Submitted by Foothills Nordic Ski Club
Did you know that every week, over 40 children, aged 9 to 12, practice the sport of biathlon on the Confederation Park Golf Course right here in Calgary? These energetic, young athletes use completely safe, EcoAims camera-based rifles to practice skiing and shooting in the heart of the city. The ski trails on the golf course offer them a place to work on their conditioning and technique, and a small EcoAims range allows them to practice the other part of their biathlon event.
Biathlon is a sport that evolved from traditional skiing and hunting practices. Athletes must ski for a set distance and then enter a firing range where they take five shots at five targets. Each miss will earn them a penalty loop before they ski and shoot again. The sport requires athleticism combined with a mindfulness that allows a competitor to slow down enough to shoot accurately between skiing bouts.
Alberta is home to many biathletes who have competed for Canada at World Cup and Olympic events, many of whom got their start in biathlon in Calgary. Ten biathletes from Alberta, six youth athletes and four junior athletes, are in Obertilliach, Austria representing Team Canada at the Youth/Junior World Championship for Biathlon, which was held at the end of February/beginning of March. In addition, there are two more athletes from out of province who train in Alberta, on this Canadian Team. That makes an impressive 12 out of 16 members of the Team training in Alberta!
Many of those started in a Biathlon Bears program, just like the ones running on the golf course this year. These young athletes practice between one and three times a week, depending on the program. They learn ski techniques and work on whole body conditioning by doing skiing workouts, as well as playing games.
The EcoAims rifles use a combination of an infrared light and a camera. There are no projectiles, nor lasers, so the EcoAims firing range is inherently safe! Regardless, the children are taught firearms safety and treat these tools as if they were firearms. This allows them to develop safe habits, which they will need if they continue to progress in biathlon.
Older athletes train on the golf course, as well as at the Canmore Nordic Centre where they can use .22 rifles on the biathlon range. As Bears progress to the higher levels, they will learn more about firearms, while also increasing the amount and intensity of their training.
With the cooperation of the City of Calgary Parks department and Golf Course Operations group, Foothills Nordic Ski Club is able to offer this great opportunity for children to learn and train in the sport of biathlon at this great, inner-city venue known as the Confederation Park Golf Course.
