Biathlon 2020 – Part 3

The Canmore Nordic Centre (CNC) was built in 1988 for the Winter Olympics.  The venue hosted biathlon, cross-country skiing, and the cross-country skiing part of the Nordic combined events.  This year it hosted the 2020 Alberta / Territories Cadet Biathlon Championship.  Everyone involved must have felt privileged & excited to be present and/or competing at a former Olympic venue.  I know I was.  The CNC is one of three Biathlon High Performance Training Centres used by Biathlon Canada.  The other two are located in Whistler, BC, and Valcartier, QC.

            

Stepping off the bus on the afternoon of January 24, I noticed many parked cars and cross-country skiers.  The CNC has withstood the test of time and managed to keep going after the Olympics.  Too often we hear stories of former Olympic venues remaining empty, abandoned, and in permanent state of disrepair.  Countries are beginning to realize that hosting the Olympics may not be worthwhile if the newly built venues can’t find people to use them after the games.  Speaking of countries, flags of the countries that participated in the 1988 Olympics still stand near the main lodge and parking lot. 

The cadets unloaded the trailer and moved all their equipment to the Wax Room Building (WRB).  While this was being done, I photographed the majestic Rocky Mountains that surround the venue and the town of Canmore.  The scenery provides the perfect picturesque background to a biathlon competition.  The planners had reserved the entire WRB for the weekend.  Like I mentioned in the first paragraph, cadets from Alberta & the Territories were competing at the same time, thus they all need rooms to store & wax their skis.  The WRB has many individual rooms equipped with tables, chairs, and electrical outlets.  I was surprised to see my name on one of the wax room doors.

Underground Tunnel.

The cadets were given two hours to ski the racetrack so they could become familiar with the route.  I told my cadets not to waste this opportunity.  While the cadets were out skiing, I investigated & photographed the outdoor shooting range.  The range looks professionally built.  Behind the range were: part of the race track, Judges Building, and the wooden bleachers for spectators.  We had been explicitly told to use the underground tunnel to access the shooting range.  Walking across the racetrack was forbidden to prevent collisions with racers.  The area in front of the Judges Building was the location of the Start & Finish Lines. 

Wax Room Building.

The cadets returned to the WRB at 4pm and put away their skiing equipment.  We then boarded the bus to be driven to a local high school where we would rest, relax, eat, and sleep at the end of the day.  The military was able to rent the school for the weekend because one of the officers in charge happens to be a teacher at the school.  Everyone went through registration.  The cadets would sleep in the gym and the officers/coaches would sleep in classrooms.  The people from the territories were provided with sleeping bags & air mattresses.

A Welcome Address & Briefing was held in the school’s auditorium after dinner.  The Officers-In-Charge introduced themselves & the judges, and went over the rules of the school & the competition.  The cadets were dismissed for the night, but the officers & coaches remained for the competition briefing.  We were given documents containing: the schedules, competition rules, and layout of the racetrack. 

           

Judges Building.

January 25 was the first day of the competition.  Reveille was at 6am, followed by breakfast at 6:30am.  School buses transported everyone to the CNC at 7:45am.  The competition staff were already at the venue getting everything ready.  Loud music was playing from speakers on the roof of the Judges Building.  The first race of the day would be the Junior Female Sprint Race.  The four cadets from Arctic Bay & Iqaluit would be competing in this race.  All competitors were given time to practice shooting & skiing.

           

Penalty Loop.

My tasks for the races were to signal my cadets which shooting lanes to use and refill the ammunition bowls with .22LR bullets.  Another officer would handle the rifles.  He made sure each cadet had a designated rifle.  Just before the commencement of the race, cadets were given numbered bibs & instructed where to line up.  Competitors would start one after the other.  I reminded my cadets that the shooting range is a Silent Zone, meaning I couldn’t give them any shooting advice or assistance.  They would be on their own.  I also told them not to forget to do their penalty laps.  One missed target equals one penalty lap.   

           

Arctic Bay cadet.

Arctic Bay cadet.

The Junior Female Sprint Race began at 10am.  The Junior Male Sprint Race began at 10:20am.  There were enough shooting lanes to run both races simultaneously.  My female cadets began their relays at different times.  The only time I was busy was when they were shooting at the same time.  Aside from that, I was free to take pictures & video clips of the race.  The parents & cadets back home wanted to see how Arctic Bay performed.  I would also use some pics & vids for training purposes at the corps. 

Iqaluit cadets.

Spectators.

The were people in the bleachers cheering on the competitors.  My cadets were relieved but very tired when they crossed the Finish Line.  The racetrack isn’t flat.  There are several hills to ascend & descend.  Two tables containing hot chocolate & bottled water sat just past the Finish Line for the cadet competitors.

Senior Female & Male Competitors.

The next four sprint races after lunch followed the same routine, except they began 15 minutes apart.  The races were structured as: Senior Female, Senior Male, Youth Female, and Youth Male.  The Senior Female race began at 1pm.  I wasn’t needed on the shooting range because I didn’t have any participating cadets.  I watched these races from the bleachers.

Random Wedding Photo Op.

The races were done by 3pm.  We spent the next hour cleaning the range, moving our skiing equipment to our assigned wax rooms, waxing our skis, and keeping the rooms organized.  During the cleanup I noticed a professional photographer directing a large wedding party on a nearby hill.  I don’t know who was getting married but I assumed the bride & groom wanted to have a series of photographs taken with the mountains in the background.  Hopefully the pictures turned out great.

Medals.

2nd Place - Junior Female Sprint Race.
3045 RCACC.

The medal ceremony for the sprint races was held at the high school in the evening after dinner.  The high school students in the woodshop class made the medals.  Alberta & the Territories competed separately.  Competitors who placed 3^rd, 2^nd, & 1^st in their categories received medals and a group picture.  A lot of medals were given out.  My two Arctic Bay cadets placed 2^nd & 5^th in the Junior Female Sprint Race.  The two Iqaluit air cadets placed 6^th & 8^th in the same race.  Congratulations!  I announced the results on the corps Facebook page after the ceremony.

Early Arrival.

Fast forward to January 26; the last day of the competition.  The morning was busy because we had to eat breakfast, pack all our belongings, clean the school, and be out of the school by 7:45am.  The teachers needed their classrooms to get their final exams ready for the upcoming week.  We were able to achieve this goal. 

The second & final day of the competition was all about the relay races.  Competitors race in teams of two.  The first teammate completes their relay, crosses the Finish Line, and then tags their second teammate to do the same.  Once they’re done, both finishing times are added together.  The shooting range was going to be very busy & hectic because the organizers wanted all competitors to be done by 12:30pm.  Teams needed the afternoon to travel home. 

The relay races began at 10:30am with the Junior Males.  The males were given a 30-second warning followed by a loud whistle sound.  The first group rushed forward while the people in the bleachers cheered.  The race was on. 

My four Junior Female cadets began their race at 10:45am.  The starting process was the same.  The first two pushed off with the rest of the group, trying to get an early lead.  I did the same things: signal my cadets and refill the bowls.  I also noted when they completed their last shooting relay so that I could warn their teammates to get ready at the Start Line.  The first two cadets finished their relays at different times, but made sure they touched the shoulders of their teammates.  We were told a time penalty would be added if there wasn’t a point of contact.

The hill that everyone hated.

The second two cadets continued, while the first two breathed sighs of relief.  According to them, the relay race was more exhausting than the sprint race.  I think it’s because of that mad dash at the beginning.  The second two cadets performed well and completed their relays.  They too were exhausted.  They all agreed they hated that one hill where you have to frequently push up because it drains a lot of energy.

Northern Cadets.

Once the races were declared finished, a massive cleanup effort followed.  The judges went over the results while everything was being put away.  A group meeting was held with all the cadets & coaches from the Territories and two Alberta based officers.  The one who teaches at the local high school has travelled to Whitehorse many times to organize & host the cadet biathlon competitions.  We gave him a Thank You card for arranging us to be flown down to Alberta and for booking the Camrose Ski Club on the 23^rd.  We gave a second Thank You card to the other officer who helped us with the rifles and waxing.  We finished the meeting by taking several group photos.

We waited for the final results to be posted.  We all wanted to know who was going to represent the Territories at the National Biathlon Competition in early March?  

             

To Be Continued . . .

Biathlon 2020 – Part 2

We were on the road for a good 45 minutes.  Edmonton’s International Airport is to the south of the city while the military base is to the north.  The captain drove from one end of town to the other.  Thankfully, there is a ring road that surrounds the city, enabling commuters to avoid travelling within the city centre when it’s not needed.  I quickly learned that Edmonton is a city that spreads out over a vast area.  The city has close to a million residents, but as we drove along the highway, I noticed many areas of open & unoccupied land.  The density (of people) appears to be minimal.  The downside to having everything spread out is that it takes longer to get somewhere.  I think it will be a very long time before the city runs out of space to house its residents. 

            

The captain drove cautiously because we saw several abandoned cars on the side of the road.  One car was lying on its side!  The drivers of these cars must have underestimated the conditions of the highway and spun out after hitting rough patches of ice & snow.  The cars would most likely be recovered in the morning.  The captain got us to the military base in one piece. 

            

One of many barracks buildings.

The other northern teams were already sleeping in the barracks.  They didn’t suffer any travel delays like we did.  The time was close to 2am.  The captain gave us our room keys and instructed us to be quiet when going inside.  Cadets, coaches, and officers sleep in separate quarters.  Reveille was at 7am.  We only had 5 hours to sleep.  I did my best to stay quiet but I think I woke up the officer in my room.  Sorry.  I did manage to get some sleep before 7am.  I still haven’t mastered the art of sleeping upright on a plane.

            

Breakfast line.

Everyone went to the mess hall for breakfast at 8am.  The menu contained: eggs, bacon, hash browns, beans, toast, sausages, ham, fruits, cereals, juice, milk, and water.  I didn’t eat all of that; I usually eat a small portion for breakfast.  We were instructed not to take too much time to eat because we had to be ready for the bus at 9am.  All the cadets would need were their skis, poles, boots, and anything else they needed for the day.

          

We weren’t driving to Canmore right away.  In fact, the military flew the northern teams down a day early so that they could practice & train for the upcoming races.  I was glad this was done because I was told the Canmore racetrack is different than the one in Whitehorse, and several cadets needed to learn how to shoot the .22 calibre rifles for the first time.  A public-transportation-looking bus with an attached trailer was chartered from Alberta North Transport to take everyone to Camrose Ski Club.  The club is located in Camrose, Alberta, a town 85km southeast of Edmonton.  The cadets loaded all the equipment into the trailer and then boarded the bus.  A head count was taken and then we were on our way.  The drive took about an hour & ten minutes.

            

According to its website, Camrose Ski Club was “[f]ounded in 1911 by Scandinavian settlers with the name of Fram Ski Club, [and] is one of the oldest [ski clubs] in Canada.”  This was my first time visiting their biathlon range.  (It probably was the same for most of the cadets but I didn’t ask).  On Google Maps, the facility is listed as the Camrose Gun Range and is operated by the Camrose Shooting Sports Association.  We would just be using the main shooting range, the skiing area around it, the main lodge, and the portable washrooms.  The outdoor facility has many more features that you can check out here. 

            

Main Lodge.

Map briefing.

The chartered bus slowly drove through the open gate and stopped at the main lodge.  Everyone got out, unloaded the trailer, and brought their equipment into the main lodge.  The cadets were briefed on how the day was to proceed.  An officer familiar with the facility explained where the ski trails were, how to access them, and in which directions to ski.  Laminated maps of the various trails were posted on a bulletin board.  The cadets had plenty of time to practice & perfect their cross-country skiing skills because the rifles & ammunition wouldn’t arrive until after lunch.

            

Arctic Bay cadets skiing.

I spent the morning photographing the range and keeping an eye on my cadets.  I wanted to take pictures from one of the wooden watchtowers but I was unable to gain permission.  I wish I had a drone.  Aside from skiing, the cadets could also wax their skis inside the lodge.  Bagged lunches arrived at 12pm and the rifles & ammunition were brought at 12:45pm. 

The officers-in-charge examined the rifles and carefully installed the metal bolts.  Staff cadets opened the large ammunition box and filled many plastic bowls with .22LR bullets.  The rifles were carried outside once they were cleared to be used.  The ammunition & bowls were also brought outside.  The cadets & coaches were assigned rifles & shooting lanes.  Officers trained to use the rifles would teach & review the proper loading & firing techniques with the cadets.  Coaches like me were tasked with refilling the bowls, resetting the plinker targets, and making sure the rifles were being properly used.  Spotting scopes were also available to review shots.  The cadets were free to ski & shoot once they finished rifle training.

Three of the four cadets I was escorting/coaching learned how to shoot the .22 rifles for the first time.  Two of them were the air cadets from Iqaluit and the other was from my corps.  I’m glad they received the training because the rifles don’t have safety buttons.  I’m not sure if that was a design choice.

           

Debriefing.

The cadets spent 90 minutes skiing & shooting.  I’m not sure how much ammunition was used but I think it was a lot.  I encouraged my cadets to practice as much as possible before time ran out.  The debriefing of the cadets included a brief review of the competition rules and the layout of the track in Canmore.  The cadets were dismissed to clean the range & main lodge, and pack up all their gear.  The bus arrived at 3pm to drive us back to Edmonton.           

We were treated to an evening of shopping at the West Edmonton Mall after dinner.  The mall opened in 1981 and was the largest mall in the world until 2004.  I only visited the shopping centre once in 1990 and all I can remember is that it felt really, really big.  Aside from retail stores, this mall boasts many theme-park like attractions.  I talked to my two cadets about the size of this mall before we left Arctic Bay.  I told them the floor space alone occupies somewhere between 60 – 70% of the area of their hometown.  I also added that their “best friends” would be the mall directory maps; they prevent you from getting lost.

           

The bus dropped us off at Entrance 50.  Cadets had to be in groups of five or more to explore the mall on their own.  Unfortunately, World Waterpark and Galaxyland were closed when we arrived.  Everyone only had 2 hours to explore, shop, & enjoy this commercial labyrinth.  Adult staff were allowed to be on their own. 

           

I walked around taking pictures and trying to remember anything from my previous visit 30 years ago.  The hockey rink happened to be near Entrance 50 so I went there first and photographed figure skaters in practice.  I would later photograph a hockey match.  I then went over to Galaxyland because I remember my parents taking me to a theme park.  The park was empty, quiet, and obviously different in appearance.  I would have been surprised if the place looked the same after 30 years.  The only area that really brought back memories was the Deep Sea Adventure Lake, an artificial lake that features an exact replica of the Santa Maria and remote controlled boats.  The only things that were missing were the submarine rides.  The submarines were scrapped in 2005.  I did shop at a few stores but didn’t buy much.  The cadets, on the other hand, bought a lot.  I have to admit, though, the mall felt a little smaller than before.  The trip to the mall was a great way to end the day.

           

World Waterpark.

January 24 was all about getting to Canmore, Alberta.  Once we got there, we could focus on the other activities planned for the day.  The drive to the southern mountain town would take a little over four hours.  We spent the early hours of the morning eating breakfast, packing our belongings, and cleaning our quarters.  We were on the road by 10am.  Unfortunately, the chartered bus did not have an onboard washroom so we stopped once to relieve ourselves . . . and buy snacks . . . and Tim Hortons.  The cadets kept themselves busy by listening to music, playing games on their phones, and/or sleeping.  We drove by the 1988 Olympic bobsled venue just outside Calgary.

           

The landscape began to change as we neared Canmore.  For most of the drive, the land was flat, but suddenly, our views were replaced by tall jagged mountains.  The mountains reminded me of Arctic Bay.  We finally reached our destination at 2:30pm: Canmore Nordic Centre Provincial Park.  The cadets were woken up and ordered to disembark.  The day was not over.

To Be Continued . . .