Cowbells favorite souvenir at biathlon championship

PRESQUE ISLE – Tina and Lyndsay White could pinpoint instantly the most coveted souvenirs Saturday at the 2006 Biathlon Junior World Championships.

“It is definitely the cowbells,” they said nearly in unison as they worked together inside a trailer crammed with merchandise being sold by an area restaurant.

“People are really snapping them up,” Tina White said.

The tinkling of the white cowbells, which featured the locally designed 2006 biathlon logo, was one of the most audible sounds at the Nordic Heritage Ski Center over the weekend. A throng of spectators, most sporting gloved hands that clutched cowbells, converged on the facility to cheer on the biathletes.

Competition began Saturday, and approximately 250 athletes from 30 countries are expected to participate by the time the event ends Friday.

Organizers also expect hundreds of support staff and about 18,000 spectators to attend the event, which they say will boost the state’s economy by $4 million.

Biathlon is a sport that combines cross-country skiing with rifle marksmanship. The age groups participating in the Presque Isle contest are juniors, athletes born in 1985 or 1986, and youth, athletes born after 1987.

Near capacity crowds huddled on the bleachers overlooking the course Saturday and Sunday, flapping their cowbells and screaming whenever their favorites skied by. Most of the time, however, the largely U.S. crowd jangled their bells for every athlete, even those not from the host country.

The cowbells came from a trailer operated for Slopes Northern Maine Restaurant and Brewing Co. LLC and Northern Maine Bottling Co. The company is serving as official beverage sponsor for the biathlon. Slopes also is serving as the championship pub sponsor, which means the restaurant has exclusive rights to sell food and beverages at the venue. It also is the exclusive souvenir provider.

As a result, Tina and Lyndsay White stayed busy throughout Saturday, doling out hats, mugs and sweat shirts sporting the 2006 BJWC logo. The vendor station was set up Thursday, and the two women opened for business early Saturday.

Collectible pins, T-shirts and hand-clappers were some of the other must-have items, according to Tina White.

“The hand-clappers are just like the cowbells,” she said. “They are just tools that people use to root for the athletes. … We are seeing customers of all ages and from all different countries buying these souvenirs.”

Spectators also seemed grateful for the cozy, knitted hats bearing the official logo and available for sale, according to Lyndsay White.

“Those are selling pretty well,” she said. “No one wears a hat, and it’s pretty cold.”

The winds were brisk for spectators perched high atop the bleachers or along the balcony at the Nordic Heritage Center. But the chill didn’t numb the enthusiasm of 4-year-old Ben Burgess, who rang his cowbell as biathletes prepared for another race.

“I love this cowbell, and I love ringing it,” he said, grabbing onto his mother and ringing the bell as he walked away, the tinkling sound lingering even after he had disappeared.