Authentic Sports: Introducing the Primitive Biathlon

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***** NEWS RELEASE *****

For Immediate Release

For More Information Contact: 

Fred Hanss, Fort La Présentation Association, Snowshoe Biathlon Chair

(315)212-6213 / fhanss@twcny.rr.com

4^th Annual Snowshoe Biathlon Scheduled for March 5 and 6, 2016

OGDENSBURG --The Fort La Présentation Association will hold its 4^th annual St. Lawrence Valley Snowshoe Biathlon on Saturday, March 5 and Sunday, March 6, 2016 at the St. Lawrence Valley Sportsman’s Club located off State Highway 37 in Lisbon..  The event will kick-off at 10:00 A.M. and close at 2:30 P.M. on each day of the event. Sponsors for the popular event includes: The St. Lawrence Valley Sportsman’s Club, Forsyth’s Rifles, Gray’s Gunshop, The Chazen Companies, The Heuvelton Lions Club, and the NYS Muzzle Loading Rifle Association.

The Snowshoe Biathlon is a local version of a winter sport that is very popular in New England said, Barbara O’Keefe, president of the Fort de la Présentation Association.  The original snowshoe biathlon took place at Smuggler’s Notch, VT and there are now a number of events in Vermont and New Hampshire that take place annually. 

Event coordinator Fred Hanss said that the event requires participants to traverse a race course through the woods on snowshoes and fire a muzzle loading rifle or smoothbore twice at 5 targets in the woods; at the final station, participants may toss a tomahawk at a block of wood for extra points.  Participants will be timed as they run or walk the course and each time they hit a target, 5 minutes is deducted from their running time.  If there is insufficient snow to use snowshoes, the organizers may permit participants to carry their snowshoes on the course.

There are 3 divisions: traditional muzzle loading rifle; flintlock or percussion cap lock, traditional smoothbore and modern in-line muzzleloader.  Those running in the traditional class must wear wooden snowshoes while in-line shooters can wear modern snowshoes.  Each division is scored separately.  There are classes for seniors, men, woman and youth (12-16).

The Snowshoe Biathlon registration fee is $18 in advance of the event, $20 at the door; once registered, runners can run the course a second or third time for an additional $5 fee.  Registration forms can be found on the Fort Association’s website, www.fort1749.org.

The event is anticipated to attract participants from across New York State, Vermont and New Hampshire and Pennsylvania.  “This year, we’ve had inquiries from people as far away as Indiana,” said Mrs. O’Keefe.  In addition to raising funds for the Fort de la Présentation Association, the event also helps the local economy. “Our hosts at the Sportsman’s Club benefit from the event as do local hotels and restaurants,” said Mrs. O’Keefe. ‘Those travelling from out of town typically stay for the entire weekend and participate on both Saturday and Sunday.”

Funds raised by the event will be used as local match to build a public-access pedestrian and bicycle trail on the Fort Association’s property located on Van Rensselaer Point, Ogdensburg.   The Association has secured state and regional grant funding for the project that is anticipated to break ground in 2016.

For more information on the St. Lawrence Valley Snowshoe Biathlon, visit the Fort’s website – www.fort1749.org or contact the event organizer, Fred Hanss at (315) 212-6213.

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