Mammoth in Pictures Final Day

After helping out with the first three races of the day, it was finally our turn. As much as we all joked around as to the importance of this race, once you toe up to the line, there's only one thing on your mind: Win. We gave the spectators a good race, keeping it close until the end.

 

And thus began the hurt. This course was tough, but super fun.

 

Just like the good old days. Raleigh Goessling and I chasing down Casey Smith. We all shot well, I missing 1-1-1-3, and dropping from second to fourth on a dreadful last stage of shooting. I don't mind though. It was a beautiful day with fans all around. Life is good.

 

At first when people asked if I saw a bear on the trail, I thought they were making fun of my size. But then I saw this.

 

The elite crew at the end of an awesome biathlon weekend

Post-race cooldown. Couldn't get California Love out of my head. This is a good thing.

At least my skis made an appearance on the podium. Fourth place is no shame when it's behind these three. I've looked up to all these guys since my first year in national competition. I still don't know why Casey insisted on singing Katy Perry to the crowd from atop the podium....

After the race, it was time for the volunteer workforce to take down the range until next year. It's amazing what 30 people and a snowcat can accomplish. This puppy was gone and in storage in less than two hours. 

No caption needed

Loading up the range into the snowcat.

I can't even begin to thank everyone who made the Mammoth Winter Biathlon possible for all of us visiting biathletes. I had the most fun of my entire season in Mammoth. Not only did I get to share the sport with others, but I was able to gain perspective on what I really enjoy about biathlon and fall in love with it all over again. I woke every morning excited to be a part of this massive operation, and went to bed every night exhausted and happy from a day full of beautiful mountains, great people, and mutual love of athleticicm and friendly competition. Thank you to Mike Karch, without whom this beacon of biathlon potential would have never existed. It's my hope that other biathlon clubs in America will look at this event and the can-do attitude behind it and be inspired to reach a potential they never thought possible. Take it from me, what Mike Karch and Mammoth has done with a simple idea, elbow grease, and what seems like impossible obstacles is unparalleled at every level in this country. They have literally climbed a mountain and made their dream a reality on top of it.

I can't wait for next year.

Mammoth in Pictures Day II

DAY II:

A bright and early morning for another day on the mountain. Our lift tickets were activated, and we were first in line every day at 8:30. Getting to the range consisted of driving our cars to the shuttle bus, which drove us to the base of the mountain. From there, we hopped on a chairlift that took us to a waiting chartered snowcat that drove us to the venue. Again, props to the race organizers.

At the top of the chair lift. "Just put your skis in the rack and hop in." Yeah, no big deal or anything right?

And just when you thought this place couldn't get any cooler, a PistenBully BBQ truck parks in the penalty lap. Seriously the best tasting pulled pork burritos on the planet. Throughout the day, alpine skiers and mighty-mites on the mountain would cruise up and watch the races.



Another bluebird sky, and a full day of officiating at the range. Before our "Elite" race on Sunday, the group of us visiting athletes worked as range officals helping the shooters stay happy and safe for the 6 Saturday races and 3 Sunday races before our final race. Yeah, that's right. We had 6 races in a day. Hundreds of racers. We got a ton of sun again, an I finally wasn't the only one burned enough to be made fun of by the waitresses in the village at dinner. From R to L: Casey Smith, Myself, and our new awesome Californian/Russian homeboy Dmiytry Yegoshin



L to R: Myself, Katrina Howe, and Mark Johnson getting some much needed time off our feet between races. Chairs provided by the super awesome BBQ PistenBully.

Mike Karch, the most fearless man in biathlon I have ever met. This guy is single-handedly responsible for this entire week. Impossible is not in his vocabulary, and if you were to say "I want to build a temporary world-class biathlon range halfway up a California ski resort at 9000 feet and have the largest biathlon race in the nation and have it attended by everyone from first-timers to seasoned U.S. Teamers, and then take it all down and do it again every year forever with sponsor donations and an army of volunteers", most everyone would say it could never be done. Well here he is, 6 years of successful annual events later and walking the course with blue dye writing awesome Tour de France-esqe motivation on the corduroy. Thanks Mike. You're the bomb.

One of the most gratifying races of the day was the sit-ski division sponsored by the Wounded Warrior Project. These guys rocked the mountain.



After another long day on the mountain, we were pooped. Once the races were over, we remodeled the range from 25 meters to 50 meters for the masters races on Sunday, and then skied down the mountain into town for the local biathlon shop expo, some chow, and bed.



Mammoth in Pictures Day I

DAY I:

After the long climb to the range, this biathlon oasis emerged from the mountains.
Our home for the next 4 days



Helping coach at the morning live-fire clinic alongside local biathlon figures
Clayton Mendel and Britt Cogan. I have both Clayton and Britt to thank for
an excellent week in Mammoth
 

After a full day of on-snow clinics, it was time to head back into town to join my
teammates for the afternoon indoor laser-rifle biathlon classes. Hundreds of eager shooters
came out during the course of the day. You can see the sun is already getting the best of me.
 



It's so much fun to have all my biathlon friends and teammates in one place helping coach.
We got our Ball on between classes at the laser biathlon clinic.
We were exhausted after a full day of being serious, and crashed hard after a huge dinner in the village.
 





Sunburns and Crustskis

When the range is only available via chairlift and you don't have a lift ticket, you gotta climb. Day one of Mammoth Biathlon is in full swing. Look for a full writeup on the days events later, but for now, here's this:

Sam-eth the Mammoth

The Mammoth Winter Biathlon is advertised as the largest biathlon race in America, with hundreds of racers and spectators expected to congregate just east of Yosemite in Mammoth Lakes, California for a week of everything biathlon. The event is even televised by the American Trigger Sports Network, and is a stellar example of what good organization, generous sponsorship, and intense enthusiasm can accomplish for the sport of biathlon.

Every year, race organizers invite a handful of 'Elite Level' biathletes to increase depth and exposure of the event. Psshhht, how could I pass up a weekend of springtime biathlon in California?

And thus began my post-spring break vacation....

What's up Double G??!!?? San Fran layoverness

Traveling for biathlon is tricky, but there are some benefits of living in a place like Montana, where it takes 10 minutes from curbside to airgate and they look at you funny if you don't check a firearm. Even though the plane's ceiling was only shoulder height, United Airlines is still earning my future patronage. They reseated me for free to a spacious exit row when I kept hitting my head on the overhead compartments while trying to wedge myself into seat 9D. Heck yes I'll assist crew members in the unlikely event of an emergency if it means I can move my legs until then.

It feels weird to be in California on a random Thursday in the middle of second semester,
but my professors were accommodating enough to allow for this extended weekend.

The primary purpose for Mammoth is to work as an ambassador of higher-level biathlon to this large Nordic community. For the first few days, my teammates and I will help run shooting and competition clinics on the specially built live fire range as well as instruct indoor curriculum on laser rifle systems. The week will culminate in a biathlon race for all clinic participants (again, "the largest race in America"), followed by an exposition race for all of us visiting 'Elite' athletes and instructors. It will be great to reunite with my teammates that have spent the season racing in Europe, and very interesting to race them at almost 10000 feet. It's been a few years since I've raced at such an extreme elevation, but I've had the beat races of my career in this environment.

These guys in Mammoth build a 20-point range every year in less
than 4 days. Pretty sweet.

I'm very excited to get back to coaching biathlon, something I thoroughly enjoy and have missed doing. I'm using this short break from school to regain some perspective on the sport, have a little fun with some close biathlon friends, and soundtrack it all to my killer classic rock playlist.

For more info on the event and bios of the visiting elite biathletes (including me) click HERE

More posts to come...