Discussion: NAOC 2020 Postponed until 2021

The California Orienteering Festival organizers, after much deliberation, have decided to postpone the festival, including the North American Championships (NAOC) and World Rogaining Championships (WRC), until the summer of 2021. The global health emergency, with its travel and assembly restrictions, means that we cannot hold regional or international championships while protecting the health and safety of our competitors.

The 2021 festival program and event locations will remain the same. We are trying to schedule the event at a similar time frame; we expect the new dates to be confirmed within weeks. Once the dates are approved by the International Orienteering Federation (IOF) and the International Rogaining Federation (IRF) and after we have confirmed with landowners, sponsors, and other stakeholders, we will announce the new dates.

Current registrations are automatically transferred to 2021; you do not have to do anything, your fees will not increase, and you are guaranteed entry! We encourage you to leave your registration in place; however, for those interested in a refund, please visit our updated website registration page for details, or contact the registrar.

We wish you all the best in these difficult times; stay healthy and fit, and we look forward to seeing you in beautiful California for an exciting summer in 2021!

Sincerely,

The Steering Committee of the California Orienteering Festival

Thank you for the update.

Are there any news on whether the California Orienteering Festival will take place in the summer of 2021 in some form? Thanks in advance!

I heard from Gavin (in February) that a go / no-go decision would be made in mid- to late April, partly contingent on the US-Canada border crossing situation.

re: US-CAN border

https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/border-leblanc-hi...

Thanks, Hammer, for the very informative link to CBC News about the current thinking of top Canadian officials. For those who didn't care to chase the link, the essence is:

Intergovernmental Affairs Minister Dominic LeBlanc: "... as vaccination rates go up ... there will be a conversation ... with the American administration and with provinces and territories about what is the right posture at the international borders." but "This doesn't feel like the right moment to have those conversations." "We don't feel ... that we have enough ... robust scientific advice to lay out a map with so many uncertainties."

New Brunswick Premier Blaine Higgs, regarding a Wednesday meeting of provincial leaders with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau: "He suggested that it is a possibility" that the border could reopen for the summer. "But are there any commitments at this point? No, there are not,"

I really pity the NAOC organizers. Such a difficult and stressful situation to be in. I personally suspect that "maybe the border will be open" isn't enough enough of a basis for organizers to commit to holding a competition and for participants to commit to buying plane tickets.

If I may offer a suggestion to pivot the event to just US. We’ve all gone thru and continue to go thru hard times. Certainly it’s not going to be declared over anytime soon (gulp or ever possibly). If possible to keep the event despite the border situation, many would be grateful. It could be made up to our northern and international friends at a future time. I know hope is seemingly hinging on this next border announcement in a couple weeks, but there would have to be a miracle most likely for them to not keep that in place thru June or July at a minimum which obviously is too tight for planning.

It's certainly possible to hold the competition irrespective of the border/travel situation. However, that doesn't mean it would be appropriate for it to be the North American Championships. If it's difficult or impossible for people to get there who are not from the USA (specifically Canada) then it can't be the championships. And given the level of planning and effort that has gone into this event, it may not be viable if it isn't the championships.

I meant change from NA to US championship.

I expect that the question is still whether this would be financially viable for BAOC, as I am guessing foreign participation in WRC and related events was expected to account for a large portion for the income.

As others have said, I do not envy the organizers in their position and fully support whatever decision they end up reaching.

Exactly.

The organisers have the support of the IRF and Orienteering USA to deliver whatever level of event they see best for this year, and in subsequent years if that is required.

I have every confidence that there will be a high quality orienteering and rogaining event in August this year.
Matt Bixley
President IRF

Perhaps they could still have the Bay Area events this summer, then the Tahoe ones next summer.

I doubt the organizers would want all their work to culminate in anything less than NAOC/WRC.

Do not envy the organizers! But at the minute it is looking less and less likely those of us not in the US to make it. At least in Scotland there is still a mandatory only essential travel and if you do it’s £2k to be paid for quarantine in a hotel on return. Could get around that maybe from traveling from London but still. Then again rules changing every 3-6weeks. But I’d have wanted to book flights by now and just too much uncertainty to do so yet.
Whatever the organizers decide we need to support though because not everyone is ever happy and they have to do what’s best for the club and hosting area as well.

Whatever the organizers decide we need to support

Definitely

Canadian residents are now being infected at a higher rate than American residents, including for the first time as of yesterday based on a seven-day rolling average, and Canadian infection, hospitalization and ICU numbers are increasing rapidly. Also Canada apparently is no. 2 in the world in being hit with the dangerous Brazilian variant, which is hospitalizing healthy people in their 30s, 40s and 50s. The question at this point may be not so much whether Canada loosens restrictions on cross-border travel, but whether the US government tightens them.

It's quite possible that sufficient numbers of people in both countries will be fully vaccinated by the beginning of August, but it's hard to see anyone knowing that within the next couple of months.

Canada's short-term quarantine jail hotel stays would be farcical in their ineffectiveness at keeping out variants if the situation wasn't so serious.

Please postpone to 2022.

We'd love to participate from Canada, but it's impossible to plan anything at this point for this summer.

The program looks so outstanding it would just really be too bad to not have the chance to go.

Seems reasonable to keep the event a go as a domestic event if it has to come to that...but hopefully it doesn't come to that. Hope to still make it out there this summer!

We are watching this decision closely, but as a coach that has multiple juniors who have lost two National championships and had so much postponed they are all laser focused on this event. Our team alone has spent tens of thousands on lodging and many have air tickets already which we are being told may not be refunded.

And as part of the committee that had to make the hard choice to postpone then cancel jr nationals I truly feel for the organizers; as I know you have spent additional money this year as well. Our club lost a sizable amount of money having to cancel jr nationals. But I’m hoping the Tahoe events go on as planned in some form whether they are North American champs or not.
I guess either way I have a whole team about 20+ kids and all their families(have already booked places) so they will be there with or without an event if this is canceled and we can’t get full refunds on lodging and air. That means if it’s pushed to the next year we may not get that turn out for our team again. :(
FYI all of those parents and the 16+ are already fully vaccinated.
Anyone 16+ in our area can be vaccinated. I think most Americans 16+ who want to be vaccinated will be in the next month or so. By August I’m thinking 12-15 yr olds may be in that group as well

Looks like the land border closure was extended today, to May 21, 2021. https://help.cbp.gov/s/article/Article-1596?langua...

Temporary Restriction of Travelers Crossing US-Canada and Mexico Land Borders for Non-Essential Purposes

Apr 19, 2021•
Temporary Restriction of Travelers Crossing US-Canada and Mexico Land Borders for Non-Essential Purposes

The United States (U.S.) is cooperating closely with Canada to ensure that North American has a coordinated approach to combating the pandemic caused by the coronavirus also known as COVID-19.

On March 21, 2020, the U.S., Mexico, and Canada temporarily restricted non-essential travel across the US-Canada land borders. These restrictions will remain in effect until 11:59 p.m. EDT on May 21, 2021.

Looks like this is postponed to 2023: https://cal-o-fest.com/#!/

But there will still be US SML Champs + Relay on August 6-9 in Tahoe. Good plan!