Discussion: Big Break Orienteering??
in: Orienteering; General
Sep 8, 2017 2:15 PM
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The Golf Channel in the US runs a reality show called the Big Break where aspiring professional golfers get to test their skills in an elimination format over a period of several weeks.
Was I dreaming it or did someone in the last couple of weeks post information about a Big Break style orienteering competition? If so I'd love to know where to find it. Last night I woke up thinking how such a competition would be a great way to reinforce the importance of breaking down and learning the various orienteering skills in a quasi competitive format.
So does anyone have any information?
If I were doing it I'd bring the kids in for a day, set up a circuit where the participants would be scored going through several stations - pace counting, compass course, recognizing map symbols, line-O, recognizing control description symbols etc.
Each skill would be scored then as the last event they would have a chase start race with the top point-getter going first and and each other going one minute per point behind later. First to the finish wins.
What do you think? Is someone doing it a better way?
Was I dreaming it or did someone in the last couple of weeks post information about a Big Break style orienteering competition? If so I'd love to know where to find it. Last night I woke up thinking how such a competition would be a great way to reinforce the importance of breaking down and learning the various orienteering skills in a quasi competitive format.
So does anyone have any information?
If I were doing it I'd bring the kids in for a day, set up a circuit where the participants would be scored going through several stations - pace counting, compass course, recognizing map symbols, line-O, recognizing control description symbols etc.
Each skill would be scored then as the last event they would have a chase start race with the top point-getter going first and and each other going one minute per point behind later. First to the finish wins.
What do you think? Is someone doing it a better way?
Sep 8, 2017 3:51 PM
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Sounds fun. I love chase starts and mass starts. I would definitely include a purely physical obstacle course as part of your circuit, because that's a huge part of this sport.
Sep 8, 2017 5:57 PM
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Is someone doing it a better way?
Interesting to read this question after last night JJ posted the "Overall Results" from the corn maze races on Saturday. I saw that this morning and sent the results link to my son's new HS cross-country coach (who I don't even know yet, other than a handshake and exchange of names at the first meet on Tuesday) pointing out that Nathan finished 3rd overall.
A few minutes later he wrote me back:
That's awesome! Wow that's really amazing - I looked up the aerial view and some of the previous years. Pretty cool designs, but probably pretty challenging as well.
Then I went out for a run and got to thinking... What if we had a series of "Corn Maze Racing" events and we invited all the nearby high-school XC teams? What could make for a better intro to the sport? No risk of losing any kids, minimal risk of injury, fast running, intense navigating right from the start. You can run at the same venue year after year on a brand new map each time. No real need for compass, pace-counting, special symbols to learn. Get 'em hooked first and then start dragging the carrot out into the forest later.
Interesting to read this question after last night JJ posted the "Overall Results" from the corn maze races on Saturday. I saw that this morning and sent the results link to my son's new HS cross-country coach (who I don't even know yet, other than a handshake and exchange of names at the first meet on Tuesday) pointing out that Nathan finished 3rd overall.
A few minutes later he wrote me back:
That's awesome! Wow that's really amazing - I looked up the aerial view and some of the previous years. Pretty cool designs, but probably pretty challenging as well.
Then I went out for a run and got to thinking... What if we had a series of "Corn Maze Racing" events and we invited all the nearby high-school XC teams? What could make for a better intro to the sport? No risk of losing any kids, minimal risk of injury, fast running, intense navigating right from the start. You can run at the same venue year after year on a brand new map each time. No real need for compass, pace-counting, special symbols to learn. Get 'em hooked first and then start dragging the carrot out into the forest later.
This discussion thread is closed.