Discussion: Favorite orienteering events for Jan 2017-Aug 2018?

We're planning a grand family adventure for Jan 2017-Aug 2018, pulling the kids out of school and traveling. All 50 U.S. States, likely Canada, New Zealand, South Africa, Europe as well. We'd like to include some epic lifetime orienteering events on our way. Any recommendations? Maps we should visit even if there's no official event? Events should be kid-friendly; kids will be 12 and 10 years old in 2017.

(Anyone else who has done this before and has advice, please email me!)

Many thanks!
Tori

New Zealand will be having a big Easter carnival in 2017 as well as the World Masters Games (incl orienteering) although your kids won't be old enough to compete in that.

WMOC usually has accompanying races that are open to all ages. Will these open courses not be offered in the 2017 NZ event?

Don't know about the WMOC event itself (although I would expect there would be some kind of public races for under-35s), but the Oceania Championships (which will be held over the Easter weekend before WMOC) is an all-ages event.

Yeah definitely for Easter but I had thought the idea for World Masters was to give the oldies a chance to get away from the kiddies :-)

Tash'll be happy if there are public races.

No tRicky - you aren't old enough for Masters!!!

Just browse the usual suspect events and see which have the outstanding terrain for that year as well as associated activities. Portuguese O-week, OO-Cup (or any of the other similar Slovene events), Anatalya 5 days, Croatian Open, O-Ringen, one of the Baltic sand dune championships such as Tallin O-week or Takas, something highly technical in France, some Swiss event in the shadow of mountains, something in the north of scandinavia, Arctic O Festival if its on, Barebones, Laramie Daze. All the things on my list. The research says there is as much joy in anticipation as in doing the holiday so make the most of it.

tt, I think you'll find I'm 35+, which qualifies for Masters. In 2017 I'll be in the M40 category!

...but always young at heart...

Ok tRicky. This site will estimate your "fitness age". I expect you will come up as a nowhere near qualifying for WMOC.
https://www.worldfitnesslevel.org/#/

I was looking good until it asked "Do you often complain about trivial matters to public media?" and it turned out I was 80.

;)

Hey tRicky I am now the same age as you. I have a fitness age of 38 so stop whinging about the SOL factors.

That's interesting - I got 38 as well. My diet mustn't be as good as yours!

Well mine said 'under 20'.

To get a little back on topic - I think every orienteer should do Jukola at least once in their lifetime! That would be my one "don't miss" event.

The Yukon can be good fun, if they have an event during that time. Also the Saskatchewan or Manitoba sand dunes, or something in the Canadian or American Rocky Mountains, or Whistler, or Hopewell Rocks on the Bay of Fundy.

Still eligible for WMOC - but not for any 50+ categories...

LOST_Richard>> You´re apparently more fit than I am.

O-ing must have been the question on how often you eat potatoes :-)

If you swing by SoCal be sure to check out Vasquez Rocks.

You are welcome in Yukon. No events planned, but great training opportunities on 3 of the top maps/areas in Canada - Lewes Lake, Long Lake and Carcross Desert. Maps can be viewed via the Route Gadget links on this page:
http://www.yukonorienteering.ca/coc2011/results.ht...

What Becks said! The kids can't do Jukola but that doesn't matter as it is also top of the list of epic lifetime orienteering events to have been a spectator at :)

Oh, wow. Great ideas, thank you! I think we may have family along for the Scandinavian and New Zealand parts of the trip, so kids can camp and spectate. Just don't want a replay of the military champs that made family attendance very difficult. The Yukon sounds like fun, especially since we will drive at least one part of the Alaska trip. Still trying to get our minds around all the Europe options. And Laramie's always on our list.

tRicky, we'll be happy to keep you (slower) company in the 40s category, regardless of fitness age!

I concur with smitto about Vasquez Rocks; it's a unique place. If you come to the San Francisco Bay Area or the Lake Tahoe area (and why wouldn't you?) there are a lot of maps. It's too early to talk about our schedule, though.

My one O-Ringen trip looked very well catered for children. As long as you didn't need split starts.

Very easy family traveling and camping in both Australia and New Zealand. Lots of other opportunities for hiking, snorkeling, swimming, etc. Lots of well equipped campgrounds for tenting or a rental van of some sort. General expenses also reasonable. Did trips to Oceania events in 2013 (NZ) & 2015 (Tasmania/Australia) and did extended trips on both sides of the events. Also a fair number of kids from Aus & NZ at the events. Weather is also great there as their summer is our winter. Only downside is the cost of traveling there and back. Planning to attend Oceania and WM in 2017.

I don't find it expensive to travel to Australia.

By far the best orienteering events that we have found to cater for kids are in Norway - the Midnatsolgalloppen and Sorlandsgalloppen. They are in a different league to any other event we have ever been to. Plus the orienteering is magical as well.

Swiss-O Week had good mini (String) courses for kids with maps, si punching and the kids looked like they were enjoying it. It is also good fun for the adults.

But the downside is the cost of traveling there and back. Planning to attend Swiss-O Week in 2016.

Split starts at O-ringen is no longer a problem - at least not if you´re content with running in a lower category where they have free start times.

I have fond memories of Sorlandsgalloppen from my youth. I agree that it was good for younger people.

Scottish 6 Days is every 2 years so will be in 2017, always a fantastic week :) (end of july/start of august time)

In 2017 there will be no Swiss-O-Week, so far fix is 2016 (St.Moritz) and 2019 (Gstaad):
http://www.swiss-o-week.ch/en/aktuell/news/109-nex...

I concur. Summertime downunder in NZ generally best time for tourism (esp late summer). In particular many amazing beaches in north Island, some highly rated mountains and hiking in the South Island, and a million other things to do in between if you're a foodie, a mountainbiker, nature lover and a photographer.
Even if only based around Auckland if time is short there are plenty of things to keep busy within and hour or two.
Combine with Australia and/or a tropical Pacific Island sounds like a good bucket list.
Indeed Oceania will be held in conjunction with World Masters also around Auckland so there will be a variety of terrain. WMOC maps will incorporate some really lovely sandune terrain of the Woodhill Forest of which is being mapped as at present (I should know, as one of the mapping team - hehe). Sprints will experience areas never used before as we normally wouldn't get access to the complex Auckland City University area and the very public waterfront.

http://www.worldmastersgames2017.co.nz/

Visiting New Zealand is the only thing on my bucket list.

NZ sounds very tempting.