Powell River teen takes on biathlon challenge

Powell River may be known for its natural beauty, thriving arts scene, excellent food and even the mill, but it is not known for producing biathlon athletes. Aiden DeVilliers is out to change that.

At age 16, DeVilliers has been with the 22 Red Knight Squadron Royal Canadian Air Cadets for two years and is aiming to get his pilot’s licence. He also has a keen interest in biathlon, a rare sport to take up here on the mild west coast that combines cross-country skiing and rifle shooting.

“Ever since I joined the cadets I would ask them, are we going to do biathlon?” said DeVilliers. “They’d say ‘maybe in a few years.’ I’d keep asking and keep asking. Then they finally told me we were going to do it, and I said ‘count me in.’”

DeVilliers got his chance on January 12 to test his mettle against the driving snow and howling winds atop Mount Washington in the North Island Zone Biathlon Competition. On a team of six and among 66 contestants, DeVilliers was up the challenge.

Although already an accomplished marksman, there was one aspect of the sport DeVilliers and his teammates were unfamiliar with. They had to learn how to ski.

“It was our first time skiing,”he said. “As a group, we’d never skied. We learned how to ski half an hour before the competition.”

As if learning to ski moments before the competition wasn’t a big enough hurdle, Mount Washington provided even more obstacles to the young athlete in his first biathlon. Powerful winds, snow and temperatures dipping down to minus 10 Celsius made the race that much more difficult for the first timer.

“I’ve been in the snow and cold conditions, but I didn’t expect it to be that cold,” said DeVilliers. “It was the kind of cold that hurts. My gloves were completely frozen.”

Despite the steep learning curve and harsh weather, DeVilliers said heemerged with lessons learned and a positive attitude toward the future. He plans to tackle biathlon again next winter, even though his team did not reach the podium. With the self-discipline he has gained with the cadets, he said he is confident he can attain the skiing skill level needed to be a true force in the next competition he enters.

“It’s all technique, right? And it shows you if you spend a lot of time with something you will get good at it,” said DeVilliers. “If you even spend two hours a week skiing, you’ll be good at it.”

But there is one more lesson the young athlete and brand new skier learned atop Mount Washington in his first biathlon race.

“Karma’s real,” said DeVilliers. “You laugh at someone falling and then you fall a few seconds later.”

Even with finishing school and obtaining his pilot’s licence, DeVilliers said he is determined to get back in the race. He is not done with biathlon by a long shot, he added.

Powell River may not be known for producing biathlon athletes now, but DeVilliers plans to pave the way for future enthusiasts of the sport.