2010 ABC Summer Biathlon Camps

Camrose Summer Biathlon Camp, August 11-15

This is our oldest and traditional camp. This training camp is always civilized when it comes to accommodation and meals, yet very demanding when it comes to shooting and roller skiing. So, you better be in shape to enjoy this camp to the fullest as we're getting ready to offer another intense training program. This camp is open to the athletes between the ages of 12 and 16 with at least one year of previous biathlon experience. If you're a novice athlete wishing to join us at the camp please contact Airat Aitniakov, ABC Sport manager before registering. Canada Winter Games eligible athletes can register regardless of age as CWG training camp will be taking place in conjunction with ABC camp (just like in 2009). The focus of this camp is technical skills. There will be a lot of shooting and roller skiing, so get your minds and bodies set on some hard work. There will, of course, be lots of time to chill, relax, play and fool around, so you won't miss the fun times, that we guarantee. Now, the important stuff:

When: August 11-15, (Wednesday to Sunday)

Where: University of Alberta Augustana Campus, Camrose, AB

In the Program: Shooting, lots of shooting and roller skiing as well general exercise and education sessions with mental training.

Fun stuff: Swimming, camp favorite Slip-N-Slide (weather permitting), movies and after-supper games with a Russian twist of course..:-)!

Equipment to bring: .22 cal rifle, ammo (at least 500 bullets or one brick), sleeping bag, pillow, running shoes, roller skis, boots and poles, bike helmet a MUST, water bottle, medicine if required, sunglasses and whatever else you need to enjoy yourself during 5 days and 4 nights of training and racing)

Race: There will be two races at this camp. Roller ski race will take place on Saturday and a running summer biathlon race will take place on Sunday. Race fees are included in the camp registration.

Cost: $425 per participant plus Zone4 online registration fee

Register HERE! Registration deadline is August 1.  

Spots are limited, so register early. There will be no additional spots available, but the waiting list will be made up to fill the canceled spots (if any). 

Alberta Biathlon Club runs TWO summer biathlon camps each year:

The "Camrose Camp"

ABC's high-performance oriented annual summer camp is open to the athletes between the ages of 12 and 17. This is strictly .22 cal rifle camp and no air rifles are allowed. This camp fits those athletes who have been active in biathlon for at least one full season as the training activities include daily roller-ski and shooting practices.

The camp runs for 4 days and is always followed by a summer biathlon race in which all camp registrants usually compete. ABC has been working hard over the last few years to build a pool of well qualified coaches and is proud to offer high quality training to the athletes who are just starting in the sport and to those who are in a high-performance programs in their local clubs. We are also very humble in our efforts to provide a very low coach to athlete ratio so that the personal attention is always there. It has become a great tradition at the camp to have current Canadian National Biathlon Team members work as coaches and share their sport expertise and competition experiences hands-on with the athletes. This is a great opportunity for the young biathletes from all across Canada to train with the Canadian biathlon elite and we will do our best to keep this tradition going for the years to come.      

The Camrose Camp usually takes place in the middle of August and kicks off the new racing season with the summer biathlon race on the last day of the camp. We always encourage athletes attending the camp to come in the best shape possible as the training activities planned and conducted by our coaching staff are usually very intense and designed to push the athletes harder in their training habits to achieve the best results once the winter season is on. The athletes and coaches stay and eat at the arranged accommodations for 4 nights and the parents are allowed to visit anytime and watch the training and races.

The Camrose Camp has grown significantly over the last few years and is no longer an Alberta provincial camp as each year we welcome athletes from British Columbia, Yukon, Northwest Territories, Ontario and Saskatchewan. The registration for this camp opens in April of each year and closes around the end of May as the space is usually limited to around 50 athletes.  The registration for the 2010 ABC Summer Biathlon Camp will open in April of 2010.

"COP Camp"

This summer camp is organized and hosted by Canada Olympic Park each summer starting in July. This is a regular summer camp that offers a variety of different activities from arts and crafts to sports and athletics. ABC and Foothills Nordic Ski Club have been actively involved in this camp's Olympic Adventure Program for the last 5 years offering a biathlon component to the daily sport activities. This is a novice-oriented camp and is catered mainly to the kids between the ages of 8 and 14 who are new to the sport and who would like to try this exciting Winter Olympic Sport hands-on. 

The camp runs on a daily format where kids are dropped-off in the morning and picked up in the afternoon. The camp program is scheduled on a weekly basis and each week has a different theme. This camp is open to children as young as 5 years old and as old as 14. However, biathlon component is only available to the kids aged 8 and older. We offer two biathlon components during this 8 week day-camp. Kids under 10 years of age attend air rifle biathlon sessions at Canada Olympic Park while older kids (10 and up) get to experience the thrill of shooting both air- and .22 cal biathlon rifles. The .22 cal rifle sessions take place each Wednesday in Canmore and all those attending must get ABC membership prior to the session in order to participate.

The registration for this camp is done through Canada Olympic Park and is usually available starting in May. For more information please visit www.winsportcanada.ca/cop/