If this is your first visit, be sure to check out the FAQ by clicking the link above. You may have to register before you can post: click the register link above to proceed. To start viewing messages, select the forum that you want to visit from the selection below. |
|
|
|
Thread Tools | Display Modes |
#1
|
|||
|
|||
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 |
Ads |
#2
|
|||
|
|||
Fort Kent World Cup Biathlon
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 |
#3
|
|||
|
|||
Fort Kent World Cup Biathlon
|
#4
|
|||
|
|||
Fort Kent World Cup Biathlon
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! |
#5
|
|||
|
|||
Fort Kent World Cup Biathlon
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 |
#6
|
|||
|
|||
Fort Kent World Cup Biathlon
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 **** *Out Your Backdoor * http://www.outyourbackdoor.com publisher of do-it-yourself culture ... bikes, skis, boats & more! ... ... offering Vordenberg's XC ski tales in "Momentum"! ... ... "The Recumbent Bicycle": the only book about these bikes! ... ... Rudloe's "Potluck": true-life story of workingclass smuggling! ... ... with radical novels coming up via LiteraryRevolution.com! ... ... music! ... articles! ... travel forums! ... WOW! 800-763-6923 |
#7
|
|||
|
|||
Fort Kent World Cup Biathlon
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). |
#8
|
|||
|
|||
Fort Kent World Cup Biathlon
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 |
#9
|
|||
|
|||
Fort Kent World Cup Biathlon
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 |
#10
|
|||
|
|||
Fort Kent World Cup Biathlon
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 |
|
Thread Tools | |
Display Modes | |
|
|
Similar Threads | ||||
Thread | Thread Starter | Forum | Replies | Last Post |
Got my face in world cup biathlon news! | Mitch Collinsworth | Nordic Skiing | 3 | March 1st 04 07:38 PM |
World Cup Biathlon in Lake Placid | Bob Maswick | Nordic Skiing | 8 | March 1st 04 01:36 AM |
Oberhof Biathlon World Champ - Janne G site | Julien | Nordic Skiing | 2 | February 19th 04 06:15 AM |
Gold! World Jr Biathlon | Rodney/SkiWax.ca | Nordic Skiing | 2 | January 28th 04 09:39 PM |
Skiing on OLN | Andy Schwartz | Nordic Skiing | 5 | January 15th 04 09:27 PM |