Fall 2001 Newsletter

This brings us to the subject of involving more of our members in race day management. Last year we often found some of the critical positions open right up until race day. This year forward we'd like to be better prepared. To clarify a concern I've heard from a few folks, you do not have to be a certified Level 1 official to provide race staff support. We plan to add race management guidelines to the CBC web site so that all club members have access to the information needed to conduct safe and fun events. [Editor's note: Contact Julia if you need hardcopies of this information mailed to you.]

Check the race schedule below (or on the CBC web site) to see which jobs need to be filled. Contact Julia to set up your dates to work. If each member volunteers once during the season we'd be covered, you'll have made a valuable contribution and learned more about our sport.

The four main positions are:

• Competition Chief: Handles the overall organization of the event; coordinates range, timing and course chiefs, all other volunteers, and presides over any rule disputes with the other three officials.

• Range Chief: Ensures that the range is set up for zero and cleaned up after the race; oversees the range during the zero period and the event, and makes sure that volunteers are in place for scoring/target pulling.

• Timing Chief: Oversees activities needed to log start and finish times (starting all racers, recording finish times).

• Course Chief: Works with SMR staff to determine which trails are available for the event; sets and retrieves course flags, alerts the Competition Chief to any special course concerns.

In order to assure racers that a scheduled event will take place as advertised, the race management slots (especially that of the Competition Chief) will need to be filled by the weekend prior to the race in question. If not, the race will have to be cancelled as an official event.

Plans to rebuild the Snow Mountain target platform are solidifying for construction after next year's summer race. It'll be a big endeavor, we'll need everyone's help. The estimated project cost was pretty high so we've revised some aspects and will use this year's proceeds to make sure the Treasury can support the expense. The new structure will be much more stable and less problematic year to year. We'll use the same design for the Frisco installation. The Frisco completion date is still open ended based on approval and construction support.

Your club continues to stride ahead, and is an integral part of this region's biathlon scene. We've got a great group of people. Working together is key, and the result is lots of fun biathlon!

Finally, we give the Call family (Fred, Amy and Ricco) fond regards and wish them good luck as they prepare to move to Michigan this October. We will miss Fred a great deal as he has meant a lot to our group with his hard work and inspirational racing. He hopes to be back for races here as often as possible. We all send him and his family our very best wishes!

Think Snow,

David Wells

• http://www.coloradobiathlon.org/results/08182001.html
• http://www.coloradobiathlon.org/results/08192001.html

Special thanks go out to our sponsors, Runner's Choice and Bighorn Trading, for their donation of prizes and assistance with rifle transport. A big thanks also to Bill Hay, for directing the events, to National Team member Jill Troutner for her help with rifle zeroing, to all the Club members (and their friends and family) who provided race support, to Scott Furgueson and his staff at Snow Mountain Ranch for venue preparation and timing support, and to all of the competitors for their enthusiastic participation.

As a special attraction, the August 19, 2001 CBC/SMR summer biathlon included a demonstration mountain bike event. This proved to be so entertaining that we may have to make this a full-length event next summer. Four brave racers toed the starting line, undaunted by the grueling 3K (give or take a K or so) course. The group remained somewhat intact through the first kilometer and entry into the range. Uniformly marginal shooting (sorry, guys) ensured that things remained exciting throughout the miniature velodrome of the penalty loop. Jeff May jumped into the race during the prone shooting stage and opted for the standing targets. This crafty maneuver allowed him to avoid the penalty loop fun. The race really broke apart during the standing shooting bout, as Dave Cleveland shot clean and Nick Waldow had only one penalty. Dave used his one-shot advantage to full effect as he burned through the final loop to claim the win. Congratulations to all of the participants, and apologies for any errors in the play-by-play. I'm reporting it as I saw it!

Results from mountain bike exhibition (mass start):

Finish order	Name	prone penalties	standing penalties
1	Dave Cleveland	4	0
2	Nick Waldow	4	1
3	Sam Simakis	3	4
4	Mark	4	4
	Jeff May	0*	4

*standing target used in prone stage, started late, ended early -- nice game plan, if you ask me.

Finally, Summer Biathlon Nationals are scheduled for October 5-7, 2001. Good luck to all Colorado competitors who plan to attend the National events.

Winter:
Season shooting results for the Colorado races are at:

http://www.coloradobiathlon.org/results/shooting2001.html

• http://www.coloradobiathlon.org/results/12172000.html
• http://www.coloradobiathlon.org/results/01142001.html
• http://www.coloradobiathlon.org/results/01282001.html
• http://www.coloradobiathlon.org/results/02112001.html
• http://www.coloradobiathlon.org/results/02172001.html
• http://www.coloradobiathlon.org/results/03102001.html
• http://www.coloradobiathlon.org/results/03112001.html

Overall results from the Rocky Mountain Race Series are at:

http://www.coloradobiathlon.org/results/rmrs.2001.html

Schedule: We identified a tentative schedule based on last year's events and the known events for this year. See the CBC race schedule for the latest status on all dates and events.

Board elections: George Rutherford has moved to Steamboat and so is no longer on the Frisco VP list. All other nordic center VPs remain the same, along with the Board Chair, Treasurer and Secretary. Dave Wells would like to phase out of the presidency, but no other club members are currently expressing strong interest in the position. It was suggested that we add an executive VP position (unrelated to any of the nordic center VP positions). This position would take over some of the duties currently handled by Dave, hopefully making both positions manageable. Greg Wagner was nominated (and accepted the nomination) for this position. E-mail was sent to list membership asking for other nominations through 6/20/01. No other names were presented, so Greg was named Executive VP as per agreement by the meeting attendees.

Frisco range status: The Town of Frisco and the Dillon Ranger District of the Forest Service are in the process of reviewing proposed improvements to the Frisco Nordic Center. These improvements include the creation of new trails as well as the realignment of some existing trails. CBC is working with the Forest Service representatives and the Town of Frisco to identify a new range location. The range previously in place at Frisco was dismantled in the spring at the request of the boat concessionaire using that area. Rather than rebuild the platform in its previous location, we plan to focus our efforts on the site review process this year, with the long term goal of establishing a permanent facility with easier access to the Nordic Center building and trails around the range which are better suited to biathlon needs. The new site currently under discussion is on Town of Frisco land. The assessment and approval process is scheduled to run through the summer of 2002, at which point we hope to begin (re)building at Frisco. Because of these changes, no races are scheduled at Frisco for the 2001-2002 winter season. Contact Julia if you'd like a copy of the "request for comments" document issued by the Forest Service in September. If you're interested helping out with the proposal and approval process on behalf of CBC, contact Dave Wells. Brannen Ulrick has been instrumental in our efforts on this project so far, supplemented by Dave Wells, Jim Kite, and the other Executive Board members. Thanks guys!

In addition to the annual camp in West Yellowstone (see race schedule below), Crested Butte Nordic extends an invitation to their Thanksgiving Training Camp, November 21-25. For additional information, contact Joni Clark, Crested Butte Nordic Director, PO Box 1269, Crested Butte, CO, 81224-1269. Phone is 970-349-1707, and you can reach them via email at cbnordic@crestedbutte.net.

Winter race schedule: As noted in the Frisco range discussion, all of the CBC events this winter will be at Snow Mountain Ranch. Only one potential race date is on the schedule in February, because more than a few of us plan to volunteer at the Salt Lake City Olympics, and will be out of town for most of that month. Those of you who don't plan to venture to Utah should talk amongst yourselves and let the Club Secretary (Julia) know if you plan to actually hold a formal event on any of the February weekends. So that the insurance request(s) can be submitted in a timely manner, be sure to confirm these dates and identify the Competition Chief/race contact by the first week in January.

Note that there are four proposed race dates that have no competition chief already assigned (1/6/02, 1/27/02, 2/10/02, 3/17/02). Again, you don't need to be a certified official to fill these spots. Without a competition chief, no "official" point of contact for the race exists, and it follows that there is no way for racers to know whether or not the timing, course, and range will be prepared for the event. Remember, the Comp Chief doesn't have to do everything, but he or she does need to make sure someone is responsible for all of the race management tasks. Fred Call handled nearly all of the course activities last year, and his departure means that we have a big gap to fill in that area. Check your calendars and let Julia know where you can pitch in! The schedule is also available on the web site at http://www.coloradobiathlon.org/schedule.html.

The USBA site is currently undergoing some renovations as well. Check your entry in the points list (http://www.usbiathlon.org/winter/points.html) when you get a chance, and confirm that it's in the realm of possibility. If you find any problems, please send the details along to Julia.

• http://www.coloradobiathlon.org/memberform.html (HTML)
• http://www.coloradobiathlon.org/memberform.pdf (PDF)

Other contacts: