design), in addition to using several cross-functional business, electronic commerce and public safety administration classes, as well.
“The sustainability of the ski industry - especially in Maine - depends on the sustainability of the community ski area.” said Andy Shepard, president of the Maine Winter Sports Center.
“These ski facilities need leadership that is skilled in all areas of traditional ski area management, but the leaders also need to know how to tap into available state and federal grants, organize volunteers, and engage their communities in ways that resorts do not need to. I am very excited about this new degree program, because it will develop a new generation of entrepreneurial community ski area operators, prepared to handle todays issues, and that is desperately needed,” Shepard added.
The opportunities for our students to be involved in the major national and international events hosted by the Maine Winter Sports Center at the 10th Mountain Lodge truly are extraordinary. Look at our snow this is the perfect location of this concentration! UMFKs Dr. Cost concluded.
For additional information on the Winter Sports Management business concentration at UMFK, please call Jeff Dubis at 207/ 834-7543.
Sprints Redux: Randall, Newell Win Again
January 7, 2008 on 8:10 pm | In Biathlon, Sports | No CommentsPublished: Sat Jan 05, 2008 2:00 AM MST
Updated: Sat Jan 05, 2008 9:39 PM MST
HOUGHTON, Mich. (Jan. 5) - Defending champions Andy Newell (Shaftsbury, VT) and Kikkan Randall (Anchorage, AK) led every heat Saturday en route to winning the men's and women's freestyle sprint titles at the U.S. Cross Country Championships at Michigan Tech Nordic Ski Center. Randall, the first U.S. woman to win a World Cup cross country race, won her eighth U.S. gold medal while Newell earned his second.
Randall survived a spill in her quarterfinal heat at the Michigan Tech Nordic Ski Center and went on to register her third consecutive sprint championship. She has won five U.S. sprint crowns and has three gold medals from distance races.
Earlier, Newell and other U.S. Ski Team men survived a few upsetting moments before the 1.3K qualifying lap when it turned out the weather wasn't as warm as they had expected and they needed to change wax on their skis. And then he needed time to let his stomach calm down.
Weather muddles wax plans
“It turned out to be colder than we anticipated last night, so we had a lot of warmer skis out to test. We had to change skis around, think quick, scrape skis and get the right wax,” he said. Head Coach Pete Vordenberg, Sprint Head Coach Chris Grover and development coaches Matt Whitcomb and Pat Casey jumped in to overcome the weather change.
“The coaches filled in as wax techs. Grover and Pete and Pat and Matt really worked wax to get the right [new] wax. But that's nothing new for them. They're not afraid to put in a long day,” he said.
“I felt okay in the qualifier. I just tried to go out hard and try to win it and qualify by as much as I could. But maybe I started too hard,” Newell said. “I didn't feel good coming in.” Fortunately, with 217 men and 159 women skiing, there was enough time between the qualifying lap and the final heats for any stomach butterflies to go away.
“As the day went on, I felt stronger,” he said.
The course started with a flat section and led into a long downhill, which brought skiers into a small uphill. After the downhill on the other side, it was a long, gradual uphill to the finish. Newell said his plan was to grab the lead by at least the bottom of the second downhill and try to break as everyone headed back to the finish line.
“There was a lot of jostling, but that's fun when there are some tactics in the race,” he said.
Newell beats Koos to the line
In the end, he edged Torin Koos (Leavenworth, WA), his Olympic and World Cup sprint mate. Third place went to Estonian Vahur Teppan, but only U.S. citizens are eligible for medals at the championships so fourth-place finisher Simeon Hamilton, a Middlebury College racer, was the bronze medalist.
In the women's race, Randall cruised to her victory with Laura Valaas (Wenatchee, WA) as silver medalist. Caitlin Compton (Minneapolis), the 5K freestyle champion on New Year's Day - and Valaas' partner last winter in winning the team sprint, was bronze medalist. Karin Camenisch of Switzerland finished third, so the bronze went to Compton in fourth place.
The classic technique team sprints are set for Sunday to end the 2008 U.S. Championships.
The championships are being use to determine not only berths at the World Cup races later this month in Canmore, Alberta, but for Junior World Championships Feb. 3-10 in Poland, Scandinavian Cup races for juniors and the U-23 Championships, which coincide with Junior Worlds. Team announcements are expected to be made in the coming week.
OFFICIAL RESULTS
2008 U.S. CROSS COUNTRY CHAMPIONSHIPS
Michigan Tech Nordic Ski Center
Houghton, MI - Jan. 5, 2008
Freestyle Technique 1.3K Sprints (6 made finals)
(Only U.S. citizens eligible for medals)
Men
1. Andy Newell, Shaftsbury, VT (U.S. Ski Team/Stratton Mountain School)
2. Torin Koos, Leavenworth, WA (U.S. Ski Team/Leavenworth Winter Sports Club)
3. Vahur Teppan, Estonia (University of Alaska Fairbanks)
4. Simeon Hamilton, Aspen, CO (Middlebury College/Aspen Valley Ski & Snowboard Club)
5. Leif Zimmermann, Bozeman, MT (U.S. Ski Team/Bridger Nordic)
6. Lars Flora, Anchorage, AK (Alaska Pacific U. Nordic/The Factory Team)
Women
1. Kikkan Randall, Anchorage, AK (U.S. Ski Team/APU Nordic)
2. Laura Valaas, Wenatchee, WA (U.S. Ski Team/APU Nordic)
3. Karin Camenisch, Switzerland (Team Rossignol)
4. Caitlin Compton, Minneapolis (Team CXC/U.S. Biathlon Team)
5. Lindsay Williams, Hastings, MN (U.S. Ski Team/Northern Michigan U.)
6. Sadie Bjornsen, Winthrop, WA (Methow Valley Ski Team)
Complete Results
Source: USSA Continue reading Sprints Redux: Randall, Newell Win Again…
McNamee and Toussaint Two-for-Two at Youth/Junior Biathlon Trials
December 31, 2007 on 9:26 pm | In Biathlon, Sports | No CommentsPublished: Mon Dec 31, 2007 2:00 AM MST
Coleraine, MN, The two women form the Maine Winter Sports Center won the Youth and Junior categories. They were the only repeat winners today, as both Leif Nordgren (Marine-onSt. Croix, MN) in the Youth Men and Wynn Roberts (Battle Lake, MN) in the Junior Men were edged out of first place by small margins.
With their victories today, McNamee and Toussaint, along with Mark Johnson (Grand Rapids, MN) in the Junior Mens category have now locked up positions on the Junior World Championships squad. Roberts, Nordgren, and Laura Spector (Lenox, MA) pre-qualified for the Championships.
Meagan Toussaint had the best performance of the day in the Junior Womens 10K, with only two penalties, one in each of the two final standing stages. Her winning time of 38:52 put her 4:21 ahead of second place finisher, Brynden Manbeck (Grand Rapids, MN). Manbeck who is recovering from a hamstring injury had ten penalties. Third place went to Ellen Anderson (Grand Rapids, MN) with six penalties, 7:20 back.
Toussaints teammate, Hilary McNamee was equally convincing in her win over Addie Byrne (Bovey, MN) in the Youth Women 7.5K, scoring a 31:40 to 33:45 victory. McNamee had five penalties to Byrnes six. Third went to Grace Boutot (Fort Kent, ME) also with six penalties, 3:48 back, while Jessica Caron (Fort Kent, ME), with four penalties was a mere 10 seconds behind Boutot.
With familiar winners in the womens categories, different athletes from yesterday stood on top of the awards podium today in the two mens categories.
Mark Johnson who earned his fifth consecutive trip to the World Championships bested Wynn Roberts 39:04 to 39:14 today. Solid shooting fueled Johnsons victory, as he had only four penalties to Roberts seven. Coach Vladimir Cervenka commented, Yesterday was Marks first biathlon competition of the year. He is in college fulltime back east now. But he raced very smart today and was cautious on the shooting range. Three extra penalties pushed Roberts into second place, despite having a faster ski time than Johnson. Third today went to Newt Rogers (Fort Kent, ME), with eight penalties, 2:06 back, while Travis Mann-Gow (Burlington, VT), with five penalties was an additional 20 seconds behind Rogers.
After a disastrous day in the sprint competition yesterday, Ethan Dreissigacker who competes for the Ethan Allen Biathlon Club in Jericho, VT, won the Youth Mens 10K today. Dreissigacker yesterday cross-fired and missed some penalty loops resulting in six minutes of time added to his finish, pushing him down to 14th place. He made up for that today with only three penalties to gain an 18-second margin of victory over Leif Nordgren. Nordgren, battling flu symptoms all week, had seven penalties. Third and fourth places went to Preston Butler and Raleigh Goessling (Duluth, MN), each with nine penalties, 2:25, and 2:34 back, respectively.
Although there were some changes at the top of the results list today, Coach Cervenka was again pleased with the performances in general. Today was a little bit harder than yesterday for some athletes. The wind was shifting on the shooting range and some athletes had problems adjusting. Still, Meagan, Ethan, Hilary, and Mark all had good performances in these conditions.
Complete results are posted at www.USBiathlon.org .
The website also has an RSS feed, available by clicking the RSS logo on our homepage to get the address and all of the latest biathlon news.
The United States Biathlon Association is the National Governing Body for the sport of biathlon in the United States as recognized by the United States Olympic Committee and the International Biathlon Union. The US Biathlon Association supports the US Biathlon Team and development of the sport on all levels within the United States.
Continue reading McNamee and Toussaint Two-for-Two at Youth/Junior Biathlon Trials…
Weekend Regional Race Recap
December 18, 2007 on 8:40 pm | In Biathlon, Sports | No CommentsPublished: Tue Dec 18, 2007 2:00 AM MST
Editor's Note: The Regional Recap is a new FasterSkier feature. Our hope is to provide results and summaries on regional events. Because of the number of races going on, we can't even begin to track down information on all events. We are completely dependent on submissions from race organizers, coaches, and readers. Please send us write-ups, photos and results, and we will do our best to get them up on the site. All submissions must be received by 12:00 PM EST on Monday to be included. Photos should be sent as individual files (not embedded in a document) and please incluide a link to on-line results.
New England:
12/15/07 - TD Banknorth TAMC Eastern Cup Opener - Skate Sprint, Presque Isle, ME
Competitors from all over the eastern United States at todays TD Banknorth Eastern Cup Freestyle Sprint Opener enjoyed perfect snow, sunshine, and cold temperatures at the Nordic Heritage Center.
Cross country sprint racing begins with a morning qualifying round and concludes with an afternoon of head-to-head heat racing in tournament format until a winner is determined.
Stratton Mountain Schools Sophie Caldwell cruised to the fastest qualifying time for women, covering the 1 kilometer course in 2:45.92, just over half a second faster than Maine Winter Sports Centers Bethann Chamberlain. In the mens qualifying round, it was Green Mountain Valley Schools Doug Debold who set the pace in 2:19.86 over Williams Colleges Caleb Lucy.
Qualifying held true in the the afternoon Womens Final with the A-final featuring the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 5th ranked qualifiers. Sophie Caldwell edged Maine Winter Sports Centers Hilary McNamee and Stratton teammate Megan Killigrew for the victory. Maine Winter Sports Centers Bethann Chamberlain was 4th.
Mens Final Doug Debold stayed on top, out-skiing the 8th, 15th and 7th ranked qualifiers Chase Marston (Stratton), Matt Delaney (Clarkson), and Ethan Dreissigacker (Craftsbury).
Results
12/16/07 - TD Banknorth TAMC Eastern Cup Opener - 5/10km Classic - Presque Isle, ME
With early start times to beat an approaching snowstorm, skiers in today's TD Banknorth TAMC Eastern Cup Opener once again enjoyed world-class trails, plenty of snow, and exciting racing in five and ten kilometer classic technique races.
The first races of the morning featured the 14 and 15 year-old J2 age group and podiums were dominated by athletes from Green Mountain Valley School (GMVS) and Stratton Mountain School (SMS). In the girls race.Gage Fichter and Isabel Caldwell from SMS took first and second with Kristin Halvorsen from GMVS taking the final podium spot. GMVS nabbed the win in the J2 Boys race with David Sinclair cruising to a 26-second victory over Bridger Tyler from SMS. Stratton's Austin Cobb completed the podium.
Results
Article continues below
Men's 10km classic winner Matt Briggs (Photo Credit: Kris Dobie)
Women's dual winner Sophie Caldwell (Photo Credit: Kris Dobie)
12/15/07 - Bolton Opener - 5km Skate - Bolton Valley, VT
There was a good turnout to the Bolton Season Opener on the cold and clear Saturday morning. The temperature started at -4 and was up to 2 degrees by race time. Eric Tremble was the men's overall winner and Ilke Van Genechten (Madshus) was the women's overall winner.
Results
Source: NENSA
Midwest
12/15-16/07 - Michigan Tech Christmas Classic - 5/10km Skate, 10/15km Classic - Houghton, MI
Three top Midwestern skiers dominated the 2007 Christmas Classic races held December 15-16 at the Michigan Tech Nordic Training Center in Houghton, Michigan.
Bryan Cook, an alumnus of Northern Michigan University's ski squad, won both men's events, taking the 10 km freestyle on a sunny and cold December 15, then capturing the 15 km classic title on Sunday in blowing snow conditions.
In the women's competition, Caitlin Compton, skiing for Wisconsin-based Team CXC, captured the 5 km freestyle title. Compton is also skiing for the U.S. Biathlon squad this season. Another Northern Michigan alum and former Olympian, Lindsey Weier Dehlin, took the 10 km classic title.
The races were a tune-up on the courses to be used at the U.S. Cross Country Championships, which will take place January 1-6, 2008, in Houghton.
Cook ran away with the freestyle title, posting a 53 second lead over second place Karl Walczak, an alumnus of Michigan Tech's ski program. Santiago Ocariz, from the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay was third.
In the classic race, Cook scored a 14-second victory over former teammate Phil Violett of Northern Michigan. Michigan Tech's Jesse Lang finished third, 1:17 behind the leader.
Compton also scored a big win in the freestyle, with a 1:03 lead over second place Maria Stuber and 1:06 over third place Morgan Smyth, both skiing for Northern. Weier Dehlin won the classic race by 12 seconds over Smyth. Michigan Tech's Laura Dewitt was third, 24 seconds back.
The race was a four-way collegiate competition, with teams from St. Scholastica, Northern Michigan and the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay joining hosts Michigan Tech. There was also a Junior Olympic qualifier for the Great Lakes Division.
Freestyle Results
Classic Results
Colorado
12/16/07 - Colorado Cup - 2007 Gold Run Classic Continue reading Weekend Regional Race Recap…
An Unexpected Reason to Train
December 16, 2007 on 8:20 pm | In Biathlon, Sports | No CommentsBy Kevin Brooker
Published: Sat Dec 15, 2007 2:00 AM MST
If youre like me, the idea of making time for regular exercise just because it's good for you is not enough. There must be a goal motivating us to skip watching T.V. and go run in the rain. Drop a few pounds? What, are you nuts? Eating cake for breakfast and grabbing a few pretzels from the jar at each pass is no big deal. Stretching? Only for the remote.
At the age of twenty-two with no responsibilities, taking two or three hours a day to workout was normal. Married at twenty-four, the next ten years with no kids and self-employed was perfect for rescheduling jobs to spend time in the mountains. Be it climbing frozen waterfalls, windswept peaks or hiking for turns, staying in shape was easy, almost a given. What made it possible? Time and no schedule. Enter Olivia, my first born.
The first six months were spent steeped in denial my life would change. Too much time was spent wondering how so many people allowed children to alter their lives and degrade them from active people into down-trodden couch potatoes. Then reality hit like the handle of an iron rake left tines up and stepped on. My wife went back to work. The flexibility of self-employment once used for goofing off was pressed into service and I became Mr. Mom.
Waking up to a twenty-degree day with three inches of fresh adhered to dry styrosnow soon transformed me from vibrant to bitter. The norm used to be going outside to play. Now, here on a perfect winter day stuck inside changing diapers and reading books with one word on each page.
Staying active was simple enough but the volume of activity was drastically reduced. Daycare became a time cage. As long as the day was completed between 8:00AM and 5:00PM everything was okay. Arrive at the care center at 5:05 and be hit at the rate of $1.00 per minute. Three late episodes per year and we would be asked to leave.
Being jaded or snobbish by viewing any workout shorter then 1 hour a complete waste of time. Sixty minutes was just barely enough time for warming up. What about those great days when everything is fun and timeless and just being in the moment? Forget about ever seeing them again. The daycare monster was ever lurking to stomp out any joy found in just pushing myself. Whenever the opportunity arose to live in the manner accustomed to in my life BC (before children) also faded away. One trip hiking for turns I was knackered halfway up the trail. The ski down was a survival fest since my body was so drained and my will to have fun, gone.
When Olivia was three, we were looking through old photo albums. One picture grabbed her attention. It was me tied into a belay high up on Rodgers Rock at the north end of Lake George, New York. I was shirtless doing a lame impression of the Incredible Hulk. Bent at the waist, arms spread to the side forearms down and flexing for all Im worth. At 61 and 155 lbs, I would never to be mistaken for the Hulk, but the guy in the photo is obviously fit.
Daddy, how come you dont have muscles anymore? How did you get your slug body? she asked with penetrating curiosity.
I wanted to blame her arrival. After all, this is America. We are never responsible for our actions. Im a victim of daycare and the system requiring both parents to work and be responsible. I couldnt do it. The Thing, the one brain cell in each of us having some sort of universal high-speed connection to enlightenment and truth chimed, Liv, I just dont make the effort anymore.
Why not? You have time to watch T.V. and play with your computer. Her answer was correct and cut deep. She turned the page and talking about the dog replaced her thoughts of slug-bodied Dad.
I grabbed the half empty beer and drained it in one long self-reflecting pull. She was correct. The time and ability to remain fit was available. Just make a few concessions, find discipline and commitment. But for what goal? There was no reason to lose fifteen pounds and raise my VO2 max. Right then I gave up. No way am I going to spend the time and energy to stay fit to live an extra few years or just plain feel better about myself. I was broken and apathetic.
Jump forward three years. Still the same slug body but now my back hurts and I am stressed to the point of not sleeping very well. Beers help the stress but really only mask it. The angst from working for myself, cash flow headaches, a second child and deep-seated feeling of responsibility is crushing me. Enter an idea. What if my kids want to become involved in non-mainstream sports? How do they find information and get started?
Mid December 2006 and a list of ideas begins to gel. Cross-country skiing is difficult to try when living in Connecticut. Finding a winter sport a Vermonter might not have easy access to was a challenge.
One asset for Vermonters is Lake Placid, New York. The Olympic Regional Development Authority (ORDA) oversees sporting events taking place at the 1980 Winter Olympic venues. Bobsleigh, luge, skeleton, ski jumping, biathlon, and speed skating are activities we all know about but how to become involved or try it? With the help of Vermont Sports Today magazine I was granted press credentials and attended a bobsleigh event sponsored by retired race car driver, Jeff Bodine.
Jeff used his knowledge of racing cars to put together a team to design and build the sleds used only by the Americans. Chassis Dynamics does the design/build and Bodine puts up the cash and finds sponsors. The sleds are known worldwide as BoDynes and since starting to use them, the U.S. has won medals and Word Cup titles. The event was a blast and really amazing. If you ever have the chance to watch bobsleigh live, do it.
After the BoDyne event was over the press were supposed to drive the sleds but it was raining. The ice covered track considered too slippery to be safely driven by rank novices and I missed the chance to drive a bobsleigh. Bummed out but not discouraged my attention moved to biathlon which always sounded cool. Skiing and shooting are both enjoyable so why not?
Fortunately, for me and the article, Vermont is home to the Ethan Allen Biathlon Range (EABR) in Jericho. The range is a world-class facility having hosted several military biathlon World Championships, NorAm Cups, Olympic Trials, and weekly club races sponsored by the Ethan Allen Biathlon Club (EABC). The range is also an Olympic Development Center of Excellence. EABR is the finest biathlon center in the US and this includes the Olympic venues of Lake Placid (Mount VanHovenburg) and Salt Lake City (Soldier Hollow).
The advent of the internet has made finding information on any subject much easier. A quick search and contact information for EABC was obtained. With a sense of anticipation my fingers entered the phone number. With each unanswered ring I became hesitant and closer to sending an email. On the fifth ring, an answer. Hello.
Yeah hi, hello. My name is Kevin Brooker and I do a bit of freelance writing and was hoping to do a piece on getting started in biathlon. Just calling looking for some information.
Great. Come on up and well get you started. replied the voice.
Cool. When would be a good time?
We have Masters practice tonight starting at five o-clock. Do you have skis?
Yes, but no rifle and its been a while since I did much skiing. My reply was sheepish at best.
We have loaner rifles for novices. Do you know how to get to the Ethan Allen Firing Range?
Yes I do, Who am I speaking with?
Sorry. Im Patrick Coffey. The coach for the biathlon club. Come on up and Ill answer whatever questions you have and show you around. The best way to learn about biathlon is to try it and I think your idea for an article is great.
It was 3:30. Frantically searching for my ski togs, filling a water bottle, grabbing a snack and on ten minutes notice, ditching the family. Forty-five minutes into the drive and only half way to the range, doubt began creeping into my thoughts. What was I doing? I had tons of work piled on my desk, not much spare cash, and here I am escaping it all to write an article on speculation someone will buy it.
Ever since I was a kid the idea of biathlon was fascinating. Watching the 30-second clip shown during the 76 Olympics had me dreaming about holding one of those ultra-cool looking rifles, skiing into the range, fans cheering while I shot targets and skied off to a gold medal. The cross-country skiing was okay and not nearly as cool as the idea of being a downhill racer. Having a gun and shooting made cross-country skiing acceptable. Growing up in Connecticut, at best it was a dream.
The road leading up to the range was hard packed layers of sand and snow with just enough traction requiring careful application of the throttle to keep the wheels from spinning or force them to break loose. A bit of drifting into the parking area was just the jolt needed to break the funk hanging in the cab of the truck.
While walking to the range carrying my skis, poles and clothing stuffed inside a bright pink knapsack bestowed upon me by Olivia, skiers carrying rifles skated past. My childhood dream of actually trying biathlon was congealing and solidifying with each step taking me closer to the firing point.
Patrick? I asked the lone figure standing in worn Sorrels, hat pulled down over his ears and torso wrapped in a well used coat.
Yes, Im Patrick he replied, How can I help you?
Im Kevin. We spoke a couple hours ago about writing the biathlon article.
Yeah. Sounds great. How do you want to do this? Tonight is Masters training and were running some range procedure drills. I brought down some extra rifles and we can get you shooting and skiing. Sound okay?
Sure. A huge effort kept me from giggling with excitement. Walking to the locker room building, gunfire erupted behind me. I turned to watch an athlete sling the rifle to his back, grab his poles from between his feet and skate off. It looked so effortless and elegant.
Now, dressed in old winter cycling clothes I skied to the firing line.
I found Patrick. Just treat me like anyone else who decides to try this. The idea for the piece is trying new sports and I want first hand experience.
We stood at the point, the place on the firing line where the athlete stops to perform the shooting phase of the race. The safety lesson was the first thing taught.
Keep the bolt open and the barrel pointed up or at the target. After youre in position and ready to shoot, close the bolt, fire at the target, re-bolt the rifle for each target and before you get up, open the bolt and place the rifle here. Patricks voice was casual but the look in his eye was serious. Having fun and doing well is important but not even close to good safe range habits which always come first. Remember this and youll have a great career as a biathlete. Forget it and Ill escort you off the range. He handed me the rifle.
We spent a bit of time setting up my prone (on my belly) position since it is more stable and novice friendly. Id also shoot at the offhand (standing) targets which are 11.5 cm in diameter or about the size of a compact disc. Experienced biathletes shoot prone at a target 4.5 cm diameter which is about the size of a half dollar. The distance between the athlete and the targets is 50 meters. Ten minutes later Patrick handed me a loaded magazine. Five shots for five targets. I slid the magazine into the receiver, set my position, closed the bolt, aimed and squeezed the trigger. The 4 kilo rifle had very little recoil and after opening my eyes there were only 4 black targets. I started with 5. The next shot dropped another target, then three more. My first try and I went clean hitting everything. The smile was a display of pure joy and pride. Loading another magazine and dropping five more. This was fun. My first 20 shots hit 19 targets.
Go ski a bit and come in with a pulse on. Itll be a bit different Patrick assured me.
Being horribly out of ski shape the 1 kilometer range loop might as well have been 20. The slight elevation gain up to the firing line forced me to apply effort and not coast into my assigned point. With a breathing pattern similar to a steam fired freight train hauling a huge line of cars, I set myself onto the mat and slipped a loaded mag into the receiver.
Taking aim with a pulse on was very different from being calm. Now with each heartbeat, there were many in rapid succession, the target had the appearance of a strobe light as it moved in and out of the sights. Each breath complicated the ability to hold the rifle steady. Closing the bolt and it was time to find out if I had the makings of the biathlete dreamed of when I was a kid. Either luck, skill or some cosmic joker sent the bullet to the target for a hit. Rebolt, aim squeeze and another target turned white. The next three were misses. Removing the mag and leaving the bolt open I stood on wobbly legs. A huge smile parted my face. The rest of the session was spent skiing the range loop and shooting. Patrick gave advice and encouragement. We quit when there was no more ammo on the line.
Did you enjoy this? asked Patrick.
Yeah. I did very much. I hope I can walk tomorrow. My legs and arms are fried. It was really fun.
During the drive home all of my thoughts were related to the past two hours. Each circular reflector marking the road, a sign, or taillight of the cars ahead was a target. Its difficult to say what was more fun; the shooting or being active with great focus. Doesnt matter because right there on the drive home I decided to shed the slug body and become a biathlete.
There were many obstacles to overcome. Time to train, money, family and 20 extra pounds of me that had to go. For the first time in years there was a reason to train, a goal and all I needed was the discipline to go after it.
About the author: Kevin is 42 years old, married with two children and living in Post Mills, Vermont. He began racing bicycles at sixteen and continued pursuing individual sports. After a six-year layoff, Kevin is returning to athletics racing in biathlon events and will write about the pitfalls and triumphs of mounting a comeback to competition.
Sponsors:
Izhmash Rifle: Russian American Armory www.raacfirearms.com
Skis: Ski Trab www.chi-townsports.com
Boots and bindings: GoFaster www.chi-townsports.com
Clothing: Reliefwear: www.reliefwear.com
Cobble Mountain Hammock: www.cobblemountain.com
Plant Furniture Company: www.theplantfurniturecompany.com/
New England Radon Control: www.neradon.com
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