After the first round of NorAms being canceled in Canmore, Alberta, two weekends ago due to cold weather, the domestic biathlon season finally got off the ground on Thursday with the first race in a NorAm series which also served as Canada’s selection trials for its team to World Youth and Junior Championships in Minsk, Belarus. The team has not yet been named.
On Sunday, a day of mass start competitions, Loppet Nordic Racing’s Jake Ellingson decided to take a day off in preparation for the next round of NorAms in Mount Itasca, Minnesota, and took the opportunity to shoot the day’s races with a camera instead of a rifle.
While the youth and junior categories remained as competitive as ever, with not only the best Canadians vying for a trip to Minsk but several provinces also using the races as trials for the Canada Games and few Americans scattered in as well, the senior category lost the entries of Canada’s IBU Cup team, which departed for Europe that day. A strong field of Americans and remaining Canadians nonetheless battled it out.
Kesey Dickinson (Maine Winter Sports Center/US Biathlon Development Team).
Brian Halligan (Maine Winter Sports Center/US Biathlon Development Team).
Arthur Roots (Biathlon Alberta Training Center).
Jules Burnotte (Biathlon Estrie) en route to winning the youth men’s race.
Sean Doherty (USBA “X” Team) smiling after winning a NorAm mass start in Canmore, Alberta, earlier this season. Photo: Jake Ellingson.
Start of the youth men’s race.
Tadhg Nakada (National Guard Biathlon).
Women’s podium: winner Clare Egan (Craftsbury Green Racing Project, center); 2nd place Katrina Howe (Maine Winter Sports Center, left); 3rd place Erin Yungblut (Biathlon Alberta Training Center).
Getting ready for customers.
Paul Everett (Methow Valley Biathlon, bib 3) and the rest of the youth men’s field about to start.
Kristin Chicoine (Foothills Nordic) had the best race suit, by far.
Léo Grandbois (Biathlon Estrie) leading the youth field to the range at the Canmore NorAm mass start in December 2014. (Photo: Jake Ellingson)
Guillaume Bertrand (Rocky Mountain Racers).
Max Durtschi, who attended last year’s tryout camp, racing in his U.S. biathlon duds at a NorAm competition in Canmore, Alberta, this winter. (Photo: Jakob Ellingson)
Jordan McElroy (National Guard Biathlon).
Casey Smith (Maine Winter Sports Center) still on the shooting mat after most of the men’s field has left.
Women’s field.
Katrina Howe (Maine Winter Sports Center) bringing it in for second place in the women’s race.
Jacob Dalberg (National Guard Biathlon) and Mike Gibson (Craftsbury Green Racing Project).
Men’s field ready to start.
Sean Doherty (US Biathlon X Team) bringing it home for the win in the men’s race.
Tobias Quinn (Biathlon Ontario).
Junior women’s podium: winner Maddie Phaneuf (Maine Winter Sports Center/US Biathlon X Team, center); 2nd place Leilani Tam Von Burg (Biathlon Alberta Training Center, right); 3rd place Alexandria Hynds (Chelsea Nordiq, left).
Paul Everett (Methow Valley Biathlon) and Jules Burnotte (Biathlon Estrie) in the penalty loop.
Maddie Phaneuf (Maine Winter Sports Center) leads Leilani Tam Von Burg (Biathlon Alberta Training Center) and the rest of the junior women’s field.
The youth men’s field ready to start.
Junior men’s podium: winner Stuart Harden (Rocky Mountain Racers, center); 2nd place Matt Strum (Biathlon Alberta Training Center, right); and 3rd place Matt Hudec (Biathlon Alberta Training Center, left).
Sean Doherty (US Biathlon X Team).
Andrew Chisholm (Biathlon Alberta Training Center) leads Matt Neumann (Caledonia Nordic Ski Club).
Heading down hill.
Grant Novak (Rocky Mountain Racers).
Patrick Johnson (Far West Elite Team/Auburn Ski Club) in the men’s race.
Sarah Poisson-Grégoire of ACBQ leaves the range in the youth women’s race.
Junior men’s field.
Katrina Howe (Maine Winter Sports Center).
Jacob Dalberg (National Guard Biathlon).
The youth men heading into the range.
Leilani Tam Von Burg (Biathlon Alberta Training Center).
Ethan Dreissigacker (Craftsbury Green Racing Project) leads the men’s field into the range for the first prone.
Former US Biathlon development skier Paul Everett (Methow Valley Biathlon) racing in December 2014.
Youth men’s field on the range.
Stuart Harden (Rocky Mountain Racers) leads the junior men’s field.
The junior men’s field hits the range.
Paul Everett (Methow Valley Biathlon) is the first to leave the range in the youth men’s race.
Youth women on the shooting mats.
Maddie Phaneuf (Maine Winter Sports Center/US Biathlon X Team) zeroing before competition.
The men’s field leaves the start.
Men’s podium: race winner Sean Doherty (US Biathlon X Team, center); 2nd place Casey Smith (Maine Winter Sports Center, left); Guillaume Bertrand (Rocky Mountain Racers).
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The men’s field approaches the range for the first time.
Ethan Dreissigacker (Craftsbury Green Racing Project) and Sean Doherty (US Biathlon X Team).
Emily Dickson (Caledonia Nordic Ski Club).
Sasha Eccleston (Camrose Vikings).
Sean Doherty (US Biathlon X Team) leads Casey Smith (US Biathlon “B” Team/Maine Winter Sports Center) and Vincent Blais (ACBQ) onto the course.
Junior men’s field.
Mike Gibson (Craftsbury Green Racing Project).
Sean Doherty (US Biathlon X Team), Mike Gibson (Craftsbury Green Racing Project), and Max Durtschi (US Biathlon X Team) racing
