A regular volunteer official at local cross country ski events and with several World Cup events under his belt, Yukoner Claude Chabot has been summoned to help officiate at the 2010 Winter Olympics.

"I've been involved in the sport for years as a racer or official, you can call me a race junkie,” Chabot told the Star. "Unfortunately, I'm not fast enough to (ski) in the Olympics, I don't have enough talent to race. Blame it on my genes.”

But Chabot possesses the know-how and experience to be an asset when it comes to keeping things fair on the cross country ski course.

In addition to ensuring there are no "technique infringements” – skiers "skating” in a classic race for example – Chabot is checking for any untoward behaviour between racers.

"In sprint races, there's always lots of jostling and these guys racing at this level are packed up tightly and pushing the edge,” Chabot explained. "So I'll be looking for obstruction violations, basically to make sure everything stays fair for everybody.”

If Chabot believes a racer has broken the rules, his opinion is backed by a videographer who records the action from Chabot's perspective.

"Penalties can vary depending on the intent and I don't determine penalties. If I think there's a problem, I send the tape to the jury and they will make a decision.”