Match Results

Click here for Zone Trials 4 & 5 Results

Lower Mainland Regional Report:

The last quarter of 2005 started off really, really well.  Our local ski resort opened on Nov. 16th, a full month earlier than ever before and we skied on great snow all the way through Dec 16th.  The combined WCN-Fraser 102 Team went to BC Cup 1 & 2 at Telemark and came home happy with personal bests and a bunch of hardware. Then the rains came; closed Cypress and washed out our trails at Hemlock. Our practice range at PSA was closed due to safety complaints. Hemlock Valley Resorts declared bankruptcy on Dec. 15th. On Dec 23, we were told that PSA would likely be closed for at least 3-4 weeks while the bureaucrats worked out safety improvements on the overhead berms. On Dec. 24th, the Receiver for Hemlock denyed our application to run the BCWG Zone Trials, or any other Biathlon event, including practices, at Ski Hemlock.  Merry Christmas!

 First Annual Pot Shots A Great Success

Overcoming obstacles set by the weather, resort economics and bureaucracy, West Coast Nordics implemented fallback-plan Z to stage the combined Cadet and BC Winter Games Biathlon Zone Trials on Sunday Jan.08, 2006 at Koch Nurseries in Langley.

The aptly named Pot Shots competition, run on a 20-lane air rifle range with eighty four starters was one of the largest biathlon races staged in BC in recent times. The event was made possible by the generous sponsorship of Koch Nurseries, who donated the landscape, lumber for target frames and the ATV’s needed for transportation. There was a waiting list of eager volunteer-drivers for the ATV’s.

Plan Z was implemented when Hemlock Valley Resort was closed due to bankruptcy, Pacific Shooters range was closed while safety approval awaited the bureaucracy’s return from vacation and Cypress Cross Country was rained out.

Jana Bakker, President of Koch Farms, who flagged the two, 1km loops through some classic cross country running trails was pleased with the enthusiasm of the competitors. “When I overheard some athletes at the finish line earnestly discussing the merits of running through the mud versus cutting through the blackberries on one of the more challenging stretches of trails” she said, “I knew we had a winner”.

“Where else in Canada”, her husband, Bruce Bakker, President of Koch Nurseries, added “would they have a 100-foot greenhouse for a warming hut?”

The TD, Lorenzo Tsu and the Chief of Race, Alan Ball, would like to thank all the volunteers from WCN and 102 Fraser Corps for their help in setting up the range and Martin Packer, 102 Fraser, from organising the volunteer drive.  Thanks also to all the other volunteers and participants for helping run the competition, donating targets and shooting mats and for expeditiously putting the circus to bed once it was over: .

Participating Corps and Clubs: 47 Sea, Vancouver; 102 Sea, New West; 201 Sea, Coquitlam; 759 Air; North Burnaby; 819 Air, North Delta; 828 Air, Delta; 907 Air, White Rock;1725 Land, Chilliwack; 1838 Land, Maple Ridge; 2893 Land, Port Coquitlam; 2472 Land, Vancouver; and WCN.

Alan Ball