Ski Archery:  Biathlon at Its Finest

Ski Archery.  The name pretty much speaks for itself.  This sport is also known as archery biathlon.  Biathlon is a sporting competition where two athletic disciplines are intertwined.  This means the challenge is having the endurance for both sports and having the right combination of skills to win over others. 

In this particular form of biathlon, the standards used are still those of the International Biathlon Union.  This sport is similar to rifle skiing, but instead of the standard rifle, the bow is used.  Most of the rules are the same with the exception of those rules that can only apply to ski archery. 

Competition Specifications

1. The facility for ski archery is just about the same as the Winter Biathlon with Rifle facility except that for the shooting range, the distance is 18 meters from the shooting ramp to the line of targets. 
2. There are two basic positions for shooting.  The kneeling and the standing position.  The fundamental division of the shooting range is the right half is for the standing competition, and the left half is for the kneeling competition.  The range is divided into these two portions except when the type of tournament is Pursuit, Relay, or Mass Start. 
3. The safety of both the archers and the people watching is of utmost concern; and for this reason, there are safety nets called arrow stoppers behind the targets.  These are normally 2 meters in height.
4. There are wind flags at every third shooting lane at a distance of 5 meters from the target.  These are 1 meter in height. 

Equipment

1. A harness is used by each competitor to carry his or her equipment to the site.  The harness should stand vertically on the back with the sight window facing the back.  In addition, all arrows should be carried by the competitor himself. 
2. In case of bow damage during the competition, the competitor is allowed to do repairs as long as he or she does not get help from anybody else.  Normally, competitors carry small repair kits for this purpose.

Shooting Regulations

1. All rifle rules apply when shooting in ski archery with only a few differences.  Safety regulations are also similar.
2. As mentioned earlier, there are two standard forms of shooting.  The standing and the kneeling positions.  In the standing position, shooters are to shoot without any type of support, while in the kneeling position, one knee should be on the ground with the torso remaining upright.
3. The arrows remain where they are shot for the duration of the competition.
4. The bow may only be readied for shooting or loaded when the competitor is already facing the direction of the target.  Otherwise, the bow and arrows of the shooter should be kept in place in the harness carried.  This is to ensure the safety of all the people watching and the people competing.
5. A bow sight may be used.  But the rules specify that only one such equipment should be used at all times during the ski archery competition.

Taking all these things into consideration, ski archery is one sport wherein a shooter’s skill and discipline are truly tested.  The very athletic sport of skiing and the very intricate sport of archery are combined in this biathlon making ski archery a challenging and interesting event.  This is biathlon at its finest.