Discussion: Future Orienteering Headline

To the Community,

I want you to put your thinking caps on and write your dream headline for the future of the sport of Orienteering in the United States. The bolder the better. Some examples could be:

"Coca Cola outduels Pepsi for lucrative USOF sponsorship rights" or "CBS broadcasts NCAA Orienteering Final 4 in prime time". or "Team USA repeats in Olympic Orienteering Gold".

This is your chance to dream. Go big or go home.

Sincerely,
Glen

Glen Schorr
Executive Director
United States Orienteering Federation

Obama Resigns, Plans to Devote Life to Trail-O

Trans Sierra Mountain Marathon sells out quickly this year.

The annual event, organized by San Francisco's oldest orienteering club, reaches 1000 participant cap in just 3 hours.

OMG--I almost fell off my chair.

PG is always a hard act to follow. And I'm not so good with brevity.

U.S.A claims World Orienteering Championship

Backed by New Balance, the young squad was led by the stunning performance of a relative newcomer to the sport.

Ok, here are some that Robin Shannonhouse and I came up with. Enjoy.

Local teams vie to attend US Orienteering Championships...
Team USA wins third consecutive World Championship...
Former President Barrack Obama named Orienteering spokesman..Nike Introduces New Orienteering Line..Orienteering opens 5,000th club,...USOF and member clubs reach 100,000 members...E Punch din drowns out nearby Atlanta International Airport (in an environmentally friendly kind of way...New compass design excites Orienteering World...REI opens fifth Orienteering World Superstore..Team USA repeats in Olympic Orienteering Gold

Have fun. Keep going. Dream big.

Glen-

Super Bowl dropped by NBC - US Orienteering Champs get prime time slot

O-World Shocker: USA Takes Relay Championship

Orienteering in the US remains a down-to-earth, below the radar alternative sport.

(sorry, I've seen several cool things destroyed by "growth for the sake of growth" :))

(I don't think O in the US has to worry about growth that destroys it. I do, however, think that growth to the point where people in out-of-the-way states can orienteer every week, without spending $10k/yr on travel, is a good thing to shoot for.)

"US Orienteering's Secret Agenda: The Infiltration of Swedish Socialism" .......... Fox News

Nike Introduces New Orienteering Line

Nike did make orienteering shoes once upon a time (mid-1980s). They were baaaaaaaaad.

Bad, in a certain sense, but I kind of liked them. They would get destroyed real easily, but were very light and comfortable.

My favorites:
Team USA wins third consecutive World Championship...
Super Bowl dropped by NBC - US Orienteering Champs get prime time slot

Ahhh.... do I really have to close that browser now and come back to the reality !!!!

Buffalo NY Hash House Harriers win their 13th consecutive US Orienteering Relay Championship

I like Geoman's but wonder if it's more in Fox's style to put the opposite spin: "Swedish Socialism infiltrates the US through orienteering"

or if they happened to discover this discussion by a random surf: "Link between Obama and Socialism exposed!"

Demand outstrips supply for this year's hottest Christmas game, Wii Orienteering.

I know, off topic, but here's a salute to those Nike O shoes. They were by far my favorite, clearly designed for running in the forest. For my feet, everything else was (is?) a soccer/futbol shoe by comparision. I just wish they lasted longer, each shoe, as well as the model.

________ named to the U.S. Collegiate Orienteering All American team.

Note: ________ could be any of the Juniors, but my personal favorite would be Zac Barker.

The USA Juniors rank #1 at JWOC for the third year in a row!
The USA Juniors Sweep the #1 spot at this year's JWOC!
USA Juniors Ranked #1 in the World after this year's JWOC

"Canada wins Bjorn Kjellstrom Trophy for 25th Straight Year".

Australian wins WOC with US and Canada taking the minor placings.

I don't think O in the US has to worry about growth that destroys it. I do, however, think that growth to the point where people in out-of-the-way states can orienteer every week, without spending $10k/yr on travel, is a good thing to shoot for.

I don't think our points are mutually exclusive.

Map Scramble Event Makes Debut at 2011 X-Games

Man crushed in scramble to punch first control in the recent Orient-Show World Games

Earthquake at Norway - US sporting goods stores will run out of Emit cards within a week.

After 30 years of trying, CNOC finally triumph in IOC relays in the prestigious mens +120 category

Scramble in stores for the new SI 76

Local man hears beeping in the woods Dept Homeland Security to investigate

US wins controversial four golds at WOC.
Europeans seek to have NASA developed O-shoes banned.
Swedish spokesman: "The orienteering is not about technology"

USA Orienteering Olympic Gold rescinded after discovery of banned materials used in Axis Gear-developed O-Suits

IOF blocks move of Phoenix Orienteering club move to Hamilton. ;-)

Seriously though this is an excellent exercise and is something that the US does very well at - thinking BIG. Canada has generally not taken this approach until our "Own the Podium" program for Vancouver 2010. Canada's goal to win the most medals in Vancouver (remember Canada has yet to win a gold medal when it hosted an Olympics) has established itself as a win-win-win situation. More money for athletes, more sponsorship, more kids participating in winter sports and super hype of sports and recreation in the country.

These headlines and the goals and plans to achieve them is what gets the attention of sponsors and TV. I especially like the NCAA Final Four headline. There are sooooo many awesome runners in the US College ranks that there needs to be a means to tap that market.

"DisneyWorld signs 5 year deal to host NCAA 'Marsh Madness' Sprint Orienteering Finals"

The US Classic Champs sold out a year in advance for the available 10,000 start times.

Breaking: Moon's dark side is mapped! O - goes ballistic! Night O-ers rejoice!

I think powered travel to the moon would be preferable, z-man.

Ok, how about: Moon's dark side gets mapped! O-ers do it on the Moon, Team USA sweeps Wookies!

It's also worth pointing out that the "dark side" of the Moon is strictly speaking the "far side;" while it never faces Earth, it is illuminated by the sun with the same regularity as the near side.

Britney outsmarts Boris to claim orienteering championship

USGS completes nation-wide LiDAR survey in support of NCAA Orienteering

it's also worth pointing out that the "dark side" of the Moon is strictly speaking the "far side;" while it never faces Earth, it is illuminated by the sun with the same regularity as the near side.

Ha ha, and even strictly-er speaking the dark side of the moon actually gets a bit more sunshine than the side facing Earth. :)

But I am getting off track...

Bethpage Black Golf Course reopens as Long Island's first Orienteering Park to meet demand from newly-athletic New Yorkers.

Tiger Woods joins with Swedish wife Erin to win NA Rogaine Championships.

Obama invites two for a beer after Mall Cop arrests PG during Mall of America Sprint-O
"I didn't recognize him without a beard", claims cop.
"I'm always ready for a free beer" says the younger looking PG.

I'm another contrarian here - I'm with randy 100%. I would not like to see orienteering in any sports page headline.

In the spirit of Glenn's request, though - here is my ideal future for orienteering.

Scholastic leagues within 1/2 hour drive of every town - not necessarily school funded - could be the private "little league" model, volunteer parent-run.

USOF provides financial and logistical support to international teams. US does well in international competiton, but the best North Americans may still choose to move to Europe for better training and competiton opportunites.

So my dream headline would be:

Orienteering blazes a new trail in balancing competiton, eduction and fun.
sub-head:
Other sports seek to emulate it's model

Solid Holographic Orienteering landscapes now a reality.

The sport of orienteering is one of the big winners after the introduction of the new "solid holography technology (SHT)". Orienteers can now compete on an urban sprint style event in the morning, then later that afternoon at the press of a button they can compete in the same "space" on a technically challenging granite map. ............

jjtong says, " I would not like to see orienteering in any sports page headline. "

Why in the world not??

Oh man, holodeck landscapes - when you could in fact offer the same course to competitors... But we'd have to figure out how to program in an annoying individual at control #14 that demands to know where they are and then grabs your map...

From our local paper Friday:
"Junior Orinteerers raise funds with meet, meat"

To ONA: like randy said - I like O as an under the radar alternative sport. Maybe I'm being too selfish, but if O gets big enough to be making regular headlines in the sports pages, then it's character will change (you think map grabbing is bad now ;-).

I'd like O to remain primarily a participation sport rather than a spectator sport, and I'd prefer to see headlines describing US O success on the cover of ONA vs. the cover of SI.

@ ccsteve

It would also add an extra dimension (freedom/challenge?) to course setting. Not sure how we would add the smell and atmosphere of each place for that added realism and experience.

No US Gold at World Champs. Coach's Job on Line.

Rocky Mountain Ramble sets world record

    COLORADO SPRINGS — "We knew this year would be big," said Sherry Litasi, as an endless parade of runners stream across the finish line behind her, "but the record was a surprise." The 37,400 people attending this bi-annual orienteering competition is the most ever recorded at an orienteering event, and it eclipses the nearly 33,000 at last year's Highland Hustle, near New York, NY.
    Litasi is no stranger to big orienteering events, having organized events for international audiences since 1997, when she directed the U.S.-hosted World Masters Orienteering Championships in Minnesota. "We had a couple of thousand Europeans at that one, and we thought, 'wow--that's a lot of people,'' remarked Litasi. "What's funny is that we have at least three times as many overseas participants here," with no championship medals at stake. Litasi retired from organizing the event years ago, and adds, "I'm just out here having a great time running around in the forest with everyone else."
    Litasi's Rocky Mountain Orienteering Club has been hosting events in the Colorado Rockies for decades. Earlier years saw only a couple hundred participants, but the event has taken off in popularity, topping 10,000 participants for the first time only eight years ago. Since then, it has surpassed the four other largest orienteering events in the U.S., as well as unseated Sweden's O Ringen and Finland's Jukola Relay to become the biggest in the world.
    In addition to the nearly 5000 from Europe, the Ramble attracts people from all 50 states, as well as over 2000 Canadian and 300 Mexican athletes, and many more from countries in South America, Africa, Asia, and Oceania.
    For one overseas attendee, this is familiar territory: "I grew up in [Colorado] Springs," said Sandra Zurcher, who lives in Switzerland, "so this still feels like my home turf. It's like a big party, a reunion--so many of my friends and family are here. Plus Marc and the kids haven't stopped talking about it since last time." When asked about the record attendance, Zurcher marveled, "wow--I knew it was over 30,000, but 37 is a surprise!"
    The "surprise" has been a pleasant one for restaurants, hotels, and campgrounds in Park, Teller, and El Paso counties, where the six days of races were held. "We had a few camping spots available last time the Ramble folks came through," said Betty Daniels, proprietor of a bed and breakfast and campground near Woodland Park, "but we were 100% full this year. That's a first for us."

All,

These are great! Keep em coming!

Glen

PS - They are fun too!

Local sports club, Cambridge Sports Union, opens clubhouse on map. Group trainings increase from once a week to 4 times a week. "The Sauna is a nice touch" says club member Ross Smith.

Ross and Eric: brilliant!!

I really like this world we are creating.

Ok; following up on the complete story Eric posted, I'll repost this one.... (spoof of the micro-O concept; now slightly out of date)

New discipline to be added to the 2007 World Orienteering Championships

The International Orienteering Federation (IOF) announced today the addition of the first World Indoor Orienteering Championships to the roster of events at the 2007 World Championships in Kiev, Ukraine.

"This is tremendously exciting for potential sponsors, spectators, the press, and oh yes, for athletes as well" explained Barely Runnäble, IOF's Secretary General. "Although this unveiling of the Indoor Championships is part of the 2007 WOC Program, subsequent Indoor Championships will take place in the winter months. Our long term goal is to have indoor orienteering included in the Winter Olympics", Ms. Runnäble continued. "While foot-O is not a traditional winter sport, the IOF has long recognized that our chances of getting on the Olympics program is much better with the winter rather than summer Olympics."

"The advantages to staging orienteering in an arena are almost endless," explained Ms. Frankly Shöcking, member of IOF's Elite Events Committee. Almost any major city can host the event regardless of what their forest terrain is like. Organizers would actually build the orienteering terrain in the arena, constructing small hills, ponds, marshes and various other obstacles. Staging such events in arenas has worked well for the track and field, cycling, motocross, and in America for events such as "monster truck rallies". Can you imagine 60,000 spectators doing "the Wave" and cheering on the world's best orienteers? We could include betting, cheerleaders, a season-long indoor series -- the sky's the limit," said an enthusiastic Ms. Shöcking.

"The idea is to keep it simple," she explained. The new discipline will include the following features:
 A recommended winning time of 3 minutes (for both men and women);
 Map scale of 1:100; with a contour interval of 0.5 metre;
 Control markers of different sizes;
 Control markers hung at different heights; and
 Use of both the Emit and SportIdent timing systems.
One change competitors will notice is that three new columns will be added to their control descriptions. One new column will give information about the size of the control marker they are required to punch in at. So for example, there may be 3-4 flags visible at a given location, each of slightly different size. The control description will tell them the size of the one they are to punch at. Naturally, this will be different for each control. Likewise with the height at which the flags are hung. Also, competitors will be required to punch in with both the SportIdent and Emit systems, but an 'S' or an 'E' in the control description will let them know which system they should use first.

"The inclusion of these new features builds on the idea that orienteering requires not only physical prowess, but that it requires the utmost in concentration," Ms. Shöcking explained. Full details about how the competition will be organized are explained in the attached guidelines (137pages).

The IOF Elite Events Committee is also studying the feasibility of introducing a number of other disciplines, including:
 Blindfolded Orienteering which will draw on competitors' ability to use "The Force" to navigate;
 Topless Orienteering, for its' logical spectator appeal; and
 Backwards Orienteering, in which competitors will wear specially designed head gear equipped with mirrors.

Jeter Signs Multimillion Dollar Deal to Run for NEOC - HVO Left Stunned.

Musical Version of Kjellstrom's "Be Expert with Map and Compass" Headed for Broadway

Mississippi Supreme court releases 15410 jet sking orienteers, stating that they have not voilate the state's "story of O" anti pornography laws. The HHH, Hall Hudson Highlander champs has a record 212 participants for the $ 5MM prize.

"Orienteering for Not-So-Dummies" by Lisa Carr cracks New York Times non-fiction bestsellers list

State of WY offers multi million dollar tax rebates for the construction of the new 27 story USOF headquarters in Laramie.

State of WY offers multi million dollar tax rebates for the construction of the new 27 story USOF headquarters in Laramie.

... tallest building in entire state

Orienteering follows model of lacrosse, rodeo to emerge as regional varsity high school sport

(Yes, rodeo is an actual varsity high school sport in parts of Texas, Louisiana, Georgia and some other states. Wouldn't expect it catch on in Massachusetts. At least not right away. ;-) Lacrosse has gone more national, but isn't quite ubiquitous yet. Likewise, orienteering may not catch on in all areas of the country at an equal rate.)

Obama Lost on Orienteering White Course, Search Resumes in the Morning

Witnesses said he was headed left and just kept going.

OK, this was all fun and games until you started postulating a 27 story USOF headquarters in Laramie. This is a dystopian fantasy.

Stimulus $$$ to Go for O-map Projects - "It's a Smart Investment" Says White House

Exxon Mobil and Wal-Mart to Co-sponsor US O-Champs for Next 5 Years - Deal Includes $$$ for Junior Development and Mapping

Simone's Autobiography Tops Times' Best Sellers List

IOF Holds Out For Better Offer - Tells IOC to "Take a Hike"

Thousands Show Up To Audition for the Next Season of "So You Think You Can Orienteer"

>Exxon Mobil and Wal-Mart to Co-sponsor US O-Champs for Next 5 Years

Thousands boycott US O-Champs after 5-year Exxon Mobil sponsorship announced

DVOA expands to the West, names itself Death Valley Orienteering Association, BAOC loses half it's members in the first year alone!