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National Orienteering Week
Backgrounder
Until 2008, National Orienteering
week was known as Orienteering
Week In Canada (OWIC). The idea began in 2004 when the
Calgary
orienteering club (FWOC) held a club championships week –
three different races (middle, long, and sprint distances) and
an end-of-season awards party. This event was a tremendous
success and news of it spread over the internet. Several other
clubs expressed interest in holding similar events and as the
discussion grew nation-wide, the
Big Idea was hatched to hold as many club championships as
possible across the country at more or less the same time.
It
was agreed that in 2005 Orienteering Week in
Canada
will take place September 21 – 28. Clubs taking part included
Yukon
,
Vancouver
,
Calgary
,
Edmonton
,
Guelph
,
Ottawa
, and
Hamilton
and several others. Not all clubs are able to hold events on
exactly those dates due to prior commitments and will be a week
or two earlier or later. The format of the races will vary
depending on what is most appropriate for particular clubs.
Generally the schedule includes a middle distance race, a long
distance race, and a sprint followed by an awards party, though
some clubs held just one or two of these races due to volunteer
availability.
There
are many reasons to be part of OWIC. The
Calgary
club found their club champs got lots of people very excited
about orienteering. It got "city park only" people
doing competitive orienteering and really enjoying it. For many
it was the first time using ePunching, running at intensity, and
having exposure to the best quality forest maps. Furthermore it
provides an event with a certain appeal to the media, if we are
interested to pursue that to raise the profile of orienteering.
And most of all, OWIC links the Canadian orienteering community
through a common nation-wide project.
The United States Orienteering
Federation has successfully organized a National Orienteering
Day (NOD) for several years now – over 72 clubs take part and
they get good media coverage. Check www.us.orienteering.org/NOD.html
for more details.
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