What is wrong with us? We should own this.

[Snowgun]

Ok:

We are in a place that has lots of snow
it is also flat
people cross country ski here all the time
we have a flourishing gun culture
we have lots of Scandinavian culture and roots

Why the **** don't we own the biathlon? Is it because most gun owners here are old fat white men?

I see all these high schools and their X-country teams, strap a deuce-deuce on their backs and unleash them! Maybe we won't get laughed at in the next winter games.

This was all I could find...anyone have experience with this?
http://minnesotabiathlon.com/

This would get me to do some exercise in the winter... ....what are my chances if I can't x-country worth ****?

[FJ540]

what are my chances if I can't x-country worth ****?

Depends how many opponents you can shoot before they beat you to the finish line.

[xd ED]

While xc skiing is relatively big in MN, compared to much of US, it's nothing here compared to Scandinavia.
The biggest sector of competitive teams currently is metro area high schools. Urban, suburban schools have a thing about using the word 'gun' much less sanctioning a sport
Plus outfitting someone like your photo has got to be a minimum $3-4k I'm going to guess, given the cost of ski equip and rifle...

[photogpat]

I CC skied in HS here in the Cities -- also tried to get into biathlon...it was the rifle that stopped everything. Even if I (my parents) could afford a $2k rifle at age 14 - I'd have had to keep it at home, go home first, get it, then goto practice seperate from the other members of my team. Not worth it, plus the MN State HS League doesn't support biathlon -- no sanctioned practices (no buses or travel expenses paid), no excused absences for competition.

There were two members of my HS team that went on to compete at Olympic trials while freshman in college. One went to school in Maine and could keep his rifle in his dorm -- the other went to school in Michigan where they PROVIDED her rifle (and storage) for her.

[Rodentman]

I am so old, fat, and white that I cannot even WATCH a biathlon. In fact, I thought a biathlon was an atom splitter. Maybe I could watch one of those.

[Heffay]

The Norwegian drive-by! Shame they use .22 and not .308.

[Annwn]

More athletes on the 2010 US olympic team came from Minnesota than any other state, mostly courtesy of a combination of hockey and this sport:

Yeah... that's right. Norway has totally awesome shooting on ultra-fast skis, and but Minnesota owns the sport which involves a broom and a bunch of rocks (and that's coming from someone who actually played curling in HS.)

[mnglocker]

Someone embed this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=71e_TxmCaxk

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=71e_TxmCaxk]this probably won't work.[/youtube]

[rugersol]

Someone embed this:

now?

[DeanC]

We are in a place that has lots of snow
it is also flat
people cross country ski here all the time
we have a flourishing gun culture
we have lots of Scandinavian culture and roots

Because even though everyone says we have completely given in to Socialism like the Scandinavian countries, we still don't subsidize our Olympic sports.

[Norsesmithy]

Just a thought, it's legal to shoot in the BWCA, so long as you are 500+ feet from campsites or portages.

Would there be any interest in running a "Big Boy" Biathalon (say 6.5 swede or more powerful gun, and 3 race/shoot stages with overnight camping beween)?

[Snowgun]

Just a thought, it's legal to shoot in the BWCA, so long as you are 500+ feet from campsites or portages.

Would there be any interest in running a "Big Boy" Biathalon (say 6.5 swede or more powerful gun, and 3 race/shoot stages with overnight camping beween)?

This would be awesome. We could call it the wild man.

[FJ540]

You could hold it at my place. My neighbor has kick ass groomed x-country trails, but I'm not going to do that kind of ground prep (he teaches it). He's a deer hunter, so he might be willing to get in on it and hold it at his place.

There will be a waiver - not because of the guns, because I'm not responsible for you dying trying to go up my hills.

[Norsesmithy]

Prepped trails are for sissies. We don't want to make this too civilized of an undertaking.

[FJ540]

Set it up and let me know when you want to do it. Could be a warm up for the BWCA event if you wanted.