Biathlon

Bulkley Valley Biathlon provides an environment where athletes of all ages and abilities can participate and develop their biathlon skills with a great group of people.

Our first priority is safety, and our second priority is fun!

We are a group of volunteers passionate about biathlon. We can be reached at biathlon@bvnordic.ca.

What is Biathlon?

This Biathlon 4 Newbies video is a great primer!

Biathlon is a winter sport combining skate skiing and shooting. .22 caliber rifles are used to shoot 5 targets at a distance of 50m. Shooting is done in both prone (laying down) and standing positions. Racers ski a certain number of laps, based on the race, and shoot between each lap. They must manage their skiing to be able to then accurately shoot at the targets between laps.

Our Programs

We offer both youth and masters programs, as summarized in the table. Information on each program is provided below. Please contact biathlon@bvnordic.ca if you have any questions about our programs.

Summary of Programs 2025/26
Program	Ages	Times	Dates	Fee
Intro to Biathlon	8-18	12:30-1:45	Saturdays, Jan. 17-Feb. 21	$72
Youth Biathlon	10-18	12:15-1:45	Saturdays, ski season	$135
Masters Biathlon	19 and up	10:00-11:30	Saturdays, ski season	$160

Youth Biathlon Programs

NEW for 2025/26 - Intro to Biathlon

This 6-week program introduces young skiers to biathlon using Eco-Aims, optical rifles (no bullets) rather than the .22 caliber rifles used in our other programs. Youth skiers from 8 to 18 will learn biathlon fundamentals through fun activities. This program offers no ski technique coaching. We recommend that children also join the Athlete Development Program (ADP) appropriate for their age and skill level to continue developing their ski technique.

Practices are held Saturdays from 12:30 to 1:45PM from Jan. 17 to Feb. 21, 2026.

Program fees are: $72.

Youth Biathlon

This youth program is for ages of 10 to 18. It is aimed at youth who are already familiar with biathlon or who are interested in developing more advanced biathlon skills.

Our practices include both skiing and shooting (using .22 caliber rifles). However, we offer minimal ski technique coaching. We recommend that children also join the Athlete Development Program (ADP) appropriate for their age and skill level to continue developing their ski technique.

Please contact us at biathlon@bvnordic.ca before registering in this program. This allows us to learn more about you and your child, to provide you with program information and to confirm space availability with you.

When registering, please choose either:

Recreational program: any child not participating in the Athlete Developmemt Program
ADP Biathlon program: all children participating in the Athlete Developmemt Program

Practices are held Saturdays from 12:15 to 1:45PM during the ski season.

Program fees are: $135.

Rifle rentals for the season are: $123.

Parent involvement:

Biathlon requires parental support, especially with beginner and younger skiers. Parents are expected to become familiar with the sport, its safety rules, to be available to attend practices on a regular basis and to help with set-up and take-down.

Required gear:

Cross-country skis and poles (skate skis are recommended)
For Youth Biathlon: .22 caliber bolt action rifle (available for rent, if needed; see Things to Know section below for more information)
For Youth Biathlon: Ammunition can be purchased from the club (see Things to Know section below for more information)

Masters Program

The masters program is open to anyone over the age of 18.

Our practices include both skiing and shooting. However, we offer minimal ski technique coaching. We recommend that masters interested in improving their skiing join one of the club's ski-focused masters offerings.

Practices are held Saturdays from 10:00-11:30AM.

Please contact us at biathlon@bvnordic.ca before registering in this program. This allows us to learn more about you, to provide you with program information and to confirm space availability. Our program is limited by rifle availability. We may give priority to masters who have prior biathlon experience.

Program fees are: $160

Rifle rentals for the season are: $181.

Required gear:

Cross-country skis and poles (skate skis are recommended)
.22 caliber bolt action rifle (available for rent, if needed; see Things to Know section below for more information)
Ammunition: can be purchased from the club (see Things to Know section below for more information)

Things to Know

You don’t need to know how to skate ski to learn biathlon. Classic skiers are welcome to participate but will eventually want to learn to skate ski so they can keep up with their friends!
In addition to your club membership and program fees, you must obtain a Biathlon BC membership for insurance coverage.
- Register at Biathlon Canada’s Zone 4 page. Fees vary based on membership category. Should you have any questions about this, e-mail biathlon@bvnordic.ca.
The club has biathlon rifles for rent to accommodate all sizes. The rental is for one season.
Specific ammunition is required and can be purchased from the club. Those renting rifles will be required to purchase 2 bricks of ammunition (1000 rounds) for the season. Each brick is $60.
- It is not necessary to have a PAL (Possession and Acquisition License) at the beginning of the season to participate but we recommend that one be obtained during the season, if possible, to facilitate club rifle management.
- With a PAL, you are permitted to transport a rifle to and from practice.
- Without a PAL, you are not permitted to transport a rifle. Those without a PAL are able to rent a rifle but will only be able to use their rifle at the shooting range under supervision.
The Bulkley Valley Biathlon Program Overview provides more details about participating in our programs.

Racing

For those who are interested, there are several racing opportunities each season. Biathlon BC offers several races each season. Biathlon Alberta also hosts a race series that BC athletes can participate in.

The 2025-26 season BC races are:

Dec. 6 - 7: BC Cup #1 at Sovereign Lakes Nordic (Vernon)
Feb. 7 - 8: BC Cup #2 at Vancouver Island Biathlon Club (Comox)
Feb. 26 - Mar. 1: BC Winter Games at Blackjack (Rossland)
Feb. 28 - Mar. 1: U13 Championships at Telemark Nordic (West Kelowna)
Mar. 5-8: Western Championships/BC Championships at Caledonia Nordic (Prince George)

We encourage all the program’s biathletes to participate. These are great events that allow biathletes to put all their skills together in a fun multi-age environment.

BV Nordic Centre