Month: January 2025

January OUSA Member Spotlight: Stephanie Ross (OCIN)

This is a transcript of an interview with Stephanie in January, 2025. It has been edited for clarity and length.

Cristina Luis: Right, let’s start with an introduction. 

Stephanie Ross: I am Stephanie Ross and I live in Northern Kentucky, just a little south of Cincinnati. And my home club is Orienteering Cincinnati [OCIN].

Ok, now I would like to hear your orienteering origin story.

I came to orienteering because I needed to learn how to navigate in order to be a better adventure racer. And I think I first started orienteering probably in 2004, I would guess. I did my first adventure race in 2002 and directed my first adventure race in 2003. I thought that because I’ve done one, I must be able to create one. 

(more…)

Georgia Navigator Cup/Masters Nationals Event Recap

Jan 17-20, 2025

  • Friday: Middle Distance NRE
  • Saturday/Sunday: 2-Day Classic (including 2025 Masters Nationals)
  • Monday: Mal Harding Extreme-O
  • Host: Georgia Orienteering Club
  • Venues:
    • Fri: Red Top Mountain State Park
    • Sat-Mon: Sweetwater Creek State Park
  • Event Directors: Fred Zendt (Fri-Sun), Daryl Remick (Mon Extreme-O)
  • Course Designers:
    • Fri: Ron Hojnowski
    • Sat/Sun: Austin Fowler, Fred Zendt (Sat), Siargey Pisarchyk (Sun)
  • Event Website

All photos by Evalin Brautigam for OUSA.

Results, Photos, and Maps

OUSA hosted a course review video online a week after the event.

YMP January Map of the Month

The Youth Mapping Program January Map of the Month feature is Wakamatsu Farm in Placerville, CA. After successfully teaching his fifth-grade students orienteering skills using a YMP-made map at his school, local teacher Danny Lulla wanted to expand his course options by utilizing the historic area surrounding the school, Wakamatsu Farm. Danny worked with the landowner, the American River Conservancy, who include orienteering classes as part of their environmental education program.

Between Danny’s students and the American River Conservancy’s classes, hundreds of young people have been introduced to orienteering and learned valuable navigation skills using this course. According to Danny, the best outcome of having this map is “getting students outdoors and working with maps in a cooperative and fun environment.”

Interested in having a map made of your school? Learn more about the program and apply here.

It’s OUSA Club recharter time!

If you are an officer of an OUSA member club, keep reading!

Orienteering USA club charters run on a calendar-year basis and are now due for renewal. To renew for 2025, complete the renewal form and submit/return it with the required fees and documentation by March 31, 2025. If you fail to meet this deadline, your club will not be covered by the Orienteering USA liability insurance until your charter renewal is received. Please read all of the enclosed instructions.

Full Instructions and a Downloadable Form 

Lists of Current OUSA members by club

Finally, you can access the On-line form.
If you need help or cannot renew on-line, Please contact: shawn.callahan@nullorienteeringusa.org

January Forum: OUSA Coaching Program

OUSA’s next O-Forum will be held January 14th at 8:30pm ET and will discuss the evolution of the Hybrid Level 1+ Coaching Certification Course and how OUSA’s older youth and those supporting them are using this process to grow our coaching capacity nationwide. Hear from some of the coaches about their experiences and how they’re using what they’ve learned. Along the way, we hope you’ll find some inspiration for how this resource might benefit orienteers of all ages in your community.

Learn from the Coaching Committee on January 14th at 8:30pm ET on Google Meet.

Add to your Google Calendar.

Red Rock Canyon Classic NRE Event Recap

Dec 15, 2024

The final NRE of the year took place in the desert northeast of Los Angeles, at the site of the 2022 US Nationals. This event was a great example of the use of the fee-waiver (one-day) National Ranking Events available for every club in OUSA to use once each year. This single day event featured mostly high school students, who were able to pick up national ranking points for attending what would otherwise have been just another event of their local competitive series.

Host: Los Angeles Orienteering
Event Director: Clare Durand
Course setter: John Phillips

Results, Photos, and Maps