WHITEFISH — When you think of winter sports, you probably think of hockey or ice skating. The Olympic sport, biathlon, probably does not come to mind.
While it's popular in Europe, it's not as well-known in the U.S. But the Glacier Nordic Club in Whitefish is trying to change that through the younger generation.
“It's a combination of cross-country skiing and target shooting," said Glacier Nordic Ski Team Biathlon Program Coordinator Ed Visnovske.
The Glacier Nordic Club in Whitefish has been working to build a biathlon team in the Flathead Valley.
"So, you take kind of two sports that are pretty difficult on their own, and then you combine them together, and you have an amazing sport,” said Visnovske.
The sport is an all-ages activity, but the Nordic Club has a major goal in mind: getting kids involved in the sport.
“The combination of those two sports presents so many life lessons for kids. The cross-country skiing is really physical. So, the physical fitness part of that and then you take that, and you put it into a target shooting environment where now they have to control their breathing, they have to really control their focus, they have to control their body position and all of that," said Visnovske.
The club is looking to get kids ages nine through high school involved in the sport. Working with the U.S. Biathlon Association, the Glacier Nordic Club has been loaned laser riffles to get the program up and running.
"[They] are really designed just like a regular biathlon rifle, but they're trainers, and so they're ultra-safe. The only thing that leaves the end of the rifle is a pulse of light, and it works with an electronic target," said Visnovske.
This tool allows kids to learn the sport in a safe way to prepare for upcoming races.
"We have a youth program where the kids are going to be able to work at a series of sessions in January with those laser rifles and all kind of leading up to the closest event we have is the Seeley Lake biathlon on February 1st," said Visnovske.
If you are interested in the sport, you can email glaciernordicshop@gmail.com.
