“We usually get teams from Alberta and Fort Simpson and more from Yellowknife, but it’s their spring break so a lot of them may have gone on vacation,” he said.
But that didn’t stop the fun, as skiers from Yellowknife and Fort Smith were still there to compete in many levels and take home some hardware at Saturday night’s banquet at the Ptarmigan Inn.
For some, like Tenielle Paterson, 8, they just started their skiing career this year, but plan to return next season.
“I skied 2 kilometers. I was tired after, but not anymore,” she said during dinner.
For others, this is their last season, like Joseph Lirette, who will be going on to post-secondary education next year.
“He will be missed,” said Bob White, technical delegate for the event.
Don Boake, 11, was able to take the mic when receiving gold in the mini-midget boys 3-kilometres.
“It was my absolute best race and I didn’t care what place I came in.”
Not just the skiers received accolades at the banquet, as Pat Bobinski, course chief, was given the Pat Ricardo Award for Outstanding Contribution to the Hay River Ski Club.
Chuck Lirette, biathlon coach, also had a few things to say about the event.
“Hay River has always been the catalyst for biathlon, and its been a great year,” he said.
Not only were there three biathletes from Hay River compete in the National Biathlon Championships in New Brunswick, there were four biathletes which represented NWT at the Canada Winter Games, and Lirette introduced a piece of artwork from the games in Halifax, signed by the  four competitors.
The Ptubs are the longest running cross country ski competition in the NWT.

Biathletes in Hay River kicked off the season this past weekend at the Polar Cup, demonstrating the strength of our local athletes.
The two-day competition saw four athletes from Fort Smith working against 15 from Hay River.
Coach Chuck Lirette is very pleased by the expanded numbers this year.

“Our enrollment has doubled,” he said. “It is really good.”
Along with being the first race during the opening weekend for the ski club, this was a race of individual firsts for many of the athletes.
“For some, it is their first race,” said Lirette of the newer members. “For some of the older kids, it is their first time skiing with the gun on their back, and for some it is their first time shooting while standing up. It really is a weekend of firsts.”
The races began on a snowy Saturday with the recreational division races in 2 km, 2.5 km and 4 km events.
Following those were the 6 km Canadian Biathlon Championships Qualifying Race and the Canada Winter Games Qualifying Race which saw a 10 km track for the men and 7 km for the women.
Sunday’s races began at noon on Sunday, with sprint races for the recreational division, in 1.5 km, 2 km and 3 km courses.
The day wrapped up with the 4 km Canadian Biathlon Championships Qualifying Sprint Race, and the 7 km mens and 5 km women’s Canada Winter Games Qualifying Race.
Vice-president Bob White was very impressed with the young athletes this past weekend.
He also noted that Ilona Gyapay, one of Hay River’s own biathletes is training at Augustana University in Camrose, Alberta with her school ski team in hopes of making the NWT ski team for the Canada Winter Games in Halifax this year along with her fellow athletes.
“The top NWT biathletes, Joseph Lirette and Mason Hachey of Hay River, and Gaylen Pischinger and Brandon Norris of Fort Smith used the weekend’s races as a Canada Winter Games qualifier,” said White, also noting that Hay River coaches Lirette and Pat Bobinski and Fort Smith coach Don True “led mixed teams of veterans and first-year biathletes through a very successful season opening competition.”

Six local biathletes have returned to the Territory after a week of summer of training in Alberta.
Kim Ring, Andrew Lirette, Angeline Magtibay, Colton Glaicar, Joseph Lirette and Christopher Lirette were among the 46 young athletes from across Western Canada to attend the five-day Alberta Biathlon’s Summer Development Camp at Augustana University in Camrose, Alta from Aug. 11 -15.

“The camp consists of roller ski and shooting training exercises, classroom sessions on gun maintenance and race preparation, and concludes with three competitions – shooting, roller skiing and a summer biathlon race,” said Chuck Lirette, one of the biathlon coaches.
“There is also lots of social activities planned and the chance to experience life as a university student, as the kids all stayed in the residences on campus.”
The six biathletes finished in excellent positions in each of the three competitions, and are preparing for the upcoming season.
Joseph finished at the top of his class in the shooting competitions, and with the highest score of all the competitors.
The junior division saw four Hay River athletes competing with Colton coming in third, Christopher fourth, Kim eighth and Angeline in ninth out of 12 athletes.
In the roller ski race, all the senior and junior athletes were combined for a total of 22 athletes. Joseph finished in second place, with Chrisopher in seventh, Angeline in 12th, Colton in 13th, and Kim in 20th. In the younger division, Andrew came in tenth out of 12 athletes.
The Shoot to Win Summer Biathlon Race saw Andrew coming in sixth out of 12 in the Junior Boys category.
Angeline placed first with Kim right behind in second out of seven athletes in the senior girls competition.
In the senior boys division, Christopher placed 10th out of 14, and Colton was unable to compete due to illness. Joseph placed first in the youth men category.
Upon returning to Hay River, the biathletes have begun their training for the season.
They have been working with former biathlete Amy MacDonald have completed thee to four shooting practices as well as roller skiing sessions on the Pine Point Highway.
Anyone youth or parents who are interested in getting involved with biathlon are asked to contact Chuck Lirette, April Glaicar or Larry Ring.

The TV camera locked on to Brendan Green as he prepared to explode into his leg of the men’s 4 x 7.5 km race in Whistler, BC. It was a tense moment for Green, as well as for 3,600 people in a remote community 2000 km north of him.

Crowds wearing green flocked into the theatre, the hospital, and school gymnasiums to witness firsthand Hay River’s pride and joy during his first Olympic race. Hype in Hay River had been building for months, including a pep rally, signs, media announcements, and even car decals encouraging the athlete in his big race.
Marc Andre strode into the final lap, and Green set off on the biggest race of his life so far. Canada had been in first place at the beginning of the race, but by the time Green’s turn came around, he had some ground to make up.
Unfortunately, just as Green was going into his second round of shooting, TSN switched coverage over to speed skating. Folks at the theatre searched desperately for another channel that would deliver the story everyone had been waiting for months to see, but efforts were in vain. Text messages spread across town minutes later, announcing that Team Canada had placed 10th in the race.
“It was not an amazing race for me,” said Green over the phone on Sunday once he was back in Vancouver. “My results were stronger in Europe, and I was hoping I would hold that form in the Olympics. But it was a decent day, and the team performed well. 10th is a strong finish.”
Green said the conditions were a distraction for him – the wet snow slowed the skiing and reduced visibility on the range.
“We were pretty happy to have it over with,” said Green.
Green said knowing the North was behind him all the way was a great feeling.
“The home crowd is amazing – the support has been unreal,” he said. “To know everyone had my support was a great feeling.”
Green said the most stressful part of the Olympics was the moments leading up to his race.
“It definitely stressed me out more than most other races,” he said. “There was so much hype and talk and expectations leading up to the race. But once I got on the course I was able to focus just like any other race.”
As for Green’s future, he is beginning the Canadian Championships this month with races in Alberta this week. These results will determine his standings in next year’s World Cup races in Norway and Russia.
“Most other athletes are done for the season,” Green said. But the work is never over for a biathlete. Green gets a short break in April, and then is back into training again in May.
“Biathlon is such a technical sport, there are constantly things to work on. It’s a never ending process that I’m sure will last me a whole career.”
Green is considering trying out for the Olympics in 2014 in Russia.
“I’ll take it year by year,” he said. “If I’m healthy and if I’m still performing well, I haven’t accomplished all I want to yet. I’m still hungry for more.”

Hard work pays off for Hay River’s Olympic athlete, Brendan Green, as he makes the cut for men’s biathlon relay team for 2010 Games in Vancouver.

It’s going to be a green Olympic Games this year, all Vancouver jokes aside. Hay River’s beloved Olympic hopeful, Brendan Green, has officially been dubbed an Olympic athlete.
The release approving his place on the team was stamped Jan. 28, confirming the NWT’s speculation that the 23-year-old Green has what it takes to ski and shoot at the Olympics this year.
“I’m very excited,” said Green on Friday. “Going to the Olympics has been a childhood dream for me, and is something that I’ve worked extremely hard at for a very long time to achieve.”
The news comes as just another wave of reassurance for Green, as he heard of his success before Christmas.
“That was the best Christmas present I could have asked for,” he said.
Hay River South MLA Jane Groenewegen acknowledged Green’s achievements in the Legislative Assembly on Thursday.
“Today I would like to acknowledge a Hay River constituent: a young man, the youngest in a family of six children, who put on skis for the first time when he was three years old and stared in biathlon training when he was nine years old. At the age of 16, this young man set his scope and sights on an Olympic dream, training with great dedication and knocking off achievement after achievement,” said Groenenwegen.
“After these years of training and competing at home and around the world, joining the youngest ever Canadian team for biathlon, for the first time in 26 years that the NWT has sent an athlete to this ultimate level of competition, representing Hay River, the Northwest Territories and Canada, only officially announced today, Brendan Green is going to the 2010 Olympics.”
Green, who is currently finishing off his World Cup races in Italy, said he has been removed from the excitement of the Olympics. For Green, the discreet location is ideal for training.
“Over here, I am able to put a high level of focus into my training and racing, without very many distractions,” he said.
With the past few months being a high-stress period for Green, the news comes as a relief.
“The World Cups in December were the last three that would fall within our Olympic qualification period, so it was obviously a very stressful tour to say the least,” he said. “The men were fighting hard for one of four Olympic spots.”
Green will be the anchor in the men’s relay event, teaming up with Jean-Philippe Le Guellec, Marc-Andre Bedard, and Robin Clegg. Each man races 7.5 km and shoots one prone and one standing round after 2.5 km and 5 km sections of the race before tagging the next team mate. Three extra bullets are allowed for each bout, and each miss after that allowance is penalized by the athlete having to ski an additional 150 m loop before rejoining the course.
Green said the team has good cohesion, as they have been racing and training together for years.
“With being away from home for such long periods of time and always being in countries where we can’t speak the language, we’ve formed a close bond that is not necessarily a characteristic among other teams.”
So far, the team’s best relay result is a 7th-place finish in December 2008. Green said it’s difficult to predict how the team will do at any given time.
“That’s the exciting thing about biathlon – so much can happen over the course of a race, and that’s what makes it the most popular televised winter sport in Europe!”
Green is also uncertain about what to expect for his trip to Vancouver.
“With it being my first Olympics, it will be a totally new experience for me and I’m not 100 percent sure what to expect,” he said. “Competing at the Olympics in your home country is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and the ultimate dream for an athlete… I’m looking forward most to the racing and competing in front of a home crowd, which is something I’ve been dreaming about and training toward for a long time.”
While Green will have a fan club cheering him on at his race in Vancouver, he knows he will have a community in the NWT backing him up from a distance.
“My parents and siblings are my number one fans and have supported me 100 per cent every step of the way,” he said. “The support and encouragement from Hay River and the North has truly been amazing. Community members in Hay River have become directly involved with my training and achievements, and are a part of my dream, which I am extremely grateful for. I am honoured to be representing Hay River at the Olympics and would like to thank the community and all those involved who have supported me through the highs and lows that are inevitable as an athlete.”
This past week, Green has been finishing up his races in France and Italy, after which he will return back to Canmore, Alberta to rest before heading to Vancouver. He will be staying in the Athlete’s Village in Whistler, near the biathlon venue in Callaghan Valley. Green’s big race is on Feb. 26 at 12:30 p.m.