When World Cup Biathlon comes to Fort Kent next March, Maine Winter Sports Center will be hosting more than the sport’s best athletes and coaches – it will be hosting the world.

“Nordic Biathlon is the No. 1-rated winter sport on television in Europe,” MWSC event manager Max Cobb said recently. “We’ll have athletes, coaches, [International Biathlon Union] officials, reporters, and even some spectators from Europe, all converging on northern Maine because of the World Cup.”

Though the event is still a little less than 11 months away (March 3-6), MWSC has already started its preparation.

Earlier this year, Aroostook County Tourism, in conjunction with MWSC, signed on as the major sponsor of World Cup Biathlon 2002 telecasts on the Outdoor Life Network.

“We felt the attention coming from these television broadcasts would help publicize all of the great cross country skiing facilities [in Aroostook County], as well as the World Cup in Fort Kent,” said Cobb. “And that’s just the beginning [of the preparations].”

“Right now,” said MWSC chief operating officer Max Saenger, “we’re in the final stages of putting together an organizing committee, and that group will put together the final structure of the event. In other words, they’ll be telling us how many people we need to run this thing, and where we need them.”

The event will need 100 to 150 people to work in areas such as spectator services, transportation, food service, language, and housing, according to Saenger.

“And they’ll all be volunteers,” he added.

Cobb, who will oversee the committee, said World Cups basically have two components.

“One is the sporting event itself, and one is the festival that accompanies the races,” he said. “We already have a lot of people in place on the racing side of things, and they’re the best volunteers in the world. Now we’re looking for people who really want to help showcase northern Maine.”

On the festival side, the MWSC is planning live music shows, a traveling edition of the Banff Mountain Film Festival, and other cultural events.

“We’ll have a full package of stuff going on, ” said Cobb. “We really want to highlight the enthusiasm that’s coming from the community of Fort Kent, the St. John Valley, and Aroostook County. It’s important to show not only our American culture, but also our local culture to our guests.”

Besides providing all the volunteers necessary to run a World Cup, local communities are also rearranging their schedules, and opening their doors, for the event.

The University of Maine- Fort Kent has agreed to alter its academic schedule so that dorm rooms will be available to athletes and coaches. Schools in Fort Kent, Frenchville, and Madawaska are changing their winter vacations to coincide with the event, and that “also makes it possible for all those kids to come out and be a part of the action,” Saenger said.

MWSC is also busy adding amenities to the 10th Mountain Center:

. A tunnel will be built so that athletes can get from the lodge to the start area without crossing a ski trail;

. A ski preparation, or ski waxing, building will be constructed this summer;

. Bleachers for the anticipated 2,000 to 3,000 spectators will be erected;

. Power and satellite uplinks for the television broadcasts will be put in place, as well as scaffolding for the camera crews.

“The whole world will definitely be watching,” said Cobb, “and we will be judged on everything from the races and the festival to how many spectators we draw. The success of this event will determine our future.”

Mark Shea can be reached via e-mail at shea@cariboumaine.org.