PRESQUE ISLE, Maine — Nordic Heritage Center in Presque Isle will host its first major event after separating from the Maine Winter Sports Center when World Cup Biathlon returns to Aroostook County in 2016.
The world’s top biathletes will be on the eighth leg of a nine-stop International Biathlon Union World Cup series Feb. 11-14 in northern Maine, according to an announcement made during a press conference Friday afternoon in Mars Hill at Pineland Farms Naturally Potatoes.
Libra Foundation-owned Pineland Farms is the lead sponsor of the event.
In early 2014, the Libra Foundation announced it was ending its 15-year financial relationship with the Maine Winter Sports Center, which at the time included the Nordic Heritage Center in Presque Isle and the 10th Mountain Lodge in Fort Kent.
The foundation did retain a relationship with both nordic venues, contributing $50,000 annually to each.
“Our club is very excited to again be hosting an international event of such caliber at the Nordic Heritage Center,” said Paul Towle, president of the Nordic Heritage Sport Club. “Events such as these provide significant exposure not only for our world-class facility but also for our county communities and the state of Maine.”
Presque Isle is the only North American stop on the IBU World Cup tour this coming season, Towle said.
He said it is thanks to the support of the Libra Foundation that northern Maine remains a destination for World Cup events such as the biathlon.
“We are so excited to be hosting World Cup 8 of the nine-competition series 2015-2016 season IBU circuit,” said Jane Towle, event director for the 2016 IBU World Cup. “There will be tremendous international media exposure, especially in Europe where the prime-time televised broadcasts of our competition are the top rated winter sports television programs.”
About 500 of the world’s top biathletes, their coaches and support staff from 32 countries are expected to participate over the four days of competition.
Local officials have been gearing up since first invited in 2013 by the U.S. Biathlon Association to host a World Cup event in 2016.
Jane Towle said Friday that organizers have a $1 million budget for the event and that past World Cup competitions in Aroostook County each have had up to a $6 million effect on the local economy.
“The great products and successful results that we see here in our facility and outstanding events such as the coming 2016 IBU World Cup are to the credit of the hard work and dedication of the people of Aroostook County,” said Rodney McCrum, president and chief operating officer of Naturally Potatoes. “Our support for this event is in recognition of these folks and the tremendous work ethic they possess.”
Officials with the IBU will be in northern Maine in July and October to inspect the host venue, Jane Towle said, which is standard procedure leading up to all World Cup competitions.
“They will be checking to make sure we are on track,” she said. “There are always minor things that need to be done and plans to review.”
Event organizers also unveiled the event’s official logo during the press conference.
It features the silhouette of a biathlete against a cluster of pine trees and the word “biathlon.”
Nordic Heritage Center last hosted a major event in 2014 with the IBU Youth-Junior Biathlon World Championships. In 2014, World Cup Biathlon events were held in Presque Isle and in Fort Kent.
