Fort Kent World Cup Biathlon

So biathlonworld.com (my new favorite website) says Fort Kent, Maine
managed to turn out 5000 spectators for their world cup races each
day. 5000! I'd never even heard of the place before.

When I mentioned it to my sister-in-law who has lived in Maine her
whole life she said "Fort Kent is essentially at the end of the world".
She also said her sister and brother-in-law would be there. :-) When
I finally looked it up on a map I found it on the far northern border
of Maine, just across a small river from a piece of New Brunswick,
Canada.

Does northern Maine really have that many more biathlon fans than the
region within reach of Lake Placid? Or do you suppose a good fraction
of those fans came over from nearby areas of Canada? Quebec City seems
to be the nearest city of significant size.

-Mitch

According to Maine newspapaer articles during the event, there was a
significant influx of European spectators. The area communities did a lot
to attract schedules, and adjusted school vacation schedules so area kids
could watch the events.

A huge amount of credit goes to the Maine Winter Sports Center
(http://www.mainewsc.org/), a non-profit that has re-introducing skiing
(and especially biathlon) as a life style in Maine. This is only the first
of several big events they are persuing.

Mitch Collinsworth wrote:

So biathlonworld.com (my new favorite website) says Fort Kent, Maine
managed to turn out 5000 spectators for their world cup races each
day. 5000! I'd never even heard of the place before.

When I mentioned it to my sister-in-law who has lived in Maine her
whole life she said "Fort Kent is essentially at the end of the world".
She also said her sister and brother-in-law would be there. :-) When
I finally looked it up on a map I found it on the far northern border
of Maine, just across a small river from a piece of New Brunswick,
Canada.

Does northern Maine really have that many more biathlon fans than the
region within reach of Lake Placid? Or do you suppose a good fraction
of those fans came over from nearby areas of Canada? Quebec City seems
to be the nearest city of significant size.

-Mitch

On 9 Mar 2004 20:36:47 -0800, (Mitch
Collinsworth) wrote:


Does northern Maine really have that many more biathlon fans than the
region within reach of Lake Placid?

On the videos it looks like bigger crowds than Placid had.

JT

I raced there a few years ago...way up north. 11 hours from Boston. The town is
really into baithlon. Kids are let out of school and everybody volunteers. If
you are on a budget, you can eat at the UMFK student dining room. Feels just
like undergrad, except they never served moose steaks at my school!

On Wed, 10 Mar 2004, John Forrest Tomlinson wrote:

On 9 Mar 2004 20:36:47 -0800, (Mitch
Collinsworth) wrote:


Does northern Maine really have that many more biathlon fans than the
region within reach of Lake Placid?

On the videos it looks like bigger crowds than Placid had.

5000 daily in Fort Kent .vs. 300 - 400 in Lake Placid according to
biathlonworld.com. Even if they miscounted a bit that's still a huge
difference.

Mt. VanHovenberg biathlon stadium couldn't even accomodate 10 times
as many spectators. The parking lots probably could but there would
likely be a significant traffic jam on the entrance road that would
back up out onto the highway. How did they manage holding the Olympics
there? Limited spectator tickets for the stadium?

-Mitch

Wow, what a scene!

Isn't the MWS program being run by young Eli Brown? Or was? I recall those names
going together.

--

Jeff Potter
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Wow! 5000 is a lot of spectators. And, yes, from an American
perspective, Fort Kent is pretty close to the end of the world. I did
a running race there quite a few years ago as I was passing through.
There used to be quite a bit of orienteering in the Grand Falls area
in New Brunswick not far away, including national championships in
1984 (my first).

Cheers,
Brian

In article
rnell.edu, Mitch
Collinsworth wrote:
So biathlonworld.com (my new favorite website) says Fort Kent, Maine
managed to turn out 5000 spectators for their world cup races each
day. 5000! I'd never even heard of the place before.

Ps. Mitch, sorry for the reply by mail (meant to follow-up).

I was lucky enough to see some of the OLN coverage last week. I believe
the 5K est. There were people lining the fences all the way into the
stadium, great roars from the crowd at the range, and even a few hardy
souls up on the hill.

I was blown away to hear them hyping Ft. Kent in the ads - Biathlon is
the #1 winter spectator sport in Europe? Wow. I would've guessed
Alpine, but I suppose a lot more events and venues in eastern and
Northern Europe than the predominantly southern FIS and Euro-Cup events.

Marsh Jones


Mitch Collinsworth wrote:
So biathlonworld.com (my new favorite website) says Fort Kent, Maine
managed to turn out 5000 spectators for their world cup races each
day. 5000! I'd never even heard of the place before.

When I mentioned it to my sister-in-law who has lived in Maine her
whole life she said "Fort Kent is essentially at the end of the world".
She also said her sister and brother-in-law would be there. :-) When
I finally looked it up on a map I found it on the far northern border
of Maine, just across a small river from a piece of New Brunswick,
Canada.

Does northern Maine really have that many more biathlon fans than the
region within reach of Lake Placid? Or do you suppose a good fraction
of those fans came over from nearby areas of Canada? Quebec City seems
to be the nearest city of significant size.

-Mitch

On Wed, 10 Mar 2004 10:58:02 -0600, Marsh Jones
wrote:
Biathlon is
the #1 winter spectator
sport in Europe?

I think it's the #1 spectator sport, not participant sport. I think
because it's unpredictable and also maybe because of gambling.

JT

On Wed, 10 Mar 2004, Marsh Jones wrote:

I was blown away to hear them hyping Ft. Kent in the ads - Biathlon is
the #1 winter spectator sport in Europe? Wow. I would've guessed
Alpine, but I suppose a lot more events and venues in eastern and
Northern Europe than the predominantly southern FIS and Euro-Cup events.

In Lake Placid I overheard part of a conversation in which a guy
with a German accent was telling someone that biathlon was #1
spectator sport in Germany. "Even bigger than _________". I forget
what he compared it with but it was something that I certainly
didn't expect to be beat by biathlon for spectators.

But the article on biathlonworld.com (did I mention I like this site? :-)
says the biathlon worlds in Germany last month drew 25,000 spectators!
Sure, it was worlds, and sure, it probably brought in a lot of folks
from other parts of Europe, but 25,000? Wow. Look at the start field
for the Vasaloppet and then add 3/4 of it again!

-Mitch