How To Begin in Biathlon...
As biathlon is made up of two athletic disciplines, marksmanship and cross country skiing, the requirements to take part in the sport are also two-fold.
Safety is our primary concern as biathlon uses .22 caliber rifles and live ammunition.
Successful completion of a biathlon safety class is required before anyone can shoot on the biathlon range at Kincaid Park or take part in one of our classes.
Safety classes are available to athletes 10 years of age and older through the Nordic Skiing Association of Anchorage. You can sign up for a class on the Biathlon Page of the NSAA website. Biathlon Alaska holds safety classes too as the need arises. Be sure to specify if you need safety training on our Athlete Survey and we'll do our best to accomodate you.
Once an athlete has completed safety training, they need to join the United States Biathlon Association as a competitor. This membership provides insurance for athletes practicing on our range. USBA memberships must be renewed at the end of September each year.
If you live in Anchorage, plan to train regularly at the Kincaid Park biathlon range, and use one of the biathlon rifles NSAA keeps in the range vault, then you should pay the annual biathlon range fees to NSAA. Otherwise, range and rifle use fees will be due each time you attend a race or range opening. If you plan on shooting regularly or taking a class, paying the annual range fee is an excellent value and helps support the range.
Finally, while a new biathlete can attend range openings and train on their own, they'll progress best by taking organized classes. Completing our Athlete Survey is the best way to secure a spot in one of our classes. We watch our survey responses and organize classes as interest and coaching resources allow.
Oh yeah, and then there's skiing. Our instruction focuses on shooting and skiing skills, but athletes serious about racing should seek ski instruction and training from one of the local ski clubs, although we have provided ski instruction when needed. Please contact us if you need ideas or direction on ski or biathlon training in Anchorage.