Mt. Washington came alive Feb. 28-March 1, as the Vancouver Island Biathlon Club hosted a very successful biathlon provincial championships, drawing over 100 athletes, as well as coaches, parents, and supporters from across British Columbia.
This is the first time that VIBC has hosted the competition.
Local success
With such a top-quality venue to train at, it was no surprise that local athletes enjoyed ample success. Comox athlete Tobin Kerr’s perfect shooting secured second place in Saturday’s Individual race, before going on to top this performance with a first-place finish in Sunday’s Mass Start. Campbell River local, Gavin Johnston, shot the best in his field on Saturday and combined this with fast skiing to finish in second place. Brandon Jackson and Sylvie Johnston made it to second and third place in the recreational category.
Our masters athletes also demonstrated their skiing and shooting prowess with podium finishes. Christoph Dettling from Victoria secured second and third place in the Saturday and Sunday races in the 35-50 category, while Michael Akey was rewarded for his efforts in the 50+ category with his first-ever gold medal at a BC Cup event. He also won a silver medal in Sunday’s Mass Start.
To see full results from the event, visit the Vancouver Island Biathlon Club website at www.vibiathlon.ca.
Volunteers – the essential link
Putting on a biathlon race takes a lot of hard work, and the dreams and efforts of all the great biathletes who came out this weekend would not come to fruition without the massive efforts of our volunteers. We want to express our sincere and profound appreciation to those volunteers who came out this weekend to help make dreams come true and to support sport and healthy living in our community and province. Together, we pulled off an unforgettable event, and this would not be possible without such an enthusiastic group of volunteers.
More gratitude
VIBC would also like to thank the local businesses and organizations who made notable contributions to the BC Championships. Their support demonstrates that it takes a community to pull off such an event, but as a community we grow stronger!
Our sponsors include:
• Riding Fool Hostel
• Coastal Community Credit Union
• Ryan Williams – Remax Ocean Pacific Realty
• Greg MacKenzie and Associates
• Debbie Wright – Grove Health and Wellness
• Ed’s Soup Shack
• Blue Toque Sports
• Ski Tak Hut
• Seaspan
• Pioneer Home Hardware
• Timberline Secondary School
• 19 Wing Comox
• Clif Bars
Upcoming races
Perhaps you raced this weekend and want more, or maybe you missed this weekend and crave a piece of the action? Fear not! VIBC will be hosting the final club race on Saturday, April 4. This race is for ages nine and up, with courses suitable for novice racers all the way up to experienced biathletes. Registration will be posted on our website in the coming weeks as it becomes available.
Biathlon is a challenging sport, but it’s also fun and can be enjoyed year-round! VIBC holds summer training and racing events, so check in frequently to our website to learn more about upcoming opportunities.
If you have any questions, we encourage you to send an email to vibiathlonclub@gmail.com.
