World Cup Biathlon: Success today, possibilities ahead

By Jane Towle
    It’s hard to know where to begin to thank the citizens of Presque Isle and surrounding communities for their involvement and commitment to the World Cup Biathlon 7 hosted Feb. 4-6 right here at our home venue the Nordic Heritage Center. Three days of competitions plus all the activities surrounding the competitions were a surreal experience for everyone who participated and I’m sure all of our European visitors as well as our local spectators will be talking about this event for years to come.
    It takes a very special community of volunteers and generous sponsors to host a large scale event such as this. I believe everyone who volunteered or sponsored this World Cup understands the magnitude of what we have just accomplished and the hard work and commitment of the volunteer force did not go unnoticed by the athletes, coaches, and International Biathlon Union.
    The following story was told to me by a ranking IBU official, and it bears repeating. He reflected on 18 years ago when a very small town called Rupholding, Germany hosted a World Cup Biathlon race at their modest venue. The demographics of this town were very similar to Presque Isle and many of its volunteers were largely unfamiliar with the sport. Their World Cup Biathlon had a very large impact on their small community and over the years as the sport continued to grow in popularity, the townspeople adopted the sport as their own. Their enthusiasm and commitment transformed the town of Rupholding into a World Cup Biathlon mecca and just last year, they completed the construction of a 30,000-person capacity stadium along with the supporting infrastructure. Many of their organizational committee members are now paid positions and World Cup Biathlon is the industry that powers their economy.
    We have been told the scenario 18 years ago in Rupholding is reminiscent of our own community and the possibilities lie before us. There are only three biathlon venues in North America which hold a license to host a World Cup biathlon event, and two are located right here in Aroostook County — Nordic Heritage Center and 10th Mountain Ski Center in Fort Kent. The third is in Vancouver, British Columbia, home to the 2010 Winter Olympic Games. Our region is well positioned to experience the same success, growth, and economic impact that Rupholding, Germany has experienced over the last two decades, and the unmatched natural and human resources that we hold in our own back yard can help us get there.
    As Media and Promotions Chief for the World Cup Biathlon World Cup 7, I offer my sincere gratitude to Andy Shepard, president of Maine Winter Sports Center; Nordic Heritage Center’s unsurpassed volunteer force led by Dave Peterson and Steve Towle; our event consultant Max Saenger; our generous sponsors; and the enthusiastic spectators and fans. You made my job very easy to showcase Aroostook County to the world.