Caledonia Nordic Ski Club welcoming back major competitions

The 2022 Canadian Biathlon Championships run March 11-17.

More than 100 volunteers have been arranged to ensure the events run as smoothly as the perfectly groomed trails.

“We did a lot of snow-making throughout the season, and during this last cold snap we beefed it up even more, so the conditions are excellent,” said Director of Competitions Kevin Pettersen.

There are age categories from children through to seniors, and the events are broken into three different race styles. Friday will feature the visually exciting mass start, Saturday will be interval starts, and Sunday will showcase relays.

“There are a lot of moving parts, and a lot of fun to watch,” said Pettersen, who explained that the Otway facility will remain open all the while for regular public skiing. Anyone who wants to come enjoy the popular forested tracks may still do so, and in fact can catch some of the racing action from along some of the trails. Those who wish to come and cheer on the athletes are also invited to line the course or take up a position at one of the key vantage points.

The main parking lot will be a hive of activity during the events, so Pettersen recommended the alternate parking lots for spectators and public skiers to use, one located just east of the Otway lodge and the other just west. Signs will be in place to point those out.

There is also a ticketed outdoor awards event for the participants and volunteers on Saturday night with music, lights and fireworks scheduled.

All of these activities will be in accordance with COVID-19 safety protocols. Some areas of participation will require proof of vaccination, and some will require the wearing of masks.

“We’re proud to bring Prince George these major Nordic events, as we have done in the past, but also have people feel safe and taken care of with the COVID realities that have not fully let go, but being an outdoor facility and with the layout of the ski centre so excellent for hosting every level of competition, we can now return to doing what we do so well, here at Otway,” Pettersen said. “It will bring dollars into our community from all over B.C. for the cross-country races and from all over Canada for the biathlon races. It’s all part of our overall plans for improving and increasing what we can offer here, at what is already an amazing facility.”

Prince George-based athletes comprised half of the women’s Olympic biathlon team at the recent Winter Games, and continues a longtime streak of local athletes coming off the Otway trails and gliding right into the Team Canada uniform. This most recent Olympics featured Prince George’s Sarah Beaudry and Burns Lake’s Emily Dickson, both of whom did a lot of their training at Otway in the formative years of their careers. Dickson won multiple medals at Otway during the 2015 Canada Winter Games and Beaudry is now a veteran of two Olympic Games.

“We have so many examples of local athletes on our trails earning their way to Canada’s highest levels, and it’s our honour to contribute in any way we can to propel them forward,” said Pettersen. “It’s great for the community and the volunteers to be part of that. It’s such a great family here that brings that together and supports our young athletes. We see it with these elite athletes, but it’s open to the whole community. These sports are really in Prince George’s wheelhouse, and

we have these great facilities, great conditions, and great human infrastructure as well with all the volunteers and officials and many other contributors who make the Caledonia Nordic Ski Club so effective.”

There are currently more than 2,800 members of the club, and race organizers were able to receive enabling funds to make these two weeks of racing come together.

by Ethan Ready

Caledonia Nordic Ski Club welcoming back major competitions

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