Discussion: 12 WRC 2014 to South Dakota USA

The International Rogaining Federation has awarded the 12th World Rogaining Championships to South Dakota USA. The Black Hills Orienteering Club is the host club with Rick Emerson of Peak Assurance as the course designer and organizer. Rick started the Dakota Rogaining Championships in 2010 after designing and helping organize Primal Quest Badlands 2009.

12 WRC 2014 is planned for August 16-17 in the Black Hills of South Dakota. For more information, check out peakassurance.net and look for releases from OUSA and adventure blogs.

IRF President, Neil Phillips, said this is the second time the US has hosted the World Rogaining Championships, following the 6th World Rogaining Championships held 2004 in Arizona. Rogaining in the US started in 1989 when Bob Reddick organized a 24-hour Rogaine east of Seattle and now more than half the states have since held Rogaines.

I raced Primal Quest 09 and the Black Hills will be a great location. It was a real shame the trek we did through the region was cut short by a few checkpoints.

But why didn't you hold it in the Badlands!? That was an amazing place for orienteering/rogaining.

The Black Hills is excellent terrain. The Badlands is both fragile, and although visually spectacular, not really that interesting for a Rogaine. The intricate stuff is confined to a narrow strip surrounded by flat boring grasslands. And it's probably impossible to get permission for -- Badlands is a national park, while Black Hills is a national forest and a state park.

Permits for rogaines in U.S. National Parks have been recently obtained.

Even as far back as the 1988 US Champs, in fact. But that doesn't mean that they'd be amenable to people traipsing up and down the steep stuff in Badlands.

The Badlands are spectacular but sort of all the same after awhile. In the Hills there will be way more variety.

We participated in last year's inaugural Dakota Rogaining Championships and the terrain was beautiful and varied - and the wildlife even more so. It was the first time I'd had to deviate off a bearing to avoid a buffalo!

Here is the IRF Press Release -

NTERNATIONAL ROGAINING FEDERATION

A0040409P

USA AWARDED 12TH WORLD ROGAINING CHAMPIONSHIPS

For immediate release

United States of America has been awarded the 12th World Rogaining Championships in an announcement from
the International Rogaining Federation. The championships are planned for 16-17 August 2014, and will attract
several hundred elite cross-country navigators from all continents. The site selected is the Black Hills of South
Dakota in the north central part of the country.

IRF President, Neil Phillips, said that this will be the second time that USA has hosted the World Rogaining
Championships following the 6th World Rogaining Championships in 2004 in Arizona. Rogaining in the USA
started in 1989 when Bob Reddick organised a 24 hour rogaine east of Seattle, and shortly thereafter, Eric Smith
and colleagues led many rogaines in New York state and surrounds in the east of the country. More than half the
other states of USA have held rogaining events since. The 12th North American Rogaining Championships were
held last year and are rotated between Canada and USA.

IRF Promotion and Development Manager, Alan Mansfield, who leads the whole selection process for World
Rogaining Championships, said that the award to USA was fitting given the growth of the sport in so many
states, and USA’s long involvement in international rogaining activities.

For further information from the International Rogaining Federation:

Neil Phillips
IRF President
+61-417 300 400
neil.phillips@bigpond.com

Alan Mansfield
IRF Promotion and Development Manager
alan.mansfield@optusnet.com.au

4th July 2011
on Monday · Delete Post

Personal thanks to CROC and BHOC for placing in front of the IRF Council excellent proposals.

10WRC 2012 Czech Republic August
11WRC 2013 Russia July
and
12WRC 2014 USA August an interesting sequence .

That is awesome. I won't attend the upcoming US Champs, but I would like to do the 2014 event. That terrain is sweet.

Sounds like a great plan for the Black Hills. The Badlands can be blazing hot at that time of year so, fragile hillsides aside, they would not be a great area.

1989 in WA was the first? Cool; I did that one. Would love to do the Black Hills. It is on my 'to do' list for the great American 48-state raod trip. Maybe 2014 is the year.