Any Biathlon Competitors Out There?

XC skiing and shooting? Not some other two sport combo.

I'm probably the only one here, but I thought I'd give it a shot.

I guess the crickets are still chirping. The season is just around the corner here. Nobody?

I looked again the only biathlon team in Ohio is the National Guard.
While I would love to do the events together, I'm old and fat and we don't get enough snow. I need new xc boots, by the time I got everything together last year the snow was gone.I hope to get out this year. Good Luck in your events.

Damn, I thought I had a cohort for a second. There are only about 5 or 6 events a year within reasonable driving distance for me, so it's tough to make a major investment.

My old boots were falling apart too, although my skis were still in good shape. I just picked up new Alpina boots tonight and had to have new bindings mounted, because of the different system.

Our local ski hill opens tomorrow, so I'm gonna go out and get some skate practice around the bunny hill area. I'm old, not too fat and have ski race experience, but never while carrying a rifle.

First race of the season is Sunday. Been getting some snow time at the resort, even though there is none on the ground here. The biathlon venue makes snow.

Anybody else yet?

Raced today. Boy I suck at this.

Which part do you suck at, the skiing or the shooting? Or the combination of trying to hit a target when your heart is trying to jump out of your chest? What kind of rifle do you use? Does everyone use the same kind of rifle?

I like watching it during the Olympics. Actually all the x country events are fun to watch. Those are some unbelievably fit athletes.

I guess I suck less at the skiing part. I'm no Olympic athlete, but I've XC ski raced off and on over the years. I'm a decent shooter by itself and have done a few service rifle matches, but again mostly just plinking. Once you try to shoot with your breathing and heartrate through the roof, it's a whole different ball game. Last event I only hit 7 out of 20 targets. The best shooter of the day hit 14 out of 20.

It's all .22 caliber and at the Olympic level Anschutz is the rifle. Most are heavily modified. Club level again Anschutz, Ishmash and a number of Savage, Marlin type conversions. I've got an Eastern Sierra Armory Savage conversion which can get you in the game for reasonable amount of money. I was not willing to drop $5K for a race ready Anschutz.

Austin? Did you know the US National Cyclocross championships are in town next week? Another sport I like to torture myself with.

Didn't know about the cyclocross, I may go watch some of it. Might inspire me to get back to exercising regularly.

I'd like to come down and race, but it's just further than I want to travel.

This is fun having my very own thread.

Raced again today. 10K with 2 prone and 2 standing rounds. It was 6F with 20-30mph gusty winds, which brought the windchill down to -20F, so it was COLD out.

Skied like shit and shot 55% which is good for me, so I didn't suck quite as bad this time.

I always wanted a fully rigged Biathlon rifle. Is the Olympic version a .22 LR as well as yours. I am not interested in the sport as much as the gun. I alpine ski only.

Something that I wanted to get into but never did. I both shoot and XC ski. Though not well at either. And I stride not skate.

I just responded to your question in the Rimfire thread. Yes all sanctioned biathlons use .22 LR, shooting standard velocity ammo.

Well you sound like me, but I skate. I would guess most venues do have a classical track set, because the skiing loops are generally also used for recreational skiing too. So you would be able to classical and compete, but most likely will not be as fast as the skaters. Although the very best classical racers and almost as fast as the skaters. At the club level none if this really matters if you suck like me.

I have a little loop at home I can train and shoot on. I don't have any grooming equipment, so I used my beater classical skis and just ski in my own tracks and carry my rifle. Not quite the same as skating but it works. I've got a couple of places I can skate to train, but I can't carry the rifle.

It was something I always wanted to do and discovered withing the last five or six years, a couple of clubs got some venues going, that are withing a two drive of me. So I went all in.

I just noticed you live in Truckee, CA. Man you are right in the heart of CA biathlon. An online acquaintance sister just competed and won the amateur Worlds in her age group in Canada and she's from Truckee.

Just skied the last biathlon race of the season here. Shot poorly and skied poorly. Guess it might as well become spring now. It was 35F and sunny at race start. Felt like I should have been skiing in shorts and t shirt.

Anyway, it's been fun talking to all you biathlon geeks here...we'll get together next season.

Time to bring this to the front again. Who's racing biathlon this year? Nobody? Well since we've had virtually no snow and I've got a bad ankle, I might as well add myself to the list.

I like to ski and shoot stuff.

I keep threatening to host a backcountry biathlon. Ungroomed snow, steep hills, high caliber rifles. Maybe a skeet course.