The Australian Orienteer – December 2017

AUS Foot & MTBO Championships Juniors Training RRP $8.50 inc GST

DEC EMBER 2 0 17

2018

Round 1

2

3

4

5

Event

Date

Location

1. Sprint

10 March

Melbourne, VIC

2. Sprint – WRE

10 March

Melbourne, VIC

3. Sprint

11 March

Melbourne, VIC

4. Sprint Relay

11 March

Melbourne, VIC

5. Sprint

30 March - 2 April

2018 Easter Carnival, Hobart, TAS

6. Middle Distance

2018 Easter Carnival, Hobart, TAS

7. Long Distance

2018 Easter Carnival, Hobart, TAS

8. Intermediate

2018 Easter Carnival, Hobart, TAS

9. Middle Distance

19 May

Daylesford, VIC

10. Long Distance

20 May

Daylesford, VIC

11. Middle Distance

8 September

Stanthorpe, QLD

12. Ultra Long Distance

9 September

Stanthorpe, QLD

13. Middle Distance

29 September

Renmark, SA

14. Relay

30 September

Renmark, SA

15. Sprint

1 October

Renmark, SA

16. Long Distance

6 October

Adelaide, SA

17. Middle Distance

7 October

Adelaide, SA

WRE = World Ranking Event

All race details can be found at www.orienteering.asn.au

ORIENTEERING AUSTRALIA

The President’s Page Blair Trewin

I

t’s coming to the end of another year, and with it comes another very positive set of national championships. We were promised beforehand that the Hill End terrain used for the Australian Championships would be something special, and so it proved, with the gold mining terrain – similar in some ways, but different in others, to what we’ve run on before in Victoria – providing more than its share of challenges. (Hill End, as a town, was a suitably atmospheric place to be gathering in, as well). The events which weren’t in Hill End went well too – they even managed to organise it so that the two hot days were the two Sprint days. If there were any significant glitches I didn’t hear about them.

It has been a big year for New South Wales as a host state; they had already hosted the 3-Days in Wagga Wagga, and also put on the Australian MTBO Championships in early October in the Southern Highlands. Hosting one major national event is a major undertaking so to take on three in the same year is definitely very ambitious, and demonstrates NSW’s considerable capacity. (They will probably be relieved not to have anything bigger than a NSW Championships to deal with next year).

As I’ve noted previously, it is also pleasing to see continued participation growth at the major national carnivals. The Bathurst and Hill End events had the largest numbers for any Australian Championships not associated with a WOC and WMOC, and whilst the absolute numbers for the MTBO Championships were smaller, it is still good to see them pushing up close to 200 – MTBO struggles for critical mass in several States and weekends like this are a real chance for them to get some meaningful competition. One of our objectives in putting resources into supporting participation at the lower levels is that we will eventually get some flow-through into the higher levels, and there are indications that this is happening.

It was also the most extensive local TV news coverage I can remember for a national carnival. Once upon a time this would have gone unnoticed outside the local area, but now that it’s possible to share clips online, many of you reading this (and hopefully some of your friends on social media) will have seen them.

Away from the Orienteering course, it is a time of change in Orienteering Australia. We are pleased to announce the appointment of Paul Prudhoe as Executive Officer, taking over

Blair at 2017 AUS Championships.

from John Harding who will now move into a well-deserved retirement after years of fine service to OA. Paul’s extensive background in Orienteering as Orienteering NSW President, as well as a number of significant roles in the corporate sector, will be a very valuable addition to the organisation and we look forward to seeing what he will achieve in the role.

The change in leadership is a good opportunity for us to reassess where we are at as a sport. The Orienteering Australia annual conference is coming up at the start of December, and the main item for discussion will be reconsidering our strategy – deciding what our major goals are, what actions we can take to achieve those goals, and which ones are most effectively implemented at the national, state and club level. It will also be a good opportunity for us to reassess, after several years of the Australian Sports Commission-funded participation projects, what has worked well and what has been less successful (a common theme being that projects that have provided “real Orienteering” close to where people live have been very successful in several States). What Orienteering Australia does may sometimes seem rather remote from what is done at the club level, but those very different activities should be ones which are going towards a common purpose.

DECEMBER 2017 THE AUSTRALIAN ORIENTEER 3

Winning PartnershiP

The Australian Sports Commission proudly supports Orienteering Australia The Australian Sports Commission is the Australian Government agency that develops, supports and invests in sport at all levels in Australia.

Orienteering Australia has worked closely with the Australian Sports Commission to develop orienteering from community participation to high-level performance.

AUSTRALIAN SPORTS COMMISSION 4 THE AUSTRALIAN ORIENTEER DECEMBER 2017

Orienteering Australia is one of many national sporting organisations that has formed a winning partnership with the Australian Sports Commission to develop its sport in Australia.

www.ausport.gov.au

w w w. o r i e n t e e r i n g . a s n . a u Orienteering Australia PO Box 284 Mitchell ACT 2911 President Blair Trewin Director High Performance vacant Director Finance Bruce Bowen Director Technical Jenny Casanova Director Media & Communications Craig Feuerherdt Director International (IOF Council) Mike Dowling Director Bill Jones Executive Officer Paul Prudhoe National MTBO Coordinator Kay Haarsma OA Head Coach Jim Russell High Performance Administrator Ian Prosser Manager Coach Development Barbara Hill National Sporting Schools Coordinator Jim Mackay Coach & Controller Accreditation Jim Mackay Badge Applications John Oliver

admin@orienteering.asn.au president@orienteering.asn.au

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STATE ASSOCIATIONS Orienteering Queensland: PO Box 114 Spring Hill QLD 4004. Secretary: David Firman secretary@oq.asn.au Orienteering NSW: PO Box 3379 North Strathfield NSW 2137. Admin Officer: John Murray, Ph. (02) 8736 1252 admin@onsw.asn.au Orienteering ACT: PO Box 402 Jamison Centre ACT 2614. Secretary: Phil Walker, Ph. (02) 6162 3422 office@act.orienteering.asn.au Orienteering Victoria: PO Box 1010 Templestowe VIC 3106. Secretary: Carl Dalheim, voa@netspace.net.au Orienteering SA: State Association House 105 King William St Kent Town SA 5067. Sec: Erica Diment (08) 8379 2914 secretary@sa.orienteering.asn.au Orienteering Western Australia: PO Box 234 Subiaco WA 6094. Secretary: Carol Brownlie: oawa.secretary@gmail.com Orienteering Tasmania: PO Box 339 Sandy Bay TAS 7005. Secretary: Peter Cusick secretary@tasorienteering.asn.au Top End Orienteers (Northern Territory): PO Box 39152 Winnellie NT 0821. Secretary: Susanne Casanova topendorienteersNT@gmail.com

NEXT ISSUE DEADLINE

January 12. Time-sensitive: Jan 19

ISSN 0818-6510 Issue 4/17 (no. 188) DECEMBER 2017

The national magazine of Orienteering Australia Inc. ABN 77 406 995 497 Published four times a year: First day of March, June, September, December. Print Post Approved PP 236080/00011 Editor: Michael Hubbert, P.O. Box 165, Warrandyte, Victoria 3113 mikehubbert@ozemail.com.au Phone (03) 9844 4878 Magazine Design & Assembly: Peter Cusworth, Ph. 0409 797 023 pcusworth53@gmail.com Magazine Treasurer: Bruce Bowen Printer: Ferntree Print, 1154 Burwood Hwy Upper Ferntree Gully.

Contribution deadline: January 12; Time-sensitive – January 19.

Deadline dates for contributions are the latest we can accept copy.

Publication is normally planned for the 1st of March, June, September & December. Copies are dispatched in bulk to State associations in the week prior to that date.

Regular Contributors: Competition – Blair Trewin; MTBO – Kay Haarsma; Official News – John Harding.

Contributions welcome, either directly or via State editorial contacts.

Prior consultation is suggested before preparing major contributions.

Guidelines available from the editor or from state contacts.

State Editorial Contacts QLD: Liz Bourne – batmaps.liz@gmail.com NSW: Ian Jessup – marketing@onsw.asn.au ACT: John Scown – scown@light.net.au SA: Erica Diment – diment@adam.com.au – tel (ah) 8379 2914 VIC, WA and TAS – vacant Subscriptions: State Association members via State Associations. Contact relevant Association Secretary for details. Other subscribers: Write to The Australian Orienteer, PO‑Box 165, Warrandyte, Vic. 3113. Within Australia: $40 pa. Overseas: Asia/Pacific (inc. NZ) $A49, Rest of World $A58 pa.

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Opinions expressed in The Australian Orienteer are not necessarily those of Orienteering Australia.

CONTENTS T H E P R E S I D E N T ’ S P A G E.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 ORIENTEERING ON YOUR TV....................... 6 S P R I N T O R I E N T E E R I N G .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 EASTER 2018 COURSE CHALLENGES........... 12 2 0 1 7 A U S C H A M P I O N S H I P S.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 5 N O L U P D A T E .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 2 JEFF.................................................. 25 A U S S I E J U N I O R P R O S P E C T S.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 6 N I G H T O AT H O G WA R T S . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 8 SC-ORE SCHOOL ORIENTEERING................ 29 S P R I N T T R A I N I N G D A Y F O R J U N I O R S.. . . . . . . . . 3 0 J W M T B O C I N L I T H U A N I A.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 4 AUS MTBO CHAMPS............................... 36 ACT MTBO ROUTES................................ 39 S K I O.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 0 O - S P Y.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 2 S P O T T H E D I F F E R E N C E .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 5 TOP EVENTS......................................... 47

Cover photo: AUS Schools Relay – Caitlyn Steer (VIC) with Simeon Burrill as the running cameraman – photo by Stephen Bird.

DECEMBER 2017 THE AUSTRALIAN ORIENTEER 5

PROMOTION

ORIENTEERING coming to your TV screens in 2018 Ian Jessup, ONSW

O

rienteering will feature on ABC television’s CATALYST program early in 2018 after filming a segment at Centennial Park in October. Presenter Lily Serna, whom you may remember as the maths genius on SBS’ Letters and Numbers show, was looking at how we use numbers in everyday life.

Using a simple puzzle such as an Orienteering course to replicate perhaps a courier’s workday job run, or anyone’s list of errands for that matter, Lily wanted to compare routes and outcomes using several methods or algorithms.

The first would be ‘nearest neighbour’ - where you go to the closest control, then the closest one to that, etc, until all have been visited. On the map, this means doing #1 to #20 in order.

The second is the ‘optimal route’, calculated by mathematician Chris Brown - a regular Sydney Summer Series buff who, a few years ago, produced a Sydney Summer Series Solutions blog post showing the shortest, flattest and optimal routes for each score from 0-600 for that week’s course.

Chris calculated this as being #2-3-4-1-5-6-7-8-20-19-18-17-1615-14-13-9-10-11-12.

The third was by ‘human brain’, meaning the two participants had to try to work out the route they thought would be the quickest. Their chosen route was #5-6-7-8-9-13-20-19-18-1716-14-15-11-12-2-3-4-1.

The ABC supplied three staffers with no knowledge of Orienteering and paired them with three orienteers - NSW Stinger Lisa Grant, NSW Schools team member Clare Jessup, and myself. Each pair was followed by a cameraman and sound guy, which meant regular stops to allow them to catch up and do retakes of strategic conversations and general O thoughts as they made their way around the different routes.

CATALYST-Chris Brown & Lily Serna.

We’re not going to reveal the outcome or who did which course (we don’t believe in spoiler alerts), so you’ll have to tune in early in 2018 to see who ‘won’.

Suffice to say, it was a lot of fun for all involved. We gained an appreciation of how a 15-minute segment can take seven hours to film (and many more to edit), and the ABC folk learned about basic orienteering in an informative, entertaining manner. It’s also the kind of publicity that small sports like ours dream of.

A big thank you to Robert Newman for doing SI, Barbara Hill for GPS tracking, Chris for his maths input, and the three orienteers for their time. Also a big thanks to the ABC for inviting us to participate, and to Centennial Park for allowing us to film there.

CATALYST-filming.

6 THE AUSTRALIAN ORIENTEER DECEMBER 2017

DECEMBER 2017 THE AUSTRALIAN ORIENTEER 7

MELBOURNE SPRINT WEEKEND

10 - 12 March 2018

6 RACES 3 DAYS Includes: World Ranking Event NOL Round One Aus Uni Sprint Champs

“6 high quality sprint races!

It's a great way to kick start the season!”

Natasha Key – W21E winner MSW2016

“Great races that were vital for my preparation for the World Championships.”

Ralph Street – M21E winner MSW2016

"Simply the best sprint orienteering weekend in Australia.

You'd be mad to miss it."

Ross Barr – M70 winner MSW2016 Planner 2017 Aus Sprint Champs

www.parkstreeto.com.au/msw2018

AUS Sprint – Torren Arthur (VIC)

AUS Sprint – Bruce Arthur (VIC) AUS Sprint – Anastasia Heikkila (QLD)

8 THE AUSTRALIAN ORIENTEER DECEMBER 2017

SPRINT O

Sprint Orienteering – “It’s easy (if you’re walking)” Ross Barr Photos: Tom de Jongh – for more go to: www.photosbytom.com.au

Course planner’s thoughts from the 2017 Australian Sprint Orienteering Championships at Charles Sturt University, Bathurst.

I

thought Sprint O fans might like to hear a little of my thinking in planning the opening event for the 2017 Carnival, and how a relatively low key campus environment was still able to offer an appropriate challenge. You have to work with what you’re given of course, and with Hill End the bush focus, Bathurst became the logical event centre, and CSU the best choice for the Sprint – despite some early misgivings about its lack of built complexity. As my title says, Sprint O is easy as a walk, and CSU looked a pretty easy going place. Very few stairs or canopies, no multi-level, low rise buildings well spread, everything fairly flat and fast - it was going to need a bit of thinking to be a worthy Sprint Championship (and not just a Short Course) venue, where increasing competitor speed and quick decision making deliver this sport’s core values.

So, how did I begin?

First visits with Andrew Lumsden (mapper) and Terry Bluett (my controller) focussed on the central assembly area, which we thought was a ‘must have’ with its coffee shops, toilets and under cover shelter options – and its ability to generate excitement in the crowd with its compact nature, tight finishing possibilities, and potential spectator run through. This arena was almost in the centre of the map, so courses started forming in my mind as a bit of this side, and a bit of that. Being a fan of the David May school of Sprint leg ‘scoring’, I was conscious of maximising route choice, and deploying everything else I could think of to add complexity and challenge – where in one sense, it didn’t exist. Short legs, changes of direction, cross overs, left/right – you name it I thought about it. And also early on, the option of starting within one of the buildings! This is something I had done successfully before (NSW Sprint Championships at Lithgow High School, 2014), and with CSU’s Peter Scott (Manager, Campus Services) supportive, it was another idea too good to pass up.

The Elite (Course 1) needed to get across the entire campus to achieve a length near the 4kms we thought was appropriate within the winning time window (which was how it thankfully turned out), while the Easy and Very Easy courses needed connected pathways and a much tighter focus. Both extremes were where I began the planning, with the other course lengths cascading down (and up) in their distance formula as required.

The more interesting central and northern buildings were the main game, with only Courses 1-3 crossing the access road – and its extensive out-of-bounds olive palette, and student party fun beyond. The brutalist accommodation buildings to the north west were probably the most interesting from a planning point of view,

AUS Sprint – Alvin Craig (NSW)

as they looked so different in reality to what the map (and the passageways beneath) showed. Even walking towards them with map in hand, you wondered what on earth is this! All except the M90’s and the Very Easy got a taste.

As the twelve courses developed, it became clear that we had a pretty good offer, but maybe needed a touch more. The use of artificial barriers has become more common in European Sprint O, and of course the incredible WMOC Sprint Qualifier in Auckland recently (with its one classic central block up, and resulting wide navigation), started to work on the mind. My controllers were supportive, and a couple of purple lumps began to intrude. The main one, and probably the barrier that made most courses’ “second halves” such fun to watch, was the block close to leaving the spectator run through (#134). This gave a classic quality ‘2’ not quite obvious left/right option (the left being via the canopy/tunnel – and possibly a slight edge). If you saw this on the run-through you had the choice, if you waited until #134, you mostly seemed to head north to the taped barrier (and marshal Gail) and its right hander. Many slowed here, hesitated (stopped even), before regaining momentum, with one runner asking Gail if he could go through the tape!

The reason for a control at each end of the run-through was to deny/delay the forward planning from control #134. It seemed to have the desired effect, with placings potentially decided by indecision there.

The second half was probably the ‘fun’ part with many changes and cross overs, and plenty of quality ‘1’ and ‘2’ legs on offer.

Quality ‘3’ legs were a big ask at CSU, but I think I managed a couple of good ones - and I thought a dissection of Course 3 (which had one of the longest ‘3’s – and probably the leg of the day) might be of interest.

DECEMBER 2017 THE AUSTRALIAN ORIENTEER 9

SPRINT O

Course 3 This was the course for the hot middle aged blokes, the emerging young guns and the competitive W35s & W40s some serious talent to be let loose on just under 3kms. This course was about 300 metres shorter than the classic W21E course that also boasted several classes of men in tights that fly.

Their course had begun with a short tight left to the stair foot, and with other courses beginning close in round to the right, I posed a longer singular quality ‘0’ beginning for our Course 3 runners to get the puff going.

After the internal mystery of the start procedure, this fast starting leg set up a triple option return route to #2, and its OOB pathway considerations. Downhill onward momentum would be hard to resist here, although reverse engines for the middle option was the optimal choice - the top canopy route being perhaps harder to cop because of the return climb. Then #2 to #3 confronted more ‘olive’, but most probably held right with

two later divergences. This led to a quick weave past the student laundry stuff to the first radio, and a plunge to our only ‘bush’ style control (the gully). These short legs had a secondary purpose – to keep runners from considering multiple route options on the long return #5 to #6 leg.

The 400m return back uphill to the small building fence (#6) was (in my humble opinion) a great quality ‘3’ leg, with, at its beginning, an immediate building line confrontation needing instant decision making – and interfering somewhat with wider leg planning. Once onto a start here (there were four or five options) the full extent of the leg opened up, and the ongoing route choice decisions needed as you worked past the earlier checkpoints (left, right, middle) and the bigger building line decisions further up. Sticking close to the red line needed constant map contact, but should have been the best route, although very wide running (left past #1, or wider still, right past #2), might have suited the flogsters. The twelve metres of climb here would have also added to the stress.

(The map shows how two M16 speedsters tackled this leg – Grant Reinbott (QLD) went wide to the right for a 1:50 split (4th fastest) and Sam Garbellini (QLD) went wide to the left to equal that 1:50 split. NSW runners Alvin Craig and Ewan Shingler shared 2nd fastest split with 1:49 – Alvin went wide to the right, essentially following Reinbott’s route, and Ewan wide to the left. Fastest split was 1:47 by Isaac Egan of NZ, but Course 3 winner, Will Tidswell (NZ), had some minor problems with 1:55 for 9th fastest. At that point he was in AUS Sprint – Grant Reinbott (QLD) 10 THE AUSTRALIAN ORIENTEER DECEMBER 2017

and paths to #18 – forward momentum or reverse engines? This area (with its pop up wedding stage!) was busy indeed, with all courses crossing and then crossing again the many paths, gardens and small buildings. Flat and fast, and almost all legs involving some sort of route choice options - mostly ‘1’s, but you award a ‘2’ where there are routes that are not completely obvious (exiting #15 via the small canopy for instance).

From the ramp ‘wall’ at #18, you had already run over two and a half kms (and were feeling the pain) but you were homeward bound, and the crowd noise was palpable. With a good left/right to the final corner and the run in – many negotiating the final bend at high speed – you gave Toph and his team some nice racing finals footage, and the O-Lynx screen a red finishing line. Course 3, done and dusted!

Looking back at the plan, I see the long leg (#5-6) the key to the first half, and the constant route choice challenges and changes of direction in the seven short legs between #11 and #18, as the key to the second half.

The long courses all had something of this flavour, although, as courses shortened, more attention was naturally directed to the northern material – and the fun to be had exiting the spectator leg and its various barriers (a sight to behold, and a good vindication of the decision to add these blocks to the competition map). Of interest in the post control #134 choices, our President took the tunnel!

Course 3 was 2.8kms long, and our fastest course time (NZ’s Will Tidswell in M16) at 13:04 right in the zone. The ‘old dudes’ in M55 were not outshone either – Greg Barbour (BFN) their winner in a tidy 14:20.

Happy days indeed!

Comparing some of the fastest times on Course 3 shows that the M16s creamed most of the golden oldies: AUS Sprint – Samuel Garbellini (QLD)

4th place and dropped to 5th soon after – he hit the front at #16 when the leader, Noah Poland, dropped 15secs, and held on to the Finish for a 3sec win. Course planner, Ross Barr, expressed surprise that few of the competitors took the middle (red line) route.)

Course 2 almost replicated this leg, but in reverse. Their main puzzle probably being the lower olive OOB areas and the ‘laundry’ buildings immediately before the gully. I’d give that one a ‘3’ also because of the greater speeds downhill reducing thinking time.

Anyway, from #6, Course 3 circled down and back up with both #6-7 and #7-8 having split options (the OOB leaving #7 altered the notional favouritism of the mapped right hand route AUS Sprint – Ewan Shingler (NSW) line to a balance of left/right).

This led to the run through and a short leg near the block up.

This was another simple ‘1’ option, that presaged the many crossing legs amongst the brutalist accommodation and older brick buildings to come. Leg #13-14 was another goodie, and came after not much planning time in the preceding canopies. Like the #5-6 leg, this one negotiated three building groups, and offered many route choices – via the tunnel close to #16 probably the best if you hadn’t outrun your thinking. #15-16-17 all had options (reversing from #16 anyone?), and led to another exit conundrum from the sawhorse at control #105 through a tight grouping of buildings

Will Tidswell (NZ)

M16

13:04

Noah Poland (ACT)

M16

13:07

Alvin Craig (NSW)

M16

13:20

Isaac Egan (NZ)

M16

13:23

Ryan Gray (QLD)

M16

13:29

Grant Reinbott (QLD)

M16

13:34

Samuel Garbellini (QLD)

M16

13:45

Brody McCarthy (VIC)

M16

13:46

Jaiden Fidge (QLD)

M16

14:08

Jensen Key (VIC)

M16

14:09

Mason Arthur (VIC)

M16

14:19

Lachlan Billett (NSW)

M16

14:19

Liam Stollberger (NZ)

M16

14:20

Greg Barbour (NSW)

M55

14:20

Kieran Edwards (NZ)

M16

14:22

Michael McCormack (NZ)

M16

14:31

Ewan Shingler (NSW)

M16

14:34

Ethan Penck (SA)

M16

14:39

Blake Reinbott (QLD)

M16

14:40

Jack Drage (NZ)

M16

14:47

Tony Woolford

M55

15:09

Tim Hatley (VIC)

M55

15:12

Riley Martin (WA)

M16

15:13

Warren Key (VIC)

M55

15:16

Joshua Allen (TAS)

M16

15:20

Callum Farmer (NZ)

M16

15:32

Mark Shingler (NSW)

M55

15:40

Kathy Dent (ACT)

W35

15:52

DECEMBER 2017 THE AUSTRALIAN ORIENTEER 11

EASTER 2018

Easter Tasmania 2018 features Courses to Challenge distance by illuminating a ground target with a laser in low flying aircraft and analyzing the reflected light. The resulting Text: Martin Biceviskis base map scale of 1:15,000 was the same as that of the Hobart Photos: Tony Hill street directory.

Every part of the base map was then explored on foot by How do you entice orienteering people to enter Easter expert Orienteering mappers. Contours were adjusted and boundaries between different vegetation types recorded.

Tasmania 2018 - not just elites chasing national titles?

Particular attention was paid to the accurate positioning of boulders and rock features. In some places the rock detail was so dense it looks like a pepper grinder had been waved over the ffer intricately detailed maps of diverse landscapes with map. Of the twenty square kms of map produced, six were used courses that promise to be both challenging and enjoyable for the courses. The map � used complex digital technology east final coast Tasmania for every level of orienteer. Event Organiser Bert Elson has to create a work of art; a representation of the terrain as seen by scale designed Easter Tasmania 2018 to include seven events, eight a fast-running orienteer. if you include the Domain Warm Up when you register on the interval contour David reflects on his battle of wits with the competitors: Thursday afternoon.

Map produced 2000 by Alex Tarr. Jo Brock & Mike “Ihnwanted toMorffew induce mistakes or hesitations, to set traps where there The Prologue will wind its way around the picturesque Chris Wilmot Photogrammetry. appears an obvious route choice but which is not the case on deeper Updated in 2014 by Paul Pacque and Mike Morffew.

University of Tasmania Sandy Bay Campus. The Australian Extended in 2014 by Alex Tarranalysis. An easy course means that you just have to be a fast runner LiDAR base supplied by Forestry Tasmania A_,,.

3 Days Orienteering Championships feature sandstone to win.”h'. escarpments north of Hobart and rolling bushland to the east.

He had a special surprise in store for the competitors: a Based in St Helens, the Bay of Fires 3 Days will be highlighted by massively long 3.8km third leg that would stretch from one tern -1sorn giant granite boulders and complex erosion gullies. corner of the map to the other. After picking up the map, they To bring out the best in these areas Bert has appointed a would be confronted by the long third leg and be tempted to strong team of experienced course planners. It doesn’t matter start examining the cascade of available route choices while how good a map is, how amazing the terrain is, how short the completing the first two legs. Top orienteers, like chess players, queue to the portaloos might be – your orienteering experience can plan their moves ahead and while on the run. boils down to – was your course a good one?

But the first two legs, although short were themselves tricky The Easter Tasmania 2018 course planning team includes and required careful navigation to the control features. The top former Australian representative Clare Hawthorne, former competitors would be far from their soft mossy undulating and Belgian representative Paul Pacque and David Marshall who open Scandinavian forests. Here the ground is hard, the forest set the second best course in the world back in 2015. There scrubby and the likely routes along steep slopes covered with are others as well, whose names you might be familiar with: loose stones, slippery leaf litter and dead branches. Map reading Warwick Moore, Paul Enkelaar, Gary Carroll, Jeff Dunn and on the move would not be easy. During these first two course Simon Allen. legs, the competitors would be particularly vulnerable to error Bert has set them on a mission – to provide the ultimate while they recalibrated their map-to-forest mental picture from thinking test for every level of orienteer but, ultimately keeping the Scandinavian to the Tasmanian. in mind, Orienteering is about fun for you all. Thinking means route choice. Fun means not too steep, not too thick, finding the map relates to what is on the ground, navigating through interesting features and a sense of satisfaction on getting to the Finish.

This sounds like a pretty simple mission. But is it? It’s worth looking back to 2015 to find out exactly what it took for David to earn the accolade for having planned the second best course in the world. David’s course was for the elite Long Distance Event of the Orienteering World Cup Round 1 held in Tasmania in January 2015. Setting this was a big responsibility. Even a small inaccuracy in the course, map or control placement leading to unfairness could be the subject of a protest by a competitor. The whole course could be voided if the protest was upheld. Such embarrassment faced World Cup organisers in Spain in 2014.

The hills behind St Helens have long been a favourite location for elite level orienteering in Tasmania. But the existing maps needed to be extended. A detailed 5-metre elevation contour base map was created with LIDAR data supplied by Forestry Tasmania. LIDAR is remote sensing technology that measures

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12 THE AUSTRALIAN ORIENTEER DECEMBER 2017

“My plan here was to induce mistakes on the first two legs while the competitors were planning their route choices for the long third leg. This long leg crossed rather than followed the grain of ridges.

There were no straightforward track options. Together with the length it provided very complicated route choices. Every subsequent leg in the course also had a particular purpose.”

Competitors carried electronic chips to record their punch at each control. Some of these controls had radios to immediately relay data to the Event Centre. Radio repeater stations had to be sited to cover dead spots. Data from these radios would enable the progress of each runner through their course to be displayed on multiple big screens at the spectator arena. This data would also be beamed live worldwide.

There was no opportunity to relax and consolidate after the exhausting grind of the long leg. Now come ultra short legs.

Rapid changes of direction. Precise navigation. All designed to trap anyone who is dazed and not awake to the immediate changes of technique required. The terrain of shallow erosion gullies and creek beds is an eyesore remnant of alluvial tin mining a hundred years ago. Some of these gullies have been rehabilitated by bulldozing and revegetating. But enough “moonscape” remains to provide tricky micro-terrain for orienteering.

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The Men’s winner in 2015, Matthias Kyburz from Switzerland

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Control #11, labelled as 150, westernmost boulder, 2 metre size; Control is located on south west side of this boulder”. Compare the boulders in the picture with how they are depicted on the map.

world cup

Halfway through the Long Distance course, competitors are confronted with cheers, whistles, Swiss cowbell rattles and a sea of spectator faces. Control #11 is placed behind a 2-metre boulder. But which one? The spectators can see it. And they can see minutely how each competitor performs under pressure. The announcers hype up the excitement, but must be careful not to alert a competitor if they are heading for the wrong boulder.

David concludes: “It took me twenty separate visits to the area, and over four hundred hours of work to finalise the course. My wife Christine and I tried many variations and had test runs to get things right. Changing the location of a control by a few metres can sometimes make a big difference. There were many other constraints imposed by various government agencies, international event controllers, safety issues and our own limited logistical capabilities.”

“One problem I had particular concerns about was overseas competitors encountering snakes, of which I saw many. We would have to rely on warnings to competitors, adequate medical support, and crossed fingers.”

How did it all go?

There were over eight hundred entrants, with a hundred and thirty from overseas. The Swiss team were the most seriously prepared, arriving three weeks beforehand. They combined training with adventure by running through the Walls of Jerusalem National Park.

Feedback was that the elite overseas competitors were delighted with the challenge of running in an area where the vegetation, terrain, animals and even accents were totally different. They didn’t expect the courses to be as difficult. Overall there were more mistakes made by more runners than at other World Cup rounds. However, the best runners still finished on top, so the courses were judged as fair. Much to the relief of the organisers, the hundreds of controls were all in their correct spots, the maps were right, the electronic problems were few and fixable and there were no protests.

And what about David’s long leg?

A common response was “cool”. Several top competitors admitted to being rooted to the spot for half a minute planning the long leg. This is very unusual when thirty seconds could mean a drop of several places in the standings. The Men’s winner, Matthias Kyburz from Switzerland raced through the long leg in 21:46 and the whole 13.2 km course in a surprisingly short 78:29.

14 THE AUSTRALIAN ORIENTEER DECEMBER 2017

Post-race public interest was such that WORLD OF O put the Long Course map up on its web site, and invited readers to trace their suggested long leg route choice. Hundreds did so and their combined tracings can be seen on the map inset. In January 2016 WORLD OF O readers voted David’s Long Course as Number Two in its “Course of the Year” competition, for any course, anywhere in the world in 2015. And Matthias Kyburz, former World Champion, described David’s long leg as the most interesting route choice leg of any course in that year.

David will again be applying himself to setting outstanding courses for Day 1 of the Australian 3 Day Championships. But rest assured, he’s just as experienced at setting courses for those of you who would much prefer an entire course with easier navigation than just that one long leg of his.

Acknowledgements: David Marshall – Course Planner Long Distance World Cup Round One; Bernard Walker – Director World Cup Round One and Oceania Championships; Warwick Moore – President Orienteering Tasmania in 2015; WORLD OF O.

Hanny Allston

AUS CHAMPIONSHIPS

The Trewin Report

AUS Sprint – Ted van Geldermalsen

Photos: Tom de Jongh (for more: www.photosbytom.com.au ) & Stephen Bird

Australian Sprint Championships, 23 September

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he week got under way at Charles Sturt University, on a day which wouldn’t have been pleasant for anything longer than a Sprint – hot (unprecedentedly so for Bathurst in September) and in different classes). In M60, only nine seconds separated the top windy. The campus was complicated enough for some technical four, and at the second-last control, only one second separated challenge, especially in the later part of the courses. the top three – Melvyn Cox, Ted van Geldermalsen and Eoin It was a clash of two Orienteering generations in W21, with Rothery. Cox did best to the control and got enough of a break to Natasha Key up against Belinda Lawford. The Victorian showed hold on, whilst Jeff Dunn could get no higher than fourth despite that she is not ready to cede her position as Australia’s leading a storming finish.

Sprint woman just yet. The gap was under 10 seconds for much Other very close finishes, both in small fields, came in W40 – of the way, but she took control in the later part of the race to where Allison Jones edged out the fast-finishing New Zealander extend the gap to 29secs, in a rather spread-out race where fourth Sally Lattimore by the narrowest possible margin – and M35, was a minute and a half back. where Jim Russell, running up several age groups, was four Englishman Peter Hodkinson, newly arrived in Australia, came seconds in front of Matthew Cohen when the siren sounded after with a fine Sprint reputation and quickly set about demonstrating a close race all the way. The classes for late drama were M45, that that reputation was well-deserved. He dominated through where Jason McCrae led Jock Davis by 22secs at the fourth-last the race, extending his lead to 50 seconds by the end. Matt Ogden but lost time on the next two to miss out, and M65, where Pat (NZ) was the next best (Brodie Nankervis would have been, but Bodger led most of the way and was still only a second behind failed to register at the spectator control), whilst Tomas Krajca’s Paul Hoopmann at the last control but lost 30secs on the run-in; career-best year got its reward when he won his first resident Ian McKenzie benefited from that to get second, his best national national championship. result in many years.

The Junior men’s class matched Australia’s two leading Sprint The M16s turned on an excellent race, with eight within 42 performers from the Junior World Championships. In Finland seconds of the lead. Alvin Craig led for most of the first half, but it was Joseph Dickinson who claimed the honours on the way Will Tidswell – who had still been 31secs down at #11 after a slow to a top-20 result, but back in Australia it was Aston Key who start – gradually got into the race, and hit the lead for the first prevailed, getting a narrow lead early on and holding it for time three controls from home. He held on by three seconds from the rest of the way. Tara Melhuish was untroubled in winning Noah Poland, with Craig in third. Zoe Melhuish was too good for W20 easily, with five of the next six places being filled by New the W16 field, whilst there were similarly clear victories for David Zealanders; the one who wasn’t, Caroline Pigerre, ended in a Stocks in M14, and New Zealander Ann Duston in W14. dead-heat with Meghan Drew for second.

Outside the elite classes, perhaps the races of the day were in W50 and M60. W50 MW10 AUS Sprint-everyone is a winner changed hands in the Finish chute, with Paula Shingler two seconds behind Marquita Gelderman at the last control but reversing that result at the Finish line. WMOC gold medallist Su Yan Tay went in as favourite but was out of contention for the win even before losing time at the second-last. (In fact, the only Australian WMOC gold medallist who won the same age group in Bathurst was Hermann Wehner in M90 – Greg Chatfield, second to Steve Flick in M70, was closest – although Natasha Key and Jenny Bourne won DECEMBER 2017 THE AUSTRALIAN ORIENTEER 15

AUS CHAMPIONSHIPS

Australian Middle Distance Championships, 24 September

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he first chance to see what the Hill End terrain looked like came on the opening Sunday. The Australian Middle Distance Championships plunged straight into some of the most technical parts of the area, and many struck trouble in the opening controls before settling into the map.

Several had their opportunities in the women’s event, but in the end it was Belinda Lawford who emerged with her first senior national title. Krystal Neumann led through much of the first half, but after that it looked like Charlotte Watson – returning to Australia after a successful autumn season here – was going to run away with it. That prospect ended with a three-minute mistake at the fourth-last, leaving Neumann in the box seat, but small time losses on the closing controls were costly for the Queenslander and Lawford took it out by nine seconds.

For the men, despite the very different type of race and type of terrain, it was a repeat of the previous day’s placings, with Peter Hodkinson showing that his credentials extended to technical forests as well as to Sprints. The front end of the field had a good day, with Hodkinson, Matt Ogden and Simon Uppill all having reasonably clean runs – something not many others managed.

Tara Melhuish went on her winning way in W20, with Caroline Pigerre again coming second. Once again she was a little off the pace at the start but had reached the front of the pack by halfway and was never headed thereafter. The Junior men were somewhat less predictable – Aston Key mispunched, but even had he finished he would have been behind the pace set by Joseph Dickinson.

The younger juniors turned on some interesting races, none more so than in W14.

Anna Duston was the winner, as she had been the previous day, but unlike the Sprint there was nothing straightforward about it; in a race

which had six different leaders, and numerous significant time losses in the closing controls, she did not hit the lead until the second-last. In W16, Mikaela Gray got her best win yet, as the steadiest of the contenders in a race where less than a minute covered the top four.

M55, a particularly strong class this year packed with former internationals, had the closest race of the day. Warren Key and Greg Barbour demonstrated their technical skills by dominating the race, five minutes ahead of anyone else. Barbour was narrowly in front for most of the race and looked as if he might have done enough when he got out to a lead of 46secs at the thirdlast control, but struck enough trouble from there for Key to score by a single second. The other highlight when it came to close races was W65, where only 28secs covered Lynda Rapkins, Carol Brownlie, Lynn Dabbs and Alison Radford at the third-last control. Radford then dropped out of contention with time lost at the second-last, but the other three were to finish only nine seconds apart, with Rapkins getting enough of a gap by the last control to hold on. The second-last control may have carried a bit of a curse this day for the Radfords, as Tony also missed his opportunity there, on his way to finishing eight seconds behind Roy Dawson in M65.

Two duels where the result from the previous day was reversed were in M45 and M60.

In M45, this time Jason McCrae prevailed narrowly over Jock Davis in a high-standard race in which Jon McComb also featured prominently, whilst Ted van Geldermalsen built up enough of a lead by #13 in M60 to be able to withstand some small time losses against Melvyn Cox in the closing stages. Allison Jones had a much easier time of it in W40 than she had the previous day, five minutes ahead of Belinda Allison, whilst Ann Ingwersen was even more convincing in doing the double in W75, with the rare-for-middledistance margin of 11 minutes.

AUS MD – Ariadna Iskhakova MW10.

AUS MD – Sophie Arthur chases Milla Key

Allison Jones (ACT) 16 THE AUSTRALIAN ORIENTEER DECEMBER 2017

Australian Schools Championships, 26-28 September

I

t ended up being a case of déjà vu at the Australian Schools Championships, with New Zealand once again winning the Southern Cross Junior Challenge, and the top three States the same as last year. The ACT won for the second successive year, with Queensland again in second and South Australia in third.

It threatened to be closer after the opening day, with the four leading teams separated by only a single point. The granite and sometimes vague contours of Roseberg State Forest were unfamiliar territory for the New Zealanders, who unusually failed to take any of the four Long Distance titles on offer.

Leading the way at the Long Distance were Australia’s two dominant juniors of 2017, Tara Melhuish and Aston Key. Both had already wrapped up the National League by the time they got here, and both won with an ease that reflected that status, Key finishing more than five minutes ahead of the field and Melhuish even further ahead, with a seven-minute break – she was already three minutes ahead by the fifth control. The interest here was in the battle for the minor placings; Tristan Miller edged out Alastair George over the closing controls (fourth-placed Joseph Lynch finished strongly but was already seven minutes down at #4), whilst a steady run by Rachel Allen was enough to edge out the New Zealand pair of Carolyne Nel and Marisol Hunter.

There were no such margins in the junior classes, particularly the girls, where only 73 seconds separated the top five with three controls to go. All five had been in the mix at various stages, with Zoe Melhuish making a fast start but then losing time at #7, and Abigail George leading briefly in midcourse, but in the end it was Joanna George who came through in the second half after a slowish start to take the win, with Ella

Cuthbert and Lucy Burrell recovering from time losses early to take the minor placings. The duel which was going all week between Alvin Craig and Will Tidswell was resolved in favour of the locals, with Tidswell leaving himself too much to do after losing three minutes at #4. Second was not decided until the last control, with time losses there for the Queensland pair of Ryan Gray and Sam Garbellini, although Gray was able to hold on to third.

The New Zealanders came more to the fore in the Sprint with two wins and many other strong performances. This time Tidswell was able to turn the tables on Craig in what was very much a twohorse race; it was close all the way but he edged away over the closing stages for a seven-second win, with Ewan Shingler the best of the rest. More of a surprise was Kurtis Shuker’s five-second win over Aston Key, in a high-standard duel where the pair were never separated by more than nine seconds. Joseph Lynch was also in the medals as New Zealand took three of the top four places, in a race noted for its mispunches – four potential medal contenders failed to complete the course (including two South Australians, which effectively ended their title hopes).

Whilst the boys’ Sprint titles went to the same country, for the girls it was the same family. Tara Melhuish was the only one of the four Long Distance winners who was able to back up in the Sprint. Her margin of 43 seconds looked comfortable, but she was a bit off the pace in the first half and still narrowly trailed Meghan Drew at #21. The New Zealander dropped 35secs there and that was

AUS Schools Relays – Amber Louw

Nea Shingler (NSW)

AUS Schools Relays – Sophie Taverna

Schools Sprint – Senior Girls DECEMBER 2017 THE AUSTRALIAN ORIENTEER 17

AUS CHAMPIONSHIPS

Relay – Senior Boys

Ellie de Jong (QLD)

that, with Marisol Hunter just squeezing her teammate out for silver. Zoe Melhuish recovered from missing the Long Distance medals, in a race with no real decisive moments, but she was just a little bit faster than Joanna George in the second half, winning eight out of nine splits to Serena Doyle (NSW) – School Relays stretch a 4-second lead to 21. They were well ahead of the rest, with Lucy Burrell taking her second bronze in two days.

New Zealand’s depth came to the fore in the Relays, as it often 2017 does, winning three of the four classes. The one they didn’t win State was the first to be decided, and the closest. David Stocks gave the ACT an early lead in the Junior Boys, but Queensland and New Senior Girls South Wales overhauled them on the second leg, pitting two Long Distance medallists against each other. Ryan Gray went out 58secs Senior Boys ahead of Alvin Craig, and although the NSW runner quickly closed that gap, he was unable to get a decisive break. It came Junior Girls down to a sprint finish with the Queenslander just prevailing by 2secs. The Junior Girls looked like it might have had a shock result when Mikayla Cooper and Zali McComb gave Tasmania the lead after two legs; they hung in there better than anyone expected, but in the end Jessica Sewell was able to run down Eleanor McLean, as was Zoe Melhuish who came from three minutes further back.

New Zealand beat the ACT by 27 seconds with the Tasmanians also within a minute of the lead.

The least eventful of the races was the Senior Boys, with New Zealand opening up a two-minute lead on the first leg and never 18 THE AUSTRALIAN ORIENTEER DECEMBER 2017

being seriously challenged thereafter.

The main interest was in the State competition; ACT, the clear favourites, were a little off the pace early and were only fifth after the first leg, but two good legs by the Miller brothers were more than enough to see them home, despite a late challenge by Angus Haines for South Australia.

After a close first leg, New Zealand were even more dominant in the Senior Girls, but it was an epic contest behind that, with only five and a half minutes separating second and seventh after two legs. The ACT were last of that group, but that only paved the way for probably Tara Melhuish’s best performance of an excellent week. She had gone through all but one of that pack by halfway and was rapidly closing the five-minute gap to Rachel Allen, and finally went through the Tasmanian at the secondlast control. It was a fitting way to secure ACT the overall title.

SCHOOLS WINNERS ACT Sprint – Tara Melhuish (ACT) Long – Tara Melhuish (ACT) Sprint – Aston Key (VIC) Long – Aston Key (VIC) Sprint – Zoe Melhuish (ACT) Long – Joanna George (SA)

Junior Boys

Sprint – Alvin Craig (NSW) Long – Alvin Craig (NSW)

Senior Girls Relay

ACT

Senior Boys Relay

ACT

Junior Girls Relay

ACT

Junior Boys Relay

QLD

Australian Long Distance Championships, 30 September

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Schools Long – Junior Boys.

he last individual event of the week took us back to Hill End for the Australian Long Distance Championships. This time it was less continuously technical than the Middle Distance had been, with most courses having some long gully-spur legs, but there were still enough technical areas early and late in courses to catch plenty of people out. The different terrain contributed a different mix of results, with only a handful of people managing the clean sweep of three titles – the most prominent of them being Jenny Bourne in W55, and Ann Ingwersen in W75, who through this result got enough points to wrap up the SILVA Medal.

Simon Uppill had had to settle for the resident championship in the Middle Distance, but in the Long Distance he turned the tables on Peter Hodkinson. Tomas Krajca set the early pace and Uppill did not take the lead for the first time until #10, at which point only just over a minute covered the top four, but from there he was never headed. Hodkinson still had a good day to take the silver.

There was considerably more drama in W21, with two mispunches and some crucial mistakes. Most dramatic of all was the mispunch of Charlotte Watson, who would otherwise have won easily, whilst Belinda Lawford also came unstuck at the same control when in a position to challenge for a medal. Krystal Neumann had lost 1:44 to Natasha Key at #2 – which would ultimately prove decisive. She still got herself to the front with four controls to go, but as they had been in the Middle Distance,

Schools Long – Junior Girls.

Schools Long – Senior Boys.

Schools Long – Senior Girls.

AUS LD – Aston Key (VIC) DECEMBER 2017 THE AUSTRALIAN ORIENTEER 19

AUS CHAMPIONSHIPS

AUS LD – Brendan Wilson (ACT)

AUS LD – Zoe Melhuish (ACT)

late time losses proved costly and in the end it was Key who took the victory. To add to the drama, Jo Allison lost a minute on the last control, although it had no impact on her eventual third placing.

Aston Key rebounded from his Middle Distance disappointment, although he was still pushed hard in M20 by the two Josephs before emerging a bit under two minutes in front. Joseph Lynch edged away from Joseph Dickinson to take second. After not putting a foot wrong all MW10 Nicola McConaghy (NSW) week, Tara Melhuish lost time at several controls in the first half to slip out of W20 contention. Katie Cory-Wright ended up as a comfortable winner, with Rachel Allen’s consistent run giving her the national resident title and second outright, after others fell away in the closing stages.

It looks like the strongest and deepest crop of W16s in Australia for some time, and this was demonstrated as the week turned up another winner; Ella Cuthbert was dominant from the start, as favourites Joanna George and Zoe Melhuish both lost time early, and was already three minutes ahead by #5. The field came back at her a bit from there, led by Mikayla Cooper in a career-best result, but she still had plenty in hand. The New Zealanders were not in the picture there, but they were in M16, where Sebastian Safka and Will Tidswell went 1-2.

Close finishes were rather few and far between in the masters AUS LD – W21E podium classes, with only three being decided by less than two minutes.

20 THE AUSTRALIAN ORIENTEER DECEMBER 2017

One of these was the third successive duel between Ted van Geldermalsen and Melvyn Cox in M60, decided in the former’s favour thanks to a decisive break made on the long fifth leg. Carol Brownlie survived a big mistake at #9 when well in front to hold off Lynn Dabbs and Alison Radford in W65, whilst Jean Baldwin headed a bunch of four within just over two minutes in W70.

Many of the best contests were for minor placings. The depth of the M55 field was once again shown when only 2:10 separated second and seventh, but Warren Key was a bit too good for the others this time round. In W50 and W55 there were easy wins for Marquita Gelderman and Jenny Bourne respectively, but in W50 Alison Inglis, whose third was her best result at this level, led a bunch of four within 41secs, and in W55, Gayle Quantock, Ana Herceg (another first-time medallist) and Jean CoryWright were only 6secs apart for second through fourth. Bill Edwards joined Bourne and Ann Ingwersen in sweeping the three individual titles, but Allison Jones was unable to do likewise in W40 after losing six minutes at #5, and had to settle for third behind Tracy Marsh and Jenny Casanova.

MW10 AUS Long-everyone is a winner.

Australian Relays, 1 October

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he week finished with the Australian Relays. Once again this was in the mining terrain, although in mostly flatter country relative to the Long Distance the previous day. There were plenty of competitive races, with no fewer than 11 classes seeing the lead change hands on the last leg.

One of those 11 classes was M21E. There were four within a minute and six within three on the first leg, with Brodie Nankervis and Simon Uppill leading the way, but neither of their teams had the depth to be a serious challenger, and it developed into a race between New Zealand and ACT. Cameron Tier, recovered from an injury suffered in the Middle Distance, quickly closed a 23secs gap to Rob Walter, and the pair were together for much of the remainder of the course. Both missed the last control slightly and hit it together, with the New Zealander then comfortably winning a sprint finish.

The ACT did take the honours in W21E, which looked in little doubt before the start and was in even less doubt once Belinda Lawford had given them a six-minute lead. Jo Allison and Charlotte Watson both ran the fastest times on their legs to stretch the margin well into double figures. By then the main interest was in the battle for second, with South Australia and Queensland going out together, but Krystal Neumann’s pace was too much for Jenny Casanova. W17-20E ended up as a similarly unequal contest, although it was close between New Zealand and Queensland for two legs, with Marisol Hunter and Marina Comeskey matched by Caroline Pigerre and Ellie de Jong. Katie Cory-Wright ran away with it on the last leg, and the second New Zealand team just pipped Queensland on the line in the day’s closest finish. A Bushrangers team was also in the mix but were disqualified for taking the wrong map. (This was one of two New Zealand doubles – they were also first and second in W45, with two teams separated by 40 seconds and nearly 30 minutes ahead of the rest of the field).

M17-20E, where the National League title was on the line with four States having at least a mathematical chance, also saw a come-from-behind win. The last leg began with New Zealand in the lead, Queensland a few seconds behind, and all four of the contending States still within six minutes of each other, but in the

end it was New South Wales which produced when it mattered; Toby Wilson ran four minutes faster than anyone else on the last leg, and came from three minutes back to overrun the Kiwis.

The younger junior classes had their share of ups and downs.

None saw more ups and downs than M14, where Queensland started the last leg in sixth place, 14 minutes behind a pair of South Australian teams. That might have seemed an improbable place to launch a winning bid from, but Sam Garbellini had other ideas and got them across the line 47 seconds ahead. W16 was another class where the eventual winner was outside the placings after two legs – this time it was Long Distance champion Ella Cuthbert who backed up with a second great run in two days to bring ACT home from fourth. M16 was the day’s closest race; only 14 seconds covered New Zealand, New South Wales and Victoria after two legs, and after Will Tidswell, Alvin Craig and Jensen Key had battled it out, only 29 seconds separated the trio at the end, with the New Zealander just prevailing and Craig missing out in a sprint finish for the second time in the week.

Big shifts were also the order of the day in some of the older classes. In M65, Victoria led off with Leigh Privett and Tony Radford and opened up a six-minute break, but their opponents had their best runners off last, with Rob Garden giving New Zealand the win, and Steve Flick next in line for New South Wales.

In W65, it was Barbara Tassall and Janet Bush who gave Tasmania the early lead, but Lynn Dabbs ran the fastest leg of the day by over nine minutes, and turned a six-minute deficit into an easy victory for New South Wales.

In M55, NSW looked to be in a strong position when they led into the last leg with Tony Woolford to anchor them, but he ran the final loop of the course first, losing more than ten minutes and opening the way for Geoff Lawford to bring Victoria home.

Victoria also had a come-from-behind win in W55 when Jenny Bourne was too good for Liz Abbott after two close legs.

Apart from W45, the home State swept the younger masters classes. Steve Craig and Rob Preston took control of M35 after a close first leg, Paula Shingler finished too well for Kathie Dent in W35, and a consistent performance across the board saw what was notionally their second team comfortably on top in M45. This gave NSW the core of the points they needed for the Xanthorrhoea Trophy.

DECEMBER 2017 THE AUSTRALIAN ORIENTEER 21

AUS CHAMPIONSHIPS

AUS Sprint – Krystal Neumann (QLD) & Natasha Key (VIC) AUS LD – Simon Uppill (SA) AUS Sprint – Belinda Lawford (ACT)

NATIONAL ORIENTEERING LEAGUE ROUND-UP Blair Trewin

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he Canberra Cockatoos dominated both Senior competitions in the 2017 National Orienteering League, winning both by more than 30 points. For the men this was familiar territory – it was their seventh consecutive win. For the women it was more of a novelty; the Victorian Nuggets had won in six of the last eight years, with the Cockatoos’ only win during that period coming in 2013 after winning a sprint finish at the Australian Relays.

Depth was the key to the men’s victory. Although they only had two race wins during the year, both by Matt Crane, they had six in the overall top nine of the individual pointscore.

Crane’s results were backed up by the continued emergence of Tomas Krajca and Andrew Barnett, and after Ian Lawford played a role early in the season, later on Martin Dent emerged as a regular point-scorer, along with the experienced Rob Walter.

The women relied on their leading trio, with Jo Allison, Charlotte Watson and Belinda Lawford leading the way for most of the year. In the mid-season events where Watson was absent, Shannon Jones and Marina Iskhakova were able to provide enough support in a year when other States often struggled to get three top-flight runners. The Nuggets were second, as their men were, but never really looked like challenging for the 2017 title.

22 THE AUSTRALIAN ORIENTEER DECEMBER 2017

The best team competition was the Junior men’s, with four teams still in it going into the final race of the year. The critical rounds turned out to be in Canberra in late March, where the NSW Stingers edged out the Cockatoos on a countback in the Sprint and by less than a minute in the Middle Distance, but after the Stingers’ Relay win they had to be counted as deserving winners. It was the Stingers’ first junior national league title for either men or women. Depth was the key for the Queensland Cyclones junior women, who were the only team to score in every round; a good finish to the season for the Southern Arrows, following on from the emergence of their Schools team in the last two years, saw them edge out the Tassie Foresters for second.

The pick of the individual competitions was the Senior women’s. After an early-season blitz, Charlotte Watson returned from Britain in the hope of picking up the remaining scores she needed. She went into the last round as favourite, but with Jo Allison, Natasha Key and Belinda Lawford all still in the hunt. Mispunches by Watson and Lawford ended their chances, and despite Key’s win, Allison got the third place she needed to win by a single point. It was her fifth National League title (the first came back in 1995), equalling Key’s record, but her first since 2008 (indeed, the last eight years have had eight different winners). During the season, Allison also set a new record for career race wins, of which she now has 44.

The men’s competition was a completely different story, with Simon Uppill becoming the first person to win six titles as he won 11 of the 15 races. Matt Crane’s good start to the season was enough to hold off Tomas Krajca. In the Junior men’s Aston Key went one better than Uppill, winning 12 out of 15 to easily defeat Joseph Dickinson, whilst Tara Melhuish – despite missing a chance to match Uppill and Key with a perfect score when she was fifth in the last round – also dominated thanks to a mid-season streak of six wins in a row, with Asha Steer just holding on against Caroline Pigerre for second.

11 122 0

100m

200m

12 112

300m

13 126 14 121 15 79

AUS Schools Sprint Course Closure 2.00pm

16 74

Michael Hubbert

First half of the Senior Girls course.

I

nteresting course setting by Mark Shingler for this Schools Sprint Championships. Senior Girls and Boys started first with one girl and one boy going off at the same time. Their first controls were initially in the same direction but very soon the girls had to turn right and the boys turned left.

12

Emerg 0412

14

Magnetic

13

11 10

15

9 16

8 Base map Russell Rigby Mapper Andrew Lumsden verandah those first Printedbetween

by KwikKopy Artarmon

From my vantage point on the controls I could see back to the Start. As each pair took off it was usually the boy who led out. The confident girls very soon veered off to the right, but many of them seemed to be watching the boy ahead of them rather than the map Use reserve punch and reached the building I was at without really knowing if SI where their first control was placed. boxes So, when theunit boyfails turned left many of the girls were either hesitating or still running R1 R3 R2 straight ahead. A fair number of them went all the way around my building and then back to their control. The routes to their second controls then crossed adding the potential for more doubt and confusion.

5 7

4

Copy Gold Orien Sept

1 6

3

2

The Junior Girls and Boys had a similar start procedure and a similar split to their first control, with the girls turning left this time and the boys turning right. And, again, as the girls were approaching their first control the boys were coming back towards their second control. More potential for doubt.

Good course setting by Mark Shingler and a lesson to concentrate on your map and ignore those around you.

SG Sprint-Meredith Norman-SA. DECEMBER 2017 THE AUSTRALIAN ORIENTEER 23

For con Em We

2018 JAFA

The Return of JAFA –

Queen’s Birthday Weekend 2018 Auckland, New Zealand

J

AFA* is back; New Zealand’s North West Orienteering Club is once again organising a 3-day Orienteering carnival over their Queen’s Birthday weekend. The dates are Saturday 2 June to Monday 4 June, 2018.

The weekend’s events will start on Saturday with a Double Middle Distance with an afternoon chasing start at Lake Rototoa – last used for the 2017 Oceania Long Distance.

Following her win in the Oceania W21E Long Distance we asked renowned Australian Orienteer and member of the Bushrangers, Jo Allison, for her comments about the terrain. Jo says “with a mix of sand dune terrain types, Rototoa offers a very special New Zealand orienteering experience. There are opportunities to put compass skills to the test in lower visibility pine forest dunes and experience orienteering through areas of unique native forest. Then there is the enjoyment of navigating through sand dunes in beautiful open pine forest which is gloriously soft underfoot - a true orienteering paradise!”

Those who were at JAFA 2015 will remember the afternoon chasing start at that event - described as fast and furious, chasing starts add something extra to an event. With a chasing start on a special map such as Rototoa, Day 1 promises to be a day to remember.

Days 2 & 3 will be Multi-day length events in Woodhill Forest on the same map used for the World Masters Long Distance Final 2017. Woodhill Forest is mostly radiata pine planted on undulating sand dune terrain, with good runnability. There are also small pockets of native New Zealand bush with reduced visibility and runnability.

There is a network of widely spaced forestry roads and some motorbike tracks, but otherwise there are few paths. Orienteering here is technical and demanding.

The weekend will double as a Pinestars/Bushrangers test match, definitely at senior level and hopefully also at U23 level.

All in all, JAFA 2018 promises to be a weekend of memorable orienteering, Trans-Tasman rivalry, friendship and fun. We’d love to see you there.

For more information please go to qb2018.aoa.org.nz or to the Facebook Event page (on the North West Orienteering Club Facebook page) - ‘Jafa’ Queen’s Birthday Orienteering 2018. *Jafa is a slang term for a resident of Auckland, New Zealand.

While there are various interpretations of the acronym, on this occasion our definition is Just Another Friendly Aucklandregion event.

INVITATION:

Australian Junior Development Training Camp Fri 15 Dec - Tue 19 Dec 2017, in Canberra- Cooma

C

ome for part or all. Maps include Parliamentary Triangle (Urban Sprint); Namadgi National Park (Granite); Buckenderra Holiday Park (Snowy Mtns) (Granite); Cooma (Contours); and then back to Canberra again.

For more info contact brodie_nank@live.com.au . Aimed at advanced (red) level but moderate (orange) level parents and siblings will be catered for. Evening talks and videos. Interstate scholars welcome. Please RSVP to Brodie. Enquiries David Poland (ACT).

This is a great opportunity to improve your map reading skills. NSW is sending their whole junior squad and we are expecting most of SA and Victoria to come too, as well as some from all other States.

Details on Eventor.

And don’t forget the two Sprint carnivals in early 2018: • Sprint Canberra (January 26 – 28) – 5 events in three days; • Melbourne Sprint Weekend (March 10-12) – 6 events in three days.

24 THE AUSTRALIAN ORIENTEER DECEMBER 2017

Which map is this?

W

hich map is displayed on the back of the AussieOgear ute? The winners of the competition were Abigail George and Joanna George who both won a Bryzos “Siven” shirt, and Robert Preston Snr who won a pair of Bryzos O pants.

The winners collected their prizes at the recent Australian Championships.

The map is “Long Swamp”, an area used in the WMOC 2009.

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DECEMBER 2017 THE AUSTRALIAN ORIENTEER 25

JUNIORS

Reflections on Aussie Junior prospects Toni Brown (OACT)

So the Australian Championships have come and gone with the Kiwi juniors (both those selected and their unofficial Invitational team) dominating again. Well done to them. It is fair to say however that our representative Juniors performed remarkably well.

O

ver the past three years I have taken an interest in the NZ approach to engage and grow their Juniors program, stimulated in part by a talk by OA President Blair Trewin, back at the Australian Championships in 2012. Blair commented on the NZ success and made suggestions as to how we could learn from our nearest O neighbours.

With several years passing and an early retirement allowing me more freedom, this provided a chance to connect and participate more regularly across the ditch. Three Queens Birthday weekends, an Oceania week, Southern Orienteering Week and more, has given me the gift of testing the many and various NZ terrains and getting to know what and how NZ do what they do with their Juniors. They are a strategic bunch, when it comes to growing junior talent.

The NZ QB weekend is the regional championships event.

Same Queen as ours, but a different weekend so what a great opportunity to hop the ditch at a time of inexpensive airfares and still get back in time for the NSW QB3 a week later.

At the NZ QB weekend all junior regional teams congregate in one accommodation and compete for regional supremacy. Those interested in representing their country at the AUS Championships later in the year are there for the selection process as well. This regional championship event attracts well over a hundred junior orienteers. However only 16 will be selected to represent NZ. Why do so many try out year in and year out. What of those not selected? What happens next to keep them connected?

At the instigation of those New Zealanders keen on junior development, for a few years now a group of juniors, known as the NZ Invitation Team, has travelled as a squad to the AUS Championships. This group is selected by the Junior Selection Panel once the NZ Schools Squad has been named. The Invitation Team is made up from those who were in the selectors sights during the trials but didn’t make the final cut. I’m advised that there’s around 90% uptake in places when offers are made for the Invitational Team. And word is that if more juniors were offered the opportunity to travel as a collective more could be included in this cohort.

The NZ Invitation Team operates as a quasi-travelling NZ squad and while not fully recognised by ONZ, this group certainly keeps the NZ Schools Squad, and the selectors, on their toes.

By way of example, a number of the invitation group members outperformed the official team both this year and last year, helping to continuously raise the bar. The NZ Invitation Team does all its own arrangements, which can be a bit challenging trying to book for a largish group in sometimes out of the way places.

info board updated each day.

Ka hoot winners - Bodi Terrill (ACT) and NZ team partner Dominic Cleary.

26 THE AUSTRALIAN ORIENTEER DECEMBER 2017

For the past three years I have travelled to NZ for this regional championship weekend, with keen ACT and NSW juniors. For the latter two years, NZ has kindly extended their hospitality to include us in their accommodation arrangements. This has made our travel easy and opened further networking opportunities for both juniors and supporting parents.

This networking has resulted in a formal invitation to Australian juniors to attend the Regional Championships as well as other collaborative developmental opportunities such as the Schools Sprint Relay race that was conducted during the Oceania Carnival in NZ in April this year. This relay was clearly enjoyed by participants and spectators alike even if there were some technical aspects affecting the outcome.

So, what reflections does this story offer Aussie junior prospects?

This year as part of the collaborative relationship established with NZ junior development, I was asked to assist the Invitation Team to find accommodation. In doing so I also sought to “create” an Aussie invitational group – a group of juniors who may have missed out on selection in their State teams, or may have not had the chance to try out. Maybe they were new to Orienteering and didn’t feel sufficiently skilled, maybe they were unable to participate in selection races, or maybe they simply didn’t understand how it all worked in the Orienteering space.

Ring any bells?

The idea started as an ACT-specific group. There were many good orienteers that missed out on selection into the ACT Schools Squad. But why not include juniors from interstate? With a bit of networking States were included in the invitation. The most important part of the process was one of coaching, mentoring and growing our juniors alongside those NZ juniors who were also there to grow and develop. We wouldn’t JUST be an invitational group – we would turn this into a training camp. And train we did.

Co-opting Charlotte Watson, our overseas scholar from the previous year, Charlotte and I set about developing a plan of training activities for the week. Every evening bar one we had training sessions. They ranged from task based sessions such as relocation techniques, and mining terrain challenges to Orienteering Ka hoot (the prize was a Thierry Gueorgiou signature), Trivia and even an indoor NightO event.

An open invitation was posted to all high school aged juniors attending the Australian Carnival and a number who were staying elsewhere came along and joined the fun. In fact, many primary aged children also joined. It’s fair to say that a lot was learned and a great time was had by all. From the interest shown by one South Australian parent, there WILL be a Camp for the Schools Invitational group next year at the AUS Championships Carnival in SA. Watch this space!

NZ Schools Invitation Team bag. training session 1.

Technique session 1.

Technique session 2.

DECEMBER 2017 THE AUSTRALIAN ORIENTEER 27

JUNIORS

NightO at Hogwarts Ashley White (M10), Yarra Valley Orienteering Club

T

he excitement leading up to NightO At Hogwarts was incredible. This happened at the AUS Championships carnival, Wednesday 27th September, at the Scots School Bathurst. The people staying at the Scots School were from ACT, the New Zealand Invitational Squad and some Victorians.

The Teams prepare.

HermiOne 6-33

The hand-drawn map was a multi-level one and there were three courses; Harry-hard, HermiOne-moderate & Roneasy. It felt so realistic, like an actual Orienteering event because we had SI, controls and downloads.

complete the 5 courses in the quickest possible time. There were eleven teams, that’s 55 people! Most teams finished in 20-30mins.

The requirements for each team of five was as follows: 3-45

1x 14 years and under (male or female) 1x Secondary School Student (Female) 8-42

1x Secondary School Student (Male) 1x 35 years and over (male or female)

11-35

1-32

4-40

9-38

5-36

8-37

7-31 28 THE AUSTRALIAN ORIENTEER DECEMBER 2017

2-34

9-32

6-42

4-38

2-45

5-36

3-43

10-33

Harry

7-31

One person had to run Ron, two people had to run HermiOne and two people had to run Harry. The team’s aim was to

1-39

1x Random person (male or female)

All the lights were off, so we had to use headtorches and glow sticks to find our way. My heart was pounding as I ran to the first control. It was my first multilevel Orienteering course and I’m sure it was for many others. The challenges were having so many people out on the course with you to distract you and it simply being multi-level. Also, you had to try and figure out the shortest route to the control. The four sets of stairs made this difficult (two internal and two external).

It became so much like Harry Potter when kids were hiding under stairways and in cupboards making creepy noises like Moaning Murtle. Some people even said that they got hit in the head by a tree that they claimed was the Whomping Willow. On one control, there was a lady sitting on a couch IN THE DARK wearing silver clothes. It looked so much like Peeves …..

A special thanks to Toni Brown and David Poland for running the night and setting all the courses. I truly recommend having a NightO with your club or even just your family.

The Finish.

SCHOOL O

SC-ORE School Orienteering Toni Brown (OACT)

S

o you’ve seen SC-ORE School Orienteering advertised, but what is it all about you ask. For those interested here’s some answers.

The concept came about after an OACT member attended the Oringen Academy in the European summer of 2014.

This Academy, led by Goran Andersson, showcased the Swedish Skol Sprinten (school sprint) competition, describing its underlying value in terms of increasing Orienteering participation, making Orienteering more visible while delivering a fun and educational sports experience. Goran is now Director of World Orienteering Day and IOF Youth Development.

For those of us that love Orienteering its hard to understand what puts people off. But its true, kids, and even more so, parents go for mainstream sports.

Goran’s extensive experience in Orienteering had him concerned that without an alternate approach, Orienteering would simply fade away. Appreciating that urban terrains are highly accessible and easy to use while addressing the “fear of the forest”, a school based program was the way to go.

But how? Goran created Skol Sprinten.

SC-ORE (loosely based on Skol Sprinten) seeks to bring Orienteering to primary school students in a safe, easy to run, well-structured way. For those interested, we tested the name School Sprinting here in Australia with a group of primary school children. The idea that, as the name implies, they would have to sprint, was a turn off!

Interestingly, that’s just what they do – if they can they sprint!

SC-ORE came from the combining of SChool and ORiEnteering. The challenge of the competition is for your team to SC-ORE points.

As a trial, in December 2014 a preliminary intra-school competition was conducted at a small catholic primary school in Woden involving 95 year 5/6 students. At around this time Orienteering ACT (OACT) supported a proposal for the implementation of this school-based school-safe interschool challenge as first phase pilot, as an attempt to increase participation.

Anyone working in, with or around schools will appreciate that getting something new happening in this space is a challenge. There are many aspects to address.

By March 2015 a first pilot was established to test interest in this inter-school format. It was deemed a success and has run twice a year since then.

SC-ORE reaches almost 200 ACT primary school students AND THEIR parents each year. It provides not simply a one-off experience but a 4-week challenge across four different school maps as part of the competition. Parents are required to be there at every event. There’s no dropping off and rushing to do the shopping. There’s no sitting in the car.

Parents must be there. And they are!

By the end of SC-ORE these primary school students believe they can orienteer. They are ambassadors for our sport!

So looking ahead, SC-ORE has a rosy future.

Spring SC-ORE 2017 entries opened in late August. Within a week students were signing up, parents were making email and phone enquiries and host schools were showcasing the sport of Orienteering at school assemblies.

This program reaches beyond our current constituency. It invites children (and more importantly parents) into “the tent”.

SC-ORE says it’s OK to run Orienteering on a simple school map, whether your skills are limited or not.

SC-ORE says it’s OK to cheer and encourage your team mates over the line with loud and enthusiastic voices.

SC-ORE says it’s OK to run a short course that doesn’t have grass seeds, fallen timber and the risk of getting lost.

SC-ORE was accepted for inclusion on the ACT School Sport Community Calendar from 2015. SC-ORE has now been recognised as a valuable participation project by Orienteering Australia, supported with an ASC grant.

So, if you know any primary school aged children who haven’t yet “SC-ORED” now is the time.

SC-ORE reaches 140 participants The ACT school safe before school sprint relay competition for Primary School students has reached 140 participants.

An ideal starter pack that involves both parents and children, this four week mini series on Thursday mornings at rotating school grounds is proving a real stimulant for learning as it gets children exercising their bodies and brains in time for a great start to the school day. As Toni Brown says “It is a perfect fit. It starts at 8am and is all finished by 8:45 am, but the action and excitement is so intense it lasts all day”.

Toni Brown (0411 968 001)

DECEMBER 2017 THE AUSTRALIAN ORIENTEER 29

JUNIORS

Sprint Training Day for Juniors Peter Hobbs (Dandenong Ranges OC) Teaching slides ©Peter Hobbs.

W

hat started out as a tiny idea – to hold a Sprint theory/training session for junior members of my club (DRV) – turned into something bigger when we decided to open it up to all juniors and their parents, plus use the opportunity to hold a concurrent SI training session for club representatives.

The session was aimed at beginner to intermediate level juniors and comprised two classroom sessions at Eltham College in Melbourne’s north-east, followed by a runthrough of an old course on the college map.

The first classroom session focussed on map and symbol interpretation. A couple of weeks before the day I visited the college grounds and photographed about twenty features such as outof-bounds garden beds, canopies, uncrossable fences, crossable fences, cliffs, rocks, contours, etc. Using a projector onto the classroom wall, the photographs were then matched to the exact feature on the map to help everyone learn some of the common Sprint symbols and easily visualise what they look like on the ground.

Peter points out an Out-of-Bounds olive-green feature on the map.

Forest: easy running (but…4 contours plus rocks)

Looks like: - Runnable bush (not the thick green to either side) - Steep-ish hill (4 contours, close together) - Paved area and man made features (chairs/tables?) at top When I’m orienteering to/through this I’m thinking: -

30 THE AUSTRALIAN ORIENTEER DECEMBER 2017

I will see rocks and steep hill directly beside the path Plan ahead – what will I do when I hit the paved area?

program 3Drerun was then used to show Bruce Arthur’s (MFRV) actual course with GPS trails, pausing the program at each control whilst the group discussed the next leg.

This exercise proved quite fun, with a sense of anticipation building prior to discovering which way Bruce actually went on each leg.

After some refreshments the group then stepped out into the college grounds and slowly moved through the course, being guided on each leg by the two or three key elements identified earlier in the classroom. Simplification and Visualisation. Simplification and Visualisation…...

Discussion before the map walk commences.

The second classroom session used a somewhat novel approach to map simplification and route choice by playing a game of “how would you do the leg?” and “where did Bruce go?” A previous hard course with 29 controls was projected onto the classroom wall and everyone took turns telling the group how they would do a particular leg. Each leg was then simplified into two or three key elements. The Checking features during the map walk.

Forbidden access (beside small impassable wall)

Looks like: - Obvious garden bed - Wall (with good hide-away for control location) When I’m orienteering to/through this I’m thinking: -

Garden bed is OOB – do not cross! Disqualification!

Run around it Use buildings to help navigation

DECEMBER 2017 THE AUSTRALIAN ORIENTEER 31

JUNIORS

The session was very well received with all those present showing they were very keen to take part. A re-run has already been requested in the lead-up to Sprint Melbourne Weekend in early March 2018.

Identifying features as the map walk becomes a run.

Lots of ‘passable’ and man made features with path through middle

Looks like: - Lots of crossable / man made features = likely playground - Path through middle for reference When I’m orienteering to/through this I’m thinking: -

32 THE AUSTRALIAN ORIENTEER DECEMBER 2017

It’s an open area that I can run through if needed No need to take in all of the detail – may be best to just run straight through it all, towards what ever you are aiming for beyond the play ground.

Checking features and route choices.”

The Australian WOC JWOC and MTBO teams outfitted by Trimtex

DECEMBER 2017 THE AUSTRALIAN ORIENTEER 33

MOUNTAIN BIKE ORIENTEERING

2017 JWMTBOC in Lithuania

Lucy’s Silver Ride Lucy Mackie went to Lithuania with high hopes of success and certainly wasn’t disappointed with the result of her first race. Here, she describes how her Middle Distance day unfolded.

I

was drawn to start at 10:30am, two minutes ahead of the reigning world junior champion, Veronika Kubinova of the Czech Republic. This only added more pressure to my already high expectations, having placed 5th at JWMTBOC last year in this discipline. I decided to take it onboard as a challenge, determined to go as long as possible without being caught.

The day of the race was to be cold and wet - adding another element into the mix of factors that would decide the day’s winners. Standing in the mud of the start chute, I tried to clear my head and focus on riding a navigationally clean and fast race.

I found the first two controls cleanly but lost some time on the way to #3 with a marginally slower route choice. It was on the way to control #4 where I was faced with my first steep, muddy climb up through a gully - something that would feature prominently several more times, and contribute heavily to the outcome of my race.

On my way to control #7, I was caught by Kubinova, who was coming in from a different track. A steep, muddy and off-camber descent down to control #8 saw Kubinova thrown over the bars, and after a quick word to check she wasn’t seriously injured I sped (somewhat out of control) down past her to #8 and across the road to #9. This small lead that I had would not last long as a small error from both of us on our respective route choices ensured we met again at control #10.

I got away again en route to control #11, powering up the road climb and into the forest. My gap extended further again up another muddy climb, where I realised that my fitness and technical ability would be the key to any chance of success in such physically demanding terrain.

Veronika caught and overtook me once again moving from #11 to #12, utilising her exceptional navigational ability to consistently pick the correct tracks in the spider-webbing network of trails.

Lucy Mackie during the Middle Distance race.

Photo: Rainer Burmann

This pattern would continue for the rest of the race - I would pull ahead up the steep climbs and down the technical, slippery descents, only to be caught when the navigation became tricky and I was forced to slow down to avoid mistakes.

Unfortunately I couldn’t do enough to make back the 2-minute gap - there were not enough long climbs for me to make up for slower navigation in the confusing tracks. We eventually reached the Finish together, and although I knew my chances of gold were dashed, it was a matter of waiting for the remaining riders to see if I could hold onto the silver.

In the end, I was happy with how my race unfolded - the style of terrain suited me but the intricate navigation would eventually see me lose 1:59 to Veronika.”

There was more good news for the Mackie family, the Big Foot club, ONSW and Australia with younger brother Fergus recording a top-10 finish in the junior men’s, finishing 9th.

Newcastle’s Glen Charlton was 67th in the senior men’s race in a tough WMTBOC debut.

Lucy gained another top-10 result with a 7th placing in the Junior Long Distance event, with Fergus 24th in his event.

Article first appeared on ONSW website.

Fergus Mackie also had a good JWMTBOC coming 9th in the Middle Distance and 24th in the Long Distance.

Photo: Rainer Burmann

34 THE AUSTRALIAN ORIENTEER DECEMBER 2017

DECEMBER 2017 THE AUSTRALIAN ORIENTEER 35

MOUNTAIN BIKE ORIENTEERING

Aus MTBO Champs on a high Kay Haarsma. (Photos: Peter Cusworth)

T

he Australian MTBO Championships held around the Southern Highlands village of Wingello was a huge success on many fronts. The carnival morphed from a relatively simple undertaking as it became not only an Australia v NZ Challenge requiring two lead-up events but also part of the World Masters Series. Head honcho Greg Bacon seemingly took everything in his stride to orchestrate a memorable carnival with the final participation numbers swelling to 164 riders, pretty much equalling the Australian record numbers from 2015 at Anglesea. He also garnered Kirrikee Outdoor Centre as both an accommodation centre and presentation dinner venue, and organized for Wingello PS to provide lunches and obtained many spot prizes.

Also a big thankyou to Antonia Haga who was fresh from being part of the gold medal winning relay team at WMTBOC in Lithuania as well as placing a close 4th in the Sprint. Konsta Vanhanen placed 10th in the recent AUS foot O Championships and has a bronze medal from JWMTBOC. The Wednesday event at Belanglo Forest was originally a night event but sportingly allowed daylight participants too. Rob Prentice set a “just achievable” Score course around the fire trails to entertain the riders. Friday saw most descend on Penrose Forest for a 75 minute Score warm-up event. Most tried to practice their navigation whilst minimising the hill climbing given the weekend ahead.

36 THE AUSTRALIAN ORIENTEER DECEMBER 2017

The Saturday double header started with the Sprint championship around Wingello Village. The course had a bit of everything from fast forest roads, tight and twisty single track, urban streets and the final maze of tracks around the school.

Times were very close in all classes. Exciting racing in W21 saw Lucy Mackie steal a 3-second win over Finnish star Antonia Haga with NZ ‘s Georgia Skelton 90secs back in 3rd. Fergus Mackie rode brilliantly to make it a family double in winning M21 by a minute from Joel Young with Glen Charlton in 3rd ... so a clean sweep to Aussies in that class. Wingello PS provided lunches and a local farmer mowed his paddock for parking. Challenge scores were NZ 6 – AUS 5.

The Sprint start at Wingello Village.

From left: Deb Bain (NZ), Reid Moran and Malcolm Roberts.

Lucy Mackie continued her good form winning the W21 Elite Sprint and Middle titles.

2017 AUS MTBOC Wingello State Forest Long Distance â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Course 2 Scale 1:15,000 10m

The afternoonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Middle Distance championship was held on the nearby Wingello Quarries map. The initial area featured long sections of the Highland Trails single track. Course setter Hamish Mackie got permission to add some connector tracks between the single and 4WD tracks to enable fun and challenging courses to be set. The controls in the quarries were the undoing of some riders, especially those who found themselves faced with a track up a cliff! Not the optimal route. Nevertheless the cream still rose to the top and the Mackie siblings Fergus & Lucy repeated their wins in the open classes.

Fergus had a 30sec win over Kiwi Conal Boland-Bristow while Lucy was 3:38 ahead of Marquita Gelderman. Challenge cumulative score: NZ 13 - AUS 10 with many close results.

The Long Distance championship was in Wingello State Forest around the northern portion of the pine plantation and eucalypt forests. Many of the legs had the option to take either the single tracks or the fire roads, causing much discussion over splits afterwards. There was even a purpose built single track through a spectator control. Several riders were so focused on mastering this DECEMBER 2017 THE AUSTRALIAN ORIENTEER 37

MOUNTAIN BIKE ORIENTEERING

single track that they had to be reminded by team-mates to punch the control!

The courses were quite tough and hilly which generally saw the mountain-liking Kiwis excel. The outstanding highlight was the trifecta of wins to 17-year-old Fergus Mackie in elite men, with Kiwis Conal Boland-Bristow and Tom Spencer taking the places. It was also good to see WA’s Ricky Thackray riding well on the comeback trail from a broken kneecap and thumb that prevented him racing WMTBOC this year. Antonia Haga took the win in the women’s elite ahead of NZ pair Georgia Skelton and Sara Prince.

Danielle Winslow was the first Aussie, with Marina Iskhakova mispunching and Lucy Mackie losing her SI-stick en route.

Overall it was fantastic to see a bigger than normal participation in the Junior classes, and some real talent emerging.

Yr.11 student Rhiannon Prentice won all three events in W16 ahead of seven other girls, whilst Erika Enderby won all three in W12. WA’s Riley Martin (M16) and ACT’s Tristan Miller (M17-20) recorded some pretty impressive times in winning all their events, whilst M14 Lachlan Young and M12 Nat Carroll had to be content with two victories each in their classes.

As usual there was tremendous depth in all the veteran classes. Kiwis Brent Simpson (M40) and Michael Wood (M70) and NSW’s Toy Martin (W70) were outstanding, winning all three events, while our oldest competitor Graeme Cadman won both M80 events he rode. The range of talent was evidenced by W40 with victories shared between Jenny Enderby, Carolyn Jackson & Kiwi Rachel Drew.

Australia/New Zealand Challenge: NZ 23 – AUS 12.

It looked like being a close tussle after the results of the Sprint and Middle Distance events but the Kiwis romped home after the Long Distance to regain the Challenge flag. New Zealand will be hosting the next Challenge centred on Alexandra on the South Island from 26-28 April 2018. So Aussies need to start booking those air flights now AND to get training on hills!

Most of the Aussie Challenge team.

New Zealand had a very strong Challenge team made up from nearly 60 Kiwis entered.

2018 World Masters Series

T

he 2017 Australian Championships was also the first round of the 2018 World Masters Series. All of those riders in the Masters classes would have earned valuable points in the series which is scored in Womens and Mens 5 year age classes from ages 35 up to 80+.

For those planning travel and MTBO next year, the series organisers have planned a “Super June” of events next

year to attract riders from “down under”. There will be five consecutive weekends in June including 7 World Masters Series races!

Starting in Gdansk, Poland 2-3 June (2xWMS), then Latvian 3 Days, Czech Orient Express 16-17 (2xWMS) and training camp, then the first ever Serbian 2 Days, finishing with World Masters Championships in Hungary (3xWMS+World Masters Relays) for six races at end of June!

2018 World Masters Series 7-8 Oct 2017 7-8 Oct 2017 14-15 Apr 2018 9-13 May 2018 2-3 June 2018 16-17 June 27 June - 1 July 22-23 July 2018

AUS GER POR DEN POL CZE HUN SWE

Australian MTBO Championships German Championships MTBO competitions, Grandola, Portugal Danish MTBO Camp in Sealand MTBO competitions nr Gdansk, Poland ORIENT EXPRESS 2018 nr Brno World Masters Championships, Budapest O-Ringen, Örnsköldsvik

2 World Masters Series races per event, except the WMMTBOC with 3 races (Sprint, Middle, Long).

38 THE AUSTRALIAN ORIENTEER DECEMBER 2017

2017 ACT MTBOC

Kelly Young W40 (pink route), rode the same course and shared some comments: #1 to #2: I took the same route as Ken and likewise missed the turnoff to the right on the way down the hill – must have been overgrown/indistinctive.

The ACT MTBO Championships were held the weekend after the Australian Championships and the Long event on Sunday 15 October took place at Blue Range on a map with lots of contours.

#6 to #7: I took an interesting route that I bet no one else chose – up the very indistinct track dotted on the map. I thought if I’m going to be walking pushing my bike uphill I might as well take the shorter route. I think two motorbikes came down here 10 years ago and I wouldn’t call it a track/ path at all now … after I eventually found it, very overgrown Ken Young M50, Bush Flyers ACT, (yellow route) was asked to comment on some of his route choices on his 24km course. with blackberries, and some rerouting required halfway up to avoid the worst. Not the fastest route ….

Leg #1 to #2: original plans were to take the track off the #7 to #8: I thought I would take the route that Ken avoided. bend then the first track to the right (i.e. over the double I tossed up going past the Finish but thought if I went that obstacle – red arrow) then follow the left track to the better way I might just not finish. :-) road, turn right then left. My reasoning was that I was I think I got my money’s worth though by being on the course concerned about the small longer than anyone else! jump up on the northern track (circled). I missed the double obstacle and hence track to the right.

So continued on the dotted northern track.

The jump up wasn’t as bad as I thought and post choice was happy with my option. My actual route is highlighted on the map.

Leg #7 to #8: by checkpoint #7 my legs were tired so I took the route with the easiest climbing, i.e. through the Finish and climbed the Start hill again. This time though I was in granny gear where first time I was in middle ring. The other route (from SE) lost a lot of height and the climb looked as if I would have to walk it.

I rode up that road from #6 to #7 as well. Again, my actual route is highlighted on the map.

DECEMBER 2017 THE AUSTRALIAN ORIENTEER 39

SKI O

Ski Orienteering at Perisher

I

n mid-August the NSW and ACT Ski Orienteering Championships were blessed with sunny skies for this the fourth year at Perisher in recent times. Resumed after many years in 2014 by Big Foot (NSW) and later assisted

by Bushflyers (ACT) this year Red Roos (ACT) was the host club and Fedor Iskhakov set a range of courses, some with challenging route choices. Excellent ski conditions meant that short cuts off track were a real option saving up to 60 seconds on some legs. The trick was to decide which corners were worth cutting!

Participants came from four States and Canada and Switzerland with 50 people in total. The Snogaine and Kids Snow Treasure Hunt sections proved popular. Some even competed in snowshoes – a minor handicap if you were competitive but no handicap for enjoyment. Free entry for children under 7 was a winner too!

This event has helped Australia lift its profile in the international Orienteering community with mentions in international publications. In addition it has reached out to a whole new section of the Australian community who had not encountered Orienteering before. Many of the competitors were non-orienteers.

The success of this event underscores the value in coordination between States with Big Foot, Bushflyers and Red Roos all collaborating on publicity and marketing.

Photos are here: https://www.facebook.com/ events/2244409005784665/?active_tab=discussion Results and splits here: https://eventor.orienteering.asn.au/ Events/ResultList?eventId=5161&groupBy=EventClass

Perisher Trails map.

Look out for next year’s Ski Orienteering Championships in early August and we hope to hold a “practice’ event two weeks before with some ski instruction for non- skiers.

Many thanks to Marina and Fedor Iskhakov/a for organising and course planning. https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=1015503573894489 5&set=pcb.2354679371424294&type=3&theater

Diploma.

Marina & Fedor.

40 THE AUSTRALIAN ORIENTEER DECEMBER 2017

Kid’s Treasure Hunt.

2018 ALICE SPRINGS MASTERS GAMES

Visit the Red Centre in 2018 – Alice Springs Masters Games, 13-18 October

I

n 2018 Orienteering will be part of these Games for the 2nd time! Top End Orienteers are conducting these events to further promote Orienteering in the region after successful events in 2016. They are hoping to attract a mixture of regular orienteers, locals and visiting participants from other sports.

Course settor will be Kay Haarsma for all events. So consider exploring the Red Centre after the AUS Championships in nearby South Australia.

EVENTS: FOOT O Sunday 14th (8.30 am) Sadadeen Campus - Sprint line course (20 min winning times). This is an area worthy of a NOL Sprint, including a university campus, two schools and a flat bush area.

Wednesday 17th (7.30 am) Telegraph Station - Bush 60min Score event. Really detailed rock terrain but with nice runnability in between outcrops. The Score event will challenge experienced orienteers who seek to visit many controls but equally enable newcomers to have a go and still experience success.

Wednesday 17th (7 pm) - Night event - a fantastic location – semi-bush venue.

MTBO Mon 15th (4.30 pm) Telegraph Station - 90min Score event.

Wonderful area with about 50 kilometres of single track plus a good network of 4WD tracks. Start within several kilometres of city centre.

Age classes: 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80+ for both Foot & MTBO events.

Contact Kay Haarsma for more Orienteering related information – 0403 5655 34. People who are visiting and who may want to volunteer will be very welcome too.

Why travel to Alice Springs?

The Orienteering areas are excellent. Ask Andrew Slattery who has mapped most areas; Al & Zita Sankauskas (SA); Carolyn Jackson (VIC), Felicity Crosato (Qld); David Poland (ACT); John Toomey (WA); and all those that did the Rogaine warm-up events in 2016.

•O pportunities to also compete in other sports. In cycling the local mountain bike club is putting on four races (night race; xc; dirt criterium & hill climb); there are four road cycling races and several track races; and both triathlon and duathlon events for solo and teams. In athletics there are the masters mile; 5km cross country; 10km & half marathon road races and the normal range of track & field events. All of the above events have 5 year age classes. So you can come and do more than Orienteering.

•H uge possibilities for exploring the surrounding countryside. Walk sections of the famous Larapinta Trail; ride the 20km bitumen trail through the bush to Simpson Gap; go to Ross River where there are several permanent O courses; explore Glen Helen Gorge and more.

•A lice Springs is a small town. You can fly in and then catch a free shuttle bus to your accommodation. All events are within walking distance, so you wouldn’t even need to hire a car unless you want to go touring.

Alice Springs Masters Games, started in 1986, is held every two years. Over 3,000 fit active Australians and overseas visitors take part in over 30 sports.

Flights: There are affordable direct daily flights with Qantas and Virgin from most capital cities.

Drive or Train: If you are adventurous and want to experience Central Australia, consider driving or travelling on “The Ghan”, one of Australia’s most exciting and breathtaking train trips. You can drive via accessible sealed road from both north and south on the Stuart Highway.

Accommodation: Options include everything from backpacker hostels to international hotels such as The Chifley Resort & Lasseters, all within minutes of the town centre, as well as the many caravan parks. There are many options but book NOW as the Games attract many regular attendees.

Contact Tourism Central Australia on 1800 645 199 or visit www.centralaustraliantourism.com.au Keep in touch via: www.alicespringsmastersgames.com.au or Facebook: http://facebook.com/alicespringsmastersgames or phone: 1800 658 951 Registration now open: visit www.alicespringsmastersgames.com.au and sign up.

DECEMBER 2017 THE AUSTRALIAN ORIENTEER 41

O-SPY

New logos for ACT and VIC associations

I

O-SPY Victoria’s Millennium Club Milestones

T

he Millennium Club celebrates the continuing achievements of all those who take part in the many Park & Street Orienteering programs in Victoria. Membership levels of achievement include Companion (750) and Legend (1000) for events completed since January 1st, 2000.

At 1500 events Legend members join The Street-O GRAND TOUR in which each is given a notional distance covered according to the course they most frequently choose. The Tour commences in Melbourne and travels clockwise around Australia then moves across the ‘ditch’ for a similar loop around New Zealand.

In early October, Michael Hubbert became the first to complete 2000 Millennium Club events. His reward was a BIN 2000 bottle of red, described as mellow, robust and maturing gracefully, just like its recipient. On the Grand Tour he had travelled 12,003 km and was approaching Grafton (NSW) at the time of the award. By now he will be well down the east coast and heading for Sydney.

n a complete redesign, OACT has opted for a new logo which resembles a bluebell. “Apart from the obvious reference to Telstra Tower, Black Mountain and a north pointing compass, the logo has symbols that represent the petals of the ACT floral emblem the Brindabella Bluebell”, said David Poland OACT President. “These petals can also be interpreted as the five different route choices that orienteers might make around (or over) the mountain. Alternatively the small circle in the middle could represent a control circle on a map with five different route choices leading out from it. The colour blue links back to the traditional blue (and yellow) colour on the ACT flag whilst the orange (PMS 165) and white are the official IOF colours for a control flag.”

The new Orienteering Victoria logo is far less radical with the O control deleted and thicker ‘whoosh’ lines being the main changes.

Do you peel your apples or potatoes?

W

ell, you might be missing out on quercetin, an antioxidant in apple skins, providing benefits to the lungs & brain and acts as an antihistamine – combating allergies. Apple peel also contains more fibre and vitamins than the flesh of the fruit. Choose apples that are very firm to soft pressure – this ensures the peel will be crunchy and easy to eat.

Potato skins are nutrient powerhouses, even more so than the flesh. They contain fibre as well as a host of B vitamins, vitamin C, iron, calcium, potassium and more. Stick to baked potatoes with the skin on, and the smaller the better as the skin to flesh ratio is higher!

Michael Hubbert – 2000 Millennium Club events.

And then there’s the MEFTY (Most Events For The Year). In 2017 it was possible to take part in 189 events – and Stuart McWilliam clocked up 166 of them. An achievement that’s going to be difficult to better. He said it might have been more, but sometimes the traffic was just too thick.

Stuart McWilliam – 2017 MEFTY winner.

42 THE AUSTRALIAN ORIENTEER DECEMBER 2017

Spicy Foods: A Hot Topic

Hips and Hurdles

D

avid, Lord Burghley was an English athlete, sports official, peer, and Conservative Party politician. He won the gold medal for the 400m hurdles at the 1928 Summer Olympics.

In 1957 he was one of the first athletes to have an artificial hip replacement. He blamed his hip damage on landing hard over the hurdles – a problem your Editor can sympathise with.

David, Lord Burghley – 1926

T

hose spicy foods you love may be hot in more ways that meets the mouth with new-found potential for reducing the need for less healthy ingredient additions, particularly salt. Many studies are looking at the potential benefits of these foods, specifically capsaicin, the bioactive compound in chili which confers its spicy properties.

Though research is still in its preliminary stages, some of the potential benefits include antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, benefits to the gut microbiota, and appetite stabilization. As well, a recent study has found that Chinese subjects who preferred spicier foods had both a lower salt intake and lower blood pressure than those who disliked spicy foods. This was due to increased metabolic activity in the insula and orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) portions of the brain, dampening salt intensity in the presence of that food. The researchers also found an enhanced salt sensitivity in these participants, enabling them to enjoy the same foods with less salt.

It is known that a high salt intake directly increases risk for hypertension, or high blood pressure. Hypertension affects nearly half of adults globally, and is a proven strong risk factor for multiple cardiovascular diseases. The World Health Organization has even proposed reduction in salt intake as the key dietary target for 2025 to reduce mortality from many non-communicable diseases.

The recommended salt intake for adults per day is 1.15 – 2.3 grams (equivalent of 1 teaspoon). About 70% of the sodium we consume comes from processed and restaurant foods (typically higher in sodium), so choosing to cook at home is a great option for reducing intake. A couple of good tips for preparing and eating food at home include avoid salting at the table, and try utilizing other herbs and spices to add flavour without salting.

Decreasing our need for excess salt by upping our sensitivity to it definitely makes sense, but more research is needed to show that the results are generalizable to the greater population. If they are, this could be one of the tastiest strategies to implement in the quest to reduce soaring sodium intakes, fight hypertension, and improve overall health.

Advertise your event You can have a 6 x 9 cm event ad for just $50 In colour, if we have room, otherwise black & white Send artwork to The Editor: mikehubbert@ozemail.com.au

Custom design Sports gear – O tops & pants, running tops, bike jerseys & nicks For clubs, teams, special events or individuals, feel a part of it in your custom made gear.

We can design something for you, or use your own design.

Free design service for quantities over 20. *O pants available in 2 stylish designs, long and 3/4 length.

Spreading Rumours Did you hear the rumour about butter? Hmmmm ….. better not spread it.

Contact: Peter Cusworth pcusworth@bigpond.com Ph 0409 797 023 DECEMBER 2017 THE AUSTRALIAN ORIENTEER 43

O-PINION

Short, Sprint, Tempo – or What?

Wilf Holloway (Germany)

A

llow me first of all to congratulate your Editor, Mike Hubbert, and all concerned for the regular production of an excellent magazine which does not only continually present information but also prompts orienteers to think about many aspects of our favourite sport. This is especially the case with Ross Barr’s analytical explanation of the official differences between ‘Short-O’ and ‘Sprint-O’ which appeared in The AO in June. Orienteering has recently developed in so many directions that when we travel to a so-called ‘Sprint’ event we often don’t know precisely what to expect.

Is it a very fast run through streets and parks with easy map reading and high oxygen debt or will it be a control-picking challenge in the forest, with many short legs and changes of direction, in fact a shorter version of Middle Distance? Perhaps the event is in a complex campus-type of area with myriad route choices and mind-boggling terrain levels or it could even be a relatively simple area artificially complicated by extra constructed and official-patrolled barriers. Many events are a mixture of all of these components and despite IOF recommendations and David May’s determining ideas, practically all of these events are generally labelled “Sprint-O”.

Ross makes it quite clear that this is not correct for there are definite IOF guidelines on what constitutes a Sprint and what is better classified as a Short-O event. However, the astute or experienced orienteer will have often asked himself whether all the IOF definitions regarding various O-concepts are really sensible, most especially regarding the activities being discussed here. Within general concepts of map reading and course planning we have specific points of emphasis for Ultralong, Long, Middle, Short and Sprint, and most elements are doubtlessly relevant. However, when a non-orienteering friend recently asked me how a 3 km event could be labelled a ‘sprint’, especially when I spent 20% of my time actually standing still, I began to wonder about that term myself.

If you look it up in a dictionary the word apparently means ‘short distance, full speed’ but precisely the elements which the IOF wants to see in such events are those clearly working against this concept. The racing distance is perhaps short but one’s immediate thoughts about the term dwell on 100 metres or 200 metres athletics and that is certainly not the situation in Orienteering. Even though nordic skiing has introduced this word for half-hour events there remains a noticeable definition discrepancy. One’s racing thoughts are doubtless at full speed but the necessary complexity of many useful maps means that especially orienteers with ageing eyes must often stop to view things properly, and this does slow things down! In fact those very elements which the IOF wants to see in Sprint events (complex maps, fine detail, route choice) are those which actually cause competitors to reduce their running speed!

Perhaps we should rather use the word ‘short’ for these events, and utilise the word ‘sprint’ for simpler O-races where route and terrain really have us sprinting the whole time? The terms are 44 THE AUSTRALIAN ORIENTEER DECEMBER 2017

practically misnomers, even though the median value for advertising our sport is probably quite useful with present nomenclature. So is there a case for new definitions or even the addition of another word such as Tempo-O for specific event-types? In any case despite many wonderful experiences in sprint, short, urban competition or whatever, plus surveying and drawing a number of such maps, I would like to make some further comments on related themes. Above all, I believe that foot orienteering is about map reading and running whilst it seems to me lately that stopping in order to understand control descriptions is gradually becoming a more necessary and perhaps ridiculous element.

At the Canadian Championships a couple of years ago the first control was up a couple of stairways, further complicated by necessary roundabout routes not perceivable without a great deal of contemplation.

Many orienteers then arrived at the control only to see that it was actually inaccessible from the place one expected and only a good look at the control description would have saved them that lost minute. Is it really fair to ruin a person’s race with such a complex control right at the start? Similarly in the German Sprint Championships 2016 it was necessary to analyse the terrain levels and control description in order to reach the first flag.

This was complicated by a control circle print which obliterated a vital piece of information and had many runners wondering where they were. When 60% of highly experienced M65s take five to eleven (!!!) minutes to cover 230 asphalted metres then it can hardly be classified as sprinting, to say nothing about the relevance of such course planning and vetting!

For we older competitors it is sometimes (despite stopping to use a magnifier) impossible to ascertain whether particular routes are possible or even allowed. Often the difference between winning or not depends upon pure luck, taking a chance or guessing what will be found when one actually arrives at the problem area. Why can’t mappers make alleyways just a fraction wider than in reality? I asked two top international mappers about this and received fascinating answers. Firstly: “But if you make an alleyway slightly wider then the proportions are wrong and the building next to the alley is not the correct size!” So what is more important to the orienteer: a 1mm wider route or 1mm less on a 2cm building? Secondly: “If you can’t read the map then give up Orienteering!” There’s no answer to that highly intelligent suggestion, is there?

The complexity of some Sprint events on different terrain levels is luckily not (yet?) as difficult as the indoor orienteering in Stockholm but it does involve problems which seem counterproductive to central orienteering skills. The (in)famous Barbican map in central London could be quoted here as typical since certain parts reduce running speed noticeably and the winners generally succeed with the assistance of memory and previous experience rather than simply pure skill. Once, after (not quite!) a difficult leg I arrived just 10 metres from my next control, visible directly below me, but took a further 5 minutes to find a way there. Afterwards I asked the experts how they managed to record their brilliant times. One answer. “Oh, I’ve run here 5 times before, and know where the best pedestrian tunnels are. I must admit the first couple of times it was a struggle ……”

Aha, so that’s Orienteering - terrain memory is a major skill in future?

SPOT the DIFFERENCE

Summer has come and there’s Sprint Orienteering everywhere, so it’s a good time to test your skills at reading a complex Sprint map. Many of you may have run on this map recently and may recognise it. The scale is 1:4,000 and there are 25 differences in the two otherwise identical map sections.

CAN YOU FIND ALL 25 ???

DECEMBER 2017 THE AUSTRALIAN ORIENTEER 45

SPORTIDENT

SPORTident Control Stands Are you looking for new control stands?

SPORTident produce a control stand to accommodate either the BSF7 or BSF8 units.

Flags are easily attached but what is missing? Most Australian events require a punch in case the unit fails so this would have to be hung from the unit with the flag. There is a trend overseas to not have punches attached as the SI units are very reliable.

Aussieogear has a sample stand which looks stronger than imagined. The 80cm long fibreglass rod (stand) is very strong (stiff) but will it stand up to the hard Aussie ground? This has been the most common question raised. To reassure yourselves, you can view the stand at any event attended

by Aussieogear.

Any questions please contact Colin Price at Aussieogear.com or phone 0415 210 339.

The UK’s Orienteering Magazine Packed with maps, event reports, coaching tips and advice, MTBO, Mountain Marathons/Rogaining, Competitions and much much more.

Subscribe online using all major credit cards at www.CompassSport.co.uk 52 pages, full colour, 6 times a year £44 World Subscription Var. 05

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RC#5 Fixtures OMM Report Competitions Istanbul 5Day 2017 Calendar York Indoor Cup Product Reviews Coaching Column One Day Like This Know Your Controller ARDF World Champs World Universities Champs

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46 THE AUSTRALIAN ORIENTEER DECEMBER 2017

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TOP EVENTS 2019

2017 Dec 27-31

April 19-27

Xmas 5 Days, Goulburn NSW www.onsw.asn.au

May 30June 2 July 28Aug 3 July 5-12

2018 Jan 26-28 March 10-12

March 30April 2 April 5-7

April 24-27

May 19-20

Sprint Canberra jymbois@gmail.com Melbourne Sprint Weekend Melbourne VIC www.parkstreeto.com.au/msw2018 AUS Easter Carnival, Hobart, Tasmania www.eastertasmania2018.net.au Bay of Fires 3 Days, Tasmania www.eastertasmania2018.net.au NZ MTBO Champs & AUS-NZ Challenge, Alexandra NZ. www.mtbochamps.nz AUS MTBO Championships Sunshine Coast, QLD www.ausmtbochamps.com

May 23

World Orienteering Day

June 2-4

JAFA WEEKEND, New Zealand Lake Rototoa & Woodhill Forest www.qb2018.aoa.org.nz

June 27July 1

WMMTBOC Nagykovacsi, Hungary

June 28July 1 July 6-13

European Youth Championships Veliko, Bulgaria eyoc2018.eu WMOC Copenhagen, Denmark

July 8-15

JWOC Kecskemét, Hungary www.jwoc2018.hu/ O-Ringen Höga Kusten, Sweden. www.oringen.se WOC 2018 Riga, Latvia woc2018.lv WMTBOC, JWMTBOC Zwettl Austria

July 21-27 Aug 4-11

Aug 4-12

Aug 17-22

Sept 14-16

Sept 29 -Oct 7 Oct 13-18

Dec 22-27

Dec 27-31

July 6-12 July 27Aug 3 Aug 13-18 Sept 28 - Oct 6 Oct 2-6 Oct 26-27

WOC Sarpsborg, Østfold, Norway woc2019.no/en Oceania & AUS Championships Wagga Wagga, NSW WMMTBOC Breitenbrunn, Germany AUS MTBO Championships Victoria www.ausmtbochamps.com

2020 July 7-11 June 28-Jul 5 August 7-15 August 17-23

Sprint WOC, Denmark (near Velje) JWOC, Turkey WMOC, Slovakia WMTBOC, Jeseník, Czech Republic

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North American O Championships Whitehorse, Yukon, Canada yukonorienteering.ca/naoc2018 London City Race Weekend slow.org.uk/events/cityrace2018/ AUS Championships Renmark & Adelaide, South Australia Alice Springs Masters Games www.alicespringsmastersgames. com.au Asian Orienteering Championships Hong Kong www.oahk.org.hk/ Xmas 5 Days, NSW www.onsw.asn.au

AUS Easter Carnival Perth Hills & Narrogin, WA wa.orienteering.asn.au/easter2019 European Youth Championships Grodno, Belarus 2019 Scottish 6 Days Strathearn, Perthshire, Scotland WMOC 2019 Riga, Latvia wmoc2019.lv/ JWOC Silkeborg, Denmark www.jwoc2019.dk/ 2019 WMTBOC & JWMTBOC Viborg, Jutland, Denmark

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DECEMBER 2017 THE AUSTRALIAN ORIENTEER 47

You can run what else will you do?

Photos: Tourism Tasmania and Andrew Wilson; Poon Wai Nang; Kathryn Leahy; Paul Fleming; Rob Burnett

Start planning now!

WIN one of five easter tasmania 2018 entry packages!

To enter, look for our competition posts on the Easter Tasmania 2018 Facebook Page and in the comments section, tell us why – in 25 words or less – taking part in the adventure appeals to you.

Entry Packages include a credit to the value of one adult entry to the Australian Three Days plus $200 towards accommodation and transport costs.

Lucky draws will be held late October 2016, April 2017, September 2017, November 2017 and February 2018.

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