NEW Birkie Paintball Biathlon
– July 28, 2012 –
Run or Mountain Bike This Newest Birkie Event
The American Birkebeiner Ski Foundation (ABSF) has announced a new addition to its year-round lineup of Birkie Trail events. The ABSF, together with the North End Ski Club of Cable, WI, will host the all-new “Birkie Paintball Biathlon” on Saturday, July 28, 2012. The event will take place on the Birkie Trail loops surrounding the Birkie “OO” trailhead south of Highway “OO” in Seeley, WI, just nine miles north of Hayward.
Participants can either run or mountain bike the biathlon course. They will complete a course where they stop twice–between each of three laps–to shoot five targets at a temporary target range which will be set up for the event. Each target hit will count as a deduction to the participant’s overall race time.
The paintball target range will be supervised by an adult who will hand the paintball gun to the participant. The participant will fire at the five targets from a distance of 30 feet. The participant will then hand the gun back to the supervisor before completing the next lap.
Age categories and race distances include a 1.5K run for participants age 8 to 12, and a 5K run for participants age 13 to adult. Or, participants ages 8 to adult can mountain bike a 10K course. The running event will be held first, followed by the biking event.
Cross country ski biathlon is already a popular winter sport and Olympic event. As a summer event on dry land, it is a great way to introduce kids and adults alike to the Birkie Trail and the biathlon competition format.
The Birkie Trail is open to the public 365 days a year, so holding additional, supported events like this is a way to get people out on the trail to enjoy one of the area’s greatest recreational resources.
“We’ve made sure this event is trail-friendly in every way,” says Ned Zuelsdorff, Executive Director of the American Birkebeiner Ski foundation. “The plastic paintball casings will fall below the targets and will be cleaned up at the end of the event. The paintball liquid itself is water-soluble, non-toxic, and biodegradable.”
You may register prior to the event or from 8:00 to 8:30 the morning of the event, July 28. Please note, however, that the event will be limited to a total of 100 participants. You can download a registration form at www.Birkie.com Home Page or register at the Birkie office in downtown Hayward, WI. A nominal fee will be charged to help cover the cost of supplies. ABSF will rent the paintball guns, and the North End Ski Club will provide other materials.
For more information, click here, email birkie@birkie.com or call 715-634-5025
Alex Kochon
Alex Kochon (alexkochon@gmail.com) is a former FasterSkier editor and roving reporter who never really lost touch with the nordic scene. A freelance writer, editor, and outdoor-loving mom of two, she lives in northeastern New York and enjoys adventuring in the Adirondacks. She shares her passion for sports and recreation as the co-founder of "Ride On! Mountain Bike Trail Guide" and a sales and content contributor at Curated.com. When she's not skiing or chasing her kids around, Alex assists authors as a production and marketing coordinator for iPub Global Connection.
