Star City to host 2011 World Cup
By Kevin Sjoberg
Staff Writer
WORLD CUP COMING TO STAR CITY – The USSA Cross Country Junior Olympics in March was a success, and now another major event is planned at the Nordic Heritage Center. An announcement was made last Tuesday that the NHC has been selected to host an event in the World Cup biathlon circuit in February 2011.
PRESQUE ISLE – Just three months removed from hosting the 2010 United States Ski Association Cross Country Junior Olympics, the Nordic Heritage Center is now a stop on the 2011 World Cup biathlon circuit.
The Star City will host the Feb. 4-6, 2011 competition, which takes place a week before the 10th Mountain Ski Center in Fort Kent hosts its own World Cup event Feb. 10-13.
The announcement by the International Biathlon Union in Augusta also means the entire 2011 North American World Cup tour will take place in Aroostook County.
The World Cup begins with a Nov. 29, 2010 event in Ostersund, Sweden and concludes March 20, 2011 in Holmenkollen, Norway. The Maine races are the seventh and eighth stops on the 10-race circuit. The sport of biathlon combines rifle marksmanship and cross-country skiing.
The invitation for the NHC to host came when Lake Placid, N.Y., originally scheduled to hold the February 4-6 event, withdrew its name from consideration.
“The volunteers of the Nordic Heritage Center are honored by the trust the International Biathlon Union has placed in us,” said Tim Vernon, chairman of the volunteer-based Nordic Heritage Sport Club. “We are equally honored and excited to share the schedule with Fort Kent. Getting this event on eight months’ notice will present a number of challenges for us, but we believe that we have some of the best volunteers in the world and we are looking forward to hosting the world’s best athletes in February.”
Given the short window to prepare for the event, the fact that most of the Presque Isle volunteers’ lives are just getting back to normal after the 18 months spent planning and hosting this March’s 2010 Junior Olympic National Cross-Country Ski Championships (JO’s), and the fact that this will be Presque Isle’s first World Cup, the Maine Winter Sports Center has reached out to Max Saenger to assist in the preparation for this event.
Saenger has plenty of experience at these kinds of events, having been deeply involved in the 2004 Fort Kent World Cup, the 2005 IPC Paralympic World Championships, the 2006 Presque Isle Biathlon World Junior Championships and most recently, was in charge of the biathlon competitions at the 2010 Vancouver Olympics. Saenger was also the vice president of the Maine Winter Sports Center from 1999 to 2006.
Presque Isle’s emergence onto the international biathlon scene came in 2006 when the Nordic Heritage Sport Club hosted the Biathlon Junior World Championships. The IBU considered that to be the best World Junior Championships event ever and is supporting the Nordic Heritage Center bid for that event again in 2014. Presque Isle’s hosting of JO’s this past winter brought superlative reviews from the US Ski and Snowboard Association (USSA), which awards the event.
“At a time when every state in the Northeast is struggling to maintain market share in their tourism industries, this development, and the 120 million European TV viewers that come with these two events, will give Maine a powerful new resource for attracting new visitors,” said Andy Shepard, president of the MWSC. “Over our 11 years of operation, thousands of volunteers, MWSC staff and people across the state have given selflessly to make this day possible. This announcement punctuates a once-in-a-generation opportunity for us to play a role in changing the economic future of northern Maine — an opportunity made possible by the remarkable commitment and ongoing support of the Libra Foundation.”
These events do come with some sponsorship revenue from the IBU, but organizers will still need to find local sponsors interested in being a part of this evolution of northern Maine’s economy in order to be able to hold these events.
“Fort Kent and Presque Isle have a demonstrated ability to hold these world-class events, and I know that they will rise to the challenge again in 2011,” stated U.S. Congressman Mike Michaud in a press release. “I’d like to congratulate the Nordic Heritage Center’s volunteers on this great news and thank them for all they did to secure this important event. Both biathlon events will showcase the best of what Maine has to offer and provide a significant economic boost to the region. I am hopeful that the millions of international television viewers are inspired to visit Maine for years to come.”
Gov. John E. Baldacci also chimed in on the importance of the announcement.
“This is a great day for Aroostook County and all of Maine,” said Gov. Baldacci, also in a press release. “The state has quickly built a track record across the globe for being an attractive site for biathlon. The reputation that has been earned is in large part due to the partners here, and also to countless people in Maine who have volunteered and otherwise contributed to the biathlon events that have already been held in Maine. We are proud to be on the world stage.
“Biathlon is an economic engine for the state, especially in regard to building tourism from Europe,” he added. “The events are a great way to showcase all the wonderful attributes that Maine offers tourists, and also goes a long way to promote healthy lifestyles for children and adults alike.”
U.S. Senator Susan Collins also applauded the news, stating through a press release that her Aroostook County roots make it even more special.
“Both of these state-of-the-art venues have an exceptional track record of hosting world-class athletic competitions, and they are the only two venues in the United States licensed to hold World Cup and world championship biathlon competitions,” she said. “The Maine Winter Sports Center has done an excellent job in making Maine a premier destination for biathlon competition and attracting top winter athletes.
“The World Cup also provides a significant opportunity to showcase Maine’s recreational and business opportunities. This is good news for our economy at a time when we need it most.”
