NorAm Cup brings national attention this weekend

ST. JOHN VALLEY - Fifty athletes will converge at the Tenth Mountain Lodge, a world class biathlon venue nestled in the hills above the small town of Fort Kent, Maine in order to compete in the NorAm Cup biathlon competition.

GUNS, COLORS AND SKIS - The NorAm returns to Fort Kent on Saturday when 50 biathletes, including several local favorites, begin competing for the North American Cup. - Birden image

Biathlon is a sport that combines cross-country skiing and sharp shooting with a rifle.

Chief of Competition Jeff Dubis said, "Everybody who comes here always has a great experience. One thing we've got this year that nobody else has got is plenty of snow."

The Biathlon North American Cup, or NorAm Cup, is just one level below the International Biathlon Union World Cup. Thirty participants from Canada and twenty from the United States will compete this weekend.

Fort Kent is the third stop in the five-city series for the NorAm Cup.

Dubis said 80-100 volunteers from the St. John Valley, Presque Isle, Orono and Nova Scotia are working hard to make the event a success.

There will be two races with six categories of athletes. On Saturday, the athletes will participate in the sprint, and on Sunday folks will enjoy watching the popular mass start.

With meteorologists forecasting a couple of more inches of snow for Tuesday into Wednesday, Dubis said, "The trails look really good."

Local fans will be watching a few Valley favorites.

Dubis said, "We've got some of the local athletes."

Some of those capturing attention include Raleigh Goessling, Beth Ann   Chamberlain, Katrina Howe, Melissa Manning, Kamran Husain who won the mass start last week in Jericho, Vermont, and Cody Johnson.