Discussion: First-Ever U.S. MTBO Team Announced

In the most-recent Orienteering USA E-newsletter (June 2012), Peter Goodwin, President, and Glen Schorr, Executive Director, reported: "For the first time ever" Orienteering USA is fielding a team to represent the United States at the World Mountain Bike Orienteering Championships. Centered around Veszprém, Hungary, there is a model event on August 19, 2012, and championship events running through August 25, 2012. These "world championships will include over 300 riders from 24 nations."

"The members of this all-female team are Susan Grandjean (CROC), Rebecca Jensen (COC), and Abra McNair (CROC). All have raced in both USA Cycling MTB competitions as well as in A-meets. Demonstrating another link between the various O disciplines, Susan (originally a member of CNYO) was on three previous Ski O squads, most recently in 2009."

"MTBO has a fine future in North America, and these athletes are leading the way. While the MTBO effort was too new to be included in the 2012 Orienteering USA budget (which provided significant funding to almost all other teams), if you're a fan of mountain biking and orienteering you can help Team USA and the sport by donating now. Donations made before July 1 will be worth twice as much to the Team thanks to a matching grant from an anonymous donor, so please donate now by clicking this link and selecting "Team USA - Mountain Bike Team" as the program to receive your donation. More is always better, but even if it's just $5, every donation helps!"

QOC is cutting the MTBO team in for a slice - $250 - of our giving to the teams this year. I hope MTBO will generate a comparably wide base of support to other teams in time but it probably isn't there yet so it's nice to hear about the matching grant.

This isn't "...the first time ever..." Carl Fey represented the US at WMTBOC in 2006 in Finland. I'm not sure if we ever sent anyone prior to that. This is the first organized effort to put together a team that I know of.

I love Veszprem!

One person is not a team.

QOC, THANK YOU for your donation!! The team is certainly excited to be breaking more ground for establishing MTB-O in the USA!

Cheers,

Rebecca Jensen, USA MTB-O Team Member

Go Team! I was a spectator at the 2006 MTB WOC. It looked pretty awesome!

If this west-coast MTBO team wants to train during the summer, you should consider swinging down through California to Boggs Mountain. The terrain has stood in for Hungary before, and there are some really nice trails!

Bogg's Mountain is awesome! It would be a great mtbo venue.

+1 for an MTBO A-Meet at Boggs. How about a West Coast MTBO Team Trials for the 2013 MTBO Team?

Back to this year: any more clubs with the zeal and weal (or zen and yen?) to help support the MTBO team?

I dont MTB myself, but Gay City in CT sees a lot of mountain bike activity, would be a great venue as would Bear Brook in NH. This from association with folks I know that do ride...

My mom just donated some money to help me go to Hungary! Have you asked your mom yet?
And you know what's better than that? It's doubled thanks to our anonymous donor doubler! Smart lady, thank you!

My mum didn't give me anything. She says I should support my own mountain biking ambitions.

Actually that's a lie. She asked if I was going over for rogaining.

Our local weeknight adventure race will be benefiting the MTB-O team!

Any events in your area that might want to contribute?

http://www.runbosco.com/2012/06/beast-union-bay-ur...

An MtbO A event at Boggs Mountain Forest is in Get Lost!!'s plans for an autumn weekend in 2013 in conjunction with BAOC's planned camping weekend (the foot-O events will possibly not be A meets). Two other mapped Northern California venues in which mountain biking is allowed and the trail network is substantial are China Camp and Annadel. Both are state parks slated for closure, and BAOC was evicted from both at some point in the recent past. It looks like (1) closure is being averted at both, and (2) prospects for orienteering are looking much better than a couple years ago. Certainly on-trail-only MtbO shouldn't be a great big problem to permit.

This all being said, Get Lost!! would be super happy to put on more MtbO events if there are willing participants. Lack of venues is not the problem. Insurance and permit costs are substantial, and given the turnout at our bike-friendly rogaines, continuing to put these on is difficult to justify. We hope to try again in 2013.

Great news. Congratulations. It was a pity you could not make it to Italy last year. Good luck!

Great to have US representation. No grizzlies entering the masters events? It's on the way to the rogaine champs just a week later. Rebecca, guess you'll be the one with the head-cam?

Thanks Columbia River Orienteering Club (CROC) for the wonderful donation to OUSA to support our team to the Worlds in Hungary!
Your support is going to help us make history and will give me a little boost up the hills :)
Thanks again!
-Sue

Thank you to the Cascade Orienteering Club (COC) for matching CROC's donation to the US MTBO Team!

We are excited to blaze the way!

Cheers,

Rebecca