This blog post is a contribution by Bogi Gyorfi.

We are quite new to the sport of Biathlon, having started last year by the demand of our 11-year-old son. He said, “Mom, if you want to make xc skiing fun, just put me in Biathlon pleeeeease.” So we did.

As a result, I just spent a weekend volunteering at the season opener race, NorAm/Calforex Cup #1, spending 14 hours close to the shooting range admiring all the participants. To be honest, I enjoy this type of volunteering. It is fun to help out recording the shots and watching the competition.

It is so amazing how much diversity these athletes need to finish a race. Not only do they need technique, endurance, and strength but they also must be able to lower their heart rate enough to hold the gun steady as they aim at a tiny target. The best part about it is that there are many different categories. The variety of shooting and skiing skills even out the field a bit, so practically anyone has a chance to win at the youth level. It was interesting to see how the races change from one minute to the next with the shooting. If you miss many shots, your penalty lap skiing will make your finishing time much longer.

The North American Cup combined with the Calforex Cup which means athletes from not only Alberta but other Provinces, the US team and even some Korean para-athletes took part in the competition. I also learned that Calforex Currency Exchange has been sponsoring the Alberta cups for many seasons, so I am sure to use their services when I need it.

The Foothills Nordic Ski Club had 65 athletes competing from the Developmental to Masters age groups. The coaches were super organized to take care of everyone. Before the races started, the athletes went through ZEROING.  This means every single person had to align their sights to the conditions by firing on a paper target with a coach standing behind them with a telescope watching the bullet’s mark and giving feedback. How crazy is that?

All the coaches’ and volunteers’ work paid off (close to 300 people) with organizing a great competition. Many medals and chocolates were given out during the weekend. Did you know that you could earn yummy treats from @The Fudgery,  if you shoot clean (5 out of 5)? It makes me want to try Biathlon! 😊

Here are the Foothills Nordic Medals for the first race of the season. Congratulations!