A Game for Princes!
- Last Updated: Friday, 06 July 2012 15:44
Orienteering became, if not the Sport of Kings, then at least the Game of Princes when Crown Prince Frederick of Denmark took part in the 'Find your Way in Denmark Day' recently and introduced his children to the sport. Orienteering was invented in Sweden by the army, and is much beloved of the Scandinavian countries and is now widespread around the world, with 73 nations members of the International Orienteering Federation. Thousands of people of all ages and levels of fitness take up the challenge every year. So what is this sport all about?
Orienteers navigate across country using a specialist map, making their way as quickly as they can between control points. Reading the map accurately and puzzling out the best route to take is as much the challenge as the physical element of covering the distance of the course. This need for brainwork rather than just physical ability means that people can compete in the sport competitively for many years. In a recent World Masters Championships there were nearly 100 runners over the age of 80! In orienteering there is plenty of room for everyone; it does not matter how young, old or fit you are, as you can run, walk or jog the course and finish at your own pace. As well as the traditional foot orienteering other forms of the sport have proliferated; there is Ski-O, Mountain Bike O, Trail O and even Horse O.
Orienteering courses are set in all sorts of places - from city centres to remote bushland, from urban parks and school playgrounds to farmland. Orienteering clubs bring together groups of people in their local areas, who love the sport. Clubs organise and run the events giving an opportunity for club members to make friends and work together. Events can be simple affairs with a limited number of courses, to race series such as the Sydney Summer Series run in the summer around urban areas, to State level multi-day carnivals with high quality bush maps and course setting available. Newcomers are always welcome. Get in touch with your local club, or just come along to an event. There are always club coaches on hand to help you get started. The full schedule of events can be found on the Events page of this website.
And now you don't even have to wait for an event to try out orienteering. Orienteering NSW in partnership with Centennial Park Sydney, launches their first public permanent course in inner Sydney this weekend. Uringa Orienteers President Linda Sesta has been working hard with the Centennial Park management and the Conservation Volunteers Australia to set up courses which can be used for all levels of orienteers, from absolute beginners to the more experienced. Map and instruction packs will be available from the Centennial Park Visitors Center in July and then off you go!
Photo shows from left to right :Peter Hadfield - Executive Officer of the Centennial Parklands Foundation, Linda Sesta - President, Uringa Orienteers, Paul Prudhoe - President Orienteering NSW, Kim Ellis - Director and Chief Executive of Centennial Park and Moore Park Trust
Michael Ellison - Sydney Region Manager for Conservation Volunteers Australia
Briohny Seaman sets the kangaroos bouncing!
- Last Updated: Friday, 06 July 2012 15:44
Using the score event format of orienteering Don MacIntyre set a challenging course of 22 control sites at Pomingalarna Reserve, for which participants had 60 minutes to find as many as possible. Various features were used for the control sites including watercourses, pits, old horse jumps, and contour banks. Depending on distance and difficulty the controls carried different points values so some forward thinking was required to choose the best strategic route to gain as many points as possible.
Briohny Seaman chose well and managed to set kangaroos bouncing in all directions by finding all 22 controls and score the maximum possible 240 points. Alex Davey also scored exceptionally well finding 20 controls and scoring 215 points. Debbie Davey scored 190 points and just managed to hold out Trent Seaman (195) for third place. Nonetheless Trent’s effort earned him handicap honours for the day.
To score heavily required covering most of the reserve. Several chose to just locate controls along the main ridgeline and the eastern slopes. Julie Gooding took this approach and scored an excellent 130 points just ahead of Rob and James Boetto (110).
Results: Pomingalarna 60min Score Event: Briohny Seaman 240; Alex Davey 215; Debbie Davey 190; Trent Seaman 185; Julie Gooding 130; Rob & James Boetto 110; Matthew Thomas 85; Tegan Lee, Christine Lee & Courtney Whitton 85; Marguerite Caskie group 70; Beryl Latham 30.
The next Waggaroos event will commence at 10 am on Sunday 1 July in the Livingstone National Park and Nature Reserve.
Thanks to John Oliver for this report.
Briohny Seaman sets the kangaroos bouncing!
- Last Updated: Friday, 06 July 2012 15:44
Using the score event format of orienteering Don MacIntyre set a challenging course of 22 control sites at Pomingalarna Reserve, for which participants had 60 minutes to find as many as possible. Various features were used for the control sites including watercourses, pits, old horse jumps, and contour banks. Depending on distance and difficulty the controls carried different points values so some forward thinking was required to choose the best strategic route to gain as many points as possible.
Briohny Seaman chose well and managed to set kangaroos bouncing in all directions by finding all 22 controls and score the maximum possible 240 points. Alex Davey also scored exceptionally well finding 20 controls and scoring 215 points. Debbie Davey scored 190 points and just managed to hold out Trent Seaman (195) for third place. Nonetheless Trent’s effort earned him handicap honours for the day.
To score heavily required covering most of the reserve. Several chose to just locate controls along the main ridgeline and the eastern slopes. Julie Gooding took this approach and scored an excellent 130 points just ahead of Rob and James Boetto (110).
Results: Pomingalarna 60min Score Event: Briohny Seaman 240; Alex Davey 215; Debbie Davey 190; Trent Seaman 185; Julie Gooding 130; Rob & James Boetto 110; Matthew Thomas 85; Tegan Lee, Christine Lee & Courtney Whitton 85; Marguerite Caskie group 70; Beryl Latham 30.
The next Waggaroos event will commence at 10 am on Sunday 1 July in the Livingstone National Park and Nature Reserve.
Thanks to John Oliver for this report
40 glorious years of orienteering in Centennial Park, Sydney
- Last Updated: Friday, 06 July 2012 15:44
The Metroleague, Junior League and Come and Try It event at Centennial Park on Sunday was a big event but not just because of the numbers of orienteers out enjoying the sunshine. This past weekend marked 40 years of orienteering in Centennial Park. Dave Lotty, who has mapped all the 14 editions of the map, was on hand to show people the metamorphosis from simple black and white map to the sophisticated 6 colour map we use today.
Uringa Orienteers celebrated with a little champagne, and a fabulous cake which came complete with replica map in icing, created by President Linda Sesta's sister-in-law, Rose, and enthusiastically sliced into by the growing Uringa junior contingent.
As part of our continuing partnership with Centennial Parklands, Linda and Barbara Hill (ONSW Promotions Director) have been working with Centennial Parkland management to create a permanent orienteering course; Barbara showed off the new pack of map and instructions that will be available from the Parklands office later in July.
