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a very light trigger. There are models
for left- and right-handed shooters, so

find a model that suits you. The bolt of
the rifle is opened with the index finger
and closed with the thumb, meaning the

shooter never has to change position.
After skiing a lap, the competitor
arrives at the target area. Ahead are five
targets, difficult enough to hit with a

resting heart rate. But after a hard, race-
pace ski, biathletes are dealing with a tIPs
rapidly beating heart and pulsing veins.

Brian Shultz, an Ethan Allen Bi-
athlon Club member, knows the feel- Know your rifle inside and out.
ing. “It’s not going to sit still for you,” Biathlon rifles lack a mechanical
he says, describing the experience of safety. The bolt stays open until
you’re ready to fire.
shooting after skating. “Try and slow
your breathing down, hold it when you Treat every gun with respect— as if
release it three-quarters out. When [the they are loaded at all times. A .22 is
plenty dangerous so keep it pointed
target] comes into view, take the shot. in a safe direction—downrange or
Don’t sit there and wait for it.”
on your back.
Biathletes shoot in both stand-
ing and “prone” position, lying on the Breath is the trick. Slow your
breathing down as you come into
ground. A good biathlete can take their your shooting lane.
five shots in 20 seconds or less, pick up
their poles, and still maintain a lead over
When facing the five targets, start
the skier behind them.
at the farthest right and work left,
EABC member Damian Bolduc or vice versa. Even if you hit all the
says the sport has a precision not found targets, if they’re not in order, that’s
in other sports.
still five misses.

“All skiing has a certain finesse,
but this has a different rhythm,” he says.
“You can’t just be a meathead the whole costs associated with biathlon—ammu- shooting. He dedicated his summers to in Jericho or the Craftsbury Outdoor
time, you have to stop and concentrate.”
nition, rifles, a range for target practice, practicing, and finally, six years later, Center for clinics throughout the year,
and race registration fees—can be re- he is headed to Sochi, Russia, to repre-
While Bolduc says he can eas- and the Craftsbury Center holds sum-
ily out-skate his younger brother, in the strictive for beginners. But with enough sent the United States.
mertime races that combine shooting
time it takes for him to take one shot, his motivation, coach Shalna says even nov- “There are no secrets,” he says. with running. Many places offer biath-
ices can advance.
“Like anything else, it takes motivation
brother can take all five.
lon introductions using paintball guns
“Then I have to catch him,” he says.
He points to 18-year-old Sean and dedication.”
instead of rifles to emphasize breath
Doherty, of Conway, New Hampshire, control and steady aim. The Strafford
startINg lINE
as an example. Doherty began training how to go
under Shalna at the age of 12, driving For a good introduction to biathlon, Nordic Center in Strafford will host
While cross-country skiing is wide- novice clinics in February and March.
spread in Vermont, the equipment and
with his father to Jericho to develop his
check out the Ethan Allen Biathlon Club

FEbruary/March 2014
VtsPorts.coM 11