Orienteering USA seeks project proposals

As a volunteer run organization, Orienteering USA recognizes that many of our most important initiatives come from our membership. At meetings held during the Fall of 2023, the OUSA Board of Directors discussed ways to promote individuals and clubs to pursue ‘passion projects’ that further the sport at the local, regional and national level. The board has subsequently adopted a strategic focus to sponsor innovation and improve services in orienteering!

We are looking for projects you want to make happen, but don’t have the funding to support. Projects may be of any scope: local, regional, or even national. At the end of your project, we’ll ask you to report back on how it went, at least to the Board, and possibly to a broader audience (especially if your idea is really successful). 

Some examples of ideas we’d like to see take off:

  •   – Innovative ways to increase participation in your area
  •   – Attend or present about orienteering at a conference or to a group
  •   – Purchase equipment that would expand your organization’s capabilities
  •   – Bring in an expert (or be the expert that OUSA sends out to help people with orienteering)
  •   – Host a training camp
  •   – Publicize a major event
  •   – Put on your first major event
  •   – Make a map you otherwise couldn’t support
  •   …and probably many more we haven’t thought to list yet!

Interested? Fill out the Google Form by following this link:

TeamUSA Ski-O Competes in Austria

This press release was originally prepared by US Ski-O Team Coach Carl Fey with edits by Orienteering USA. Photos courtesy Carl Fey.

The 2024 World Ski Orienteering Championships (WSOC) are taking place in Ramsau, Austria from January 23-27. The Junior World Ski Orienteering Championships (JWSOC) and European Youth Ski Orienteering Championships (EYSOC) are being held concurrently on the same maps. The US National Team has skiers competing in all three events.

Ramsau is famous for its Dachstein glacier which is the most famous place in the world for summer skiing and is also a popular place for skiing in the winter with an extensive network of cross-country ski trails and beautiful mountain scenery. The weather conditions have been challenging with warm weather and rain resulting in melting and slow snow making it difficult for organizers and skiers alike. The organizers had to change some of courses less than 24 hours before the races.

US veteran ski orienteer Adrian Owens (GMOC) has had the best US result in the men’s World Championship races this week where he has had a friendly battle with fellow US team member Ari Ofsevit (CSU). To get to the start of the sprint race skiers took a chairlift resulting in fast conditions being mostly downhill through an extensive network of trials requiring quick decisions at high speed. In the sprint race, won by Jörgen Baklid (NOR), Adrian Owens placed 63rd with Ari Ofsevit close behind in 64th separated by a mere 21 seconds.

The grueling pursuit race was a a mass-start long race run as a one-man relay with three loops and Jörgen Baklid once again taking the win. Adrian was 54th and Ari was 55th. When asked about the race Adrian said, “I went and fought and fought on the course and finally made it to the end. There were really a lot of tough climbs today.” In the middle distance Adrian Owens was 59th place and Ari Ofsevit was 61st. When asked about the races in Ramsau US skier Ari Ofsevit replied, “Our hosts here in Ramsau have done an admiral job in somewhat adverse conditions. The long and middle distance races took us through many fields and forests with significant climb before an exhilarating downhill into the stadium”.

The US was represented by Alex Merka (QOC) in the Women’s Junior World Championships. This was Alex’s debut in international ski-o racing. She ended up 33rd in the sprint, 30th in the long race where she showed off great determination and stamina, and had her best race in the middle distance finishing 33rd. When asked about her races she said, “After the sprint race, which was skied in a blinding snowstorm, it was nice to have a sunny day for the long course, but that produce slow snow. I have discovered that long courses in ski-orienteering are really tough physically. I am happy that myself and my skis are durable.”

The US was represented by Erik Fey (ROC) in the Boy’s European Youth Ski-Orienteering Championships. While not quite the results Erik had hoped for, he had impressive results for the US with a 14th in the sprint, a 16th in the long, and an 18th in the middle. Erik showed off his skiing speed staying near the front for the first five controls in the long mass-start race, however, he was not able to turn this into the results he had hoped for. Erik said, “This was my first time to race in the hilly Alps which was a good experience but created very different orienteering route choices from what I am used to. It inspires me to be here, and I will train even harder for next year.”

The racing concludes with the relay races on January 27th. Races have been covered live on TV in several countries and can also be viewed on IOF TV (live or via replay). The team expressed their thanks to the great cooking by US Ski-O Team Cook and motivator Allison Van Akkeren who is the former US Biathlon Team cook and cooked healthy dinners for a hungry team all week. The team also expressed their thanks to US Team Coach Carl Fey for his long days of waxing, support at the races, attending team leaders meetings, and briefing team members in the evening. The US team has often not had a coach at international ski-o races and several team members mentioned this was much appreciated so that they could focus more on racing.

The US Ski-Orienteering Team would like to say a big thank you to Orienteering USA and other supporters this year. The US Ski-O Team hopes to field an even larger team at international races next year. This is only possible with financial support from Orienteering USA and others. Donations, which may be designated for the US Ski-O Team, can be made at: https://orienteeringusa.org/support/

For more information about the US Ski-Orienteering Team or how to qualify, please contact Adrian Owens, Chairperson of the US Ski-O Team Executive Committee at: aowens@nullsterlingcollege.edu

2024 Anza-Borrego Desert Orienteering Festival Event Recap

January 13-15, 2024

  • Events:
    • Adventure Trek (mini-rogaine)
    • Middle Distance Maze
    • Night-O Goat
    • Classic NRE
  • Host: San Diego Orienteering
  • Venue: Anza-Borrego State Park, Borrego Springs CA
  • Event Director: Mark Prior
  • Event Website

Results, Photos & Maps

2024 Georgia Navigator Cup Event Recap

January 12-15, 2024

  • Friday: Middle Distance NRE
  • Saturday/Sunday: 2-Day Classic
    • including Southeastern Interscholastic Championships
  • Monday: Mal Harding Extreme-O
  • Host(s): GAOC (Fri-Sun) & VOC (Mon)
  • Venue: Red Top Mountain State Park, Cartersville, GA
  • Event Director: Fred Zendt
  • Course Designers:
    • Fri: Sam Smith
    • Sat: Andi Berger
    • Sun: Austin Fowler
  • Event Website

Results, Photos & Maps

2024 Iain Wilson Award Applications Now Open

For the past 10 years, the Wilson Awards, in partnership with Orienteering USA, have supported young, developing orienteers through the Iain Wilson Character through Competition Awards for outstanding character in orienteering. The award is intended to assist with the cost of education, training, and travel to local, regional and international orienteering events. For 2023 the Wilson awardees were Ben Brady from Cascade Orienteering Club and Alex Merka from Quantico Orienteering Club. Both athletes were subsequently chosen to compete for TeamUSA at the Junior World Championships in Romania this past July.

Ben writes “Orienteering, especially in the United States, is a difficult sport logistically as often times races will be on opposite ends of the country, and getting valuable orienteering experience in unfamiliar terrain requires many expensive plane flights and hotel accommodations. This fact is made even worse if you want to travel overseas. Through the Iain Wilson Award’s generosity, a large portion of my recent trip to Romania was funded, giving me the support to not only have an incredible orienteering experience, but also to improve my skills in the sport.”

After JWOC concluded, Alex came back to the US briefly to compete in the North American Orienteering Championships for TeamUSA as well as teaming up with her mother to compete in the 24 Hour World Rogaining Championships at Lake Tahoe.
In early August Alex moved to Czechia to study at Charles University and broaden her orienteering opportunities, competing for TeamUSA in the 2nd round of the Orienteering World Cup in Czechia days after arriving there.
Read more about Alex’s adventures since moving to Czechia in this TeamUSA blog post.

Ben and Alex both made excellent use of their ’23 Wilson Awards and applications are now being accepted for the 2024 Character through Competition Award as well as the 2024 Wilson Community Growth Grant which supports programs that bring orienteering to youth around the country.

Online forms as well as printable versions for both programs are available now on the Orienteering USA website. Visit this Application Link to apply today. Applications are due by February 15th, 2024.

Information and press releases on previous award recipients can be found in this document from the OUSA Library.

2024 JWOC & WUOC Team Selection Criteria Announced

In 2024 it will be possible for young athletes of Junior age and of College age to participate in one combined Team Trials event to qualify for two teams if eligible. The Team Trials event for the IOF 2024 Junior World Orienteering Championships (JWOC) as well as for the FISU 2024 World University Championship Orienteering (WUOC) will be all races of the Flying Pig XXVI / 2024 OUSA Masters Nationals, held April 5 – 7 in Ohio and hosted by OCIN. The Team Trials races will be identified accordingly in the EventReg registration process.

At the November 13, 2023 Orienteering USA Board Meeting, the Rules Proposal from the National Team for WUOC / JWOC selections changes was approved, with the final wording of the new rules still to be published. These new rules allow for all FISU WUOC eligible athletes to participate in the races designated for team selection, while the old rules allowed only the athletes eligible to participate in the USA Intercollegiate races to be eligible for selection by races, forcing a significant number of other WUOC eligible athletes to have to rely on petitioning to be selected. Furthermore, the alignment of WUOC and JWOC selection rules to be based on IOF and FISU eligibility, with the courses for the trials being the same for an athlete (e.g. the same Red course for all Team Trials Male athletes, independent of age), makes it possible for athletes eligible for both teams to participate in one combined Team Trials event for WUOC and JWOC.

The 2024 Junior World Orienteering Championships will take place from June 30 – July 7, 2024 in Pilsen, Czechia. An official pre-JWOC training will be hosted the week prior to the championships, with the US Team intending to start training June 24, 2024. Orienteering USA’s combined JWOC/WUOC Selection Committee will choose up to six young male and six young female athletes to represent the USA at JWOC ’24.

The 2024 World University Championships Orienteering will take place from August 1 – 5, in Bansko, Bulgaria, with Team arrival no later than July 30. Orienteering USA’s combined JWOC/WUOC Selection Committee will choose up to six young male and six young female athletes to represent the USA at WUOC ’24.

The full 2024 JWOC Team Selection Criteria and 2024 WUOC Team Selection Criteria documents can be found in the Orienteering USA Library.

Note to Petitioners: Petitioners who can not attend the Team Trials will still be required to register for the Team Trials as Non-Compete and fill in the declaration page, whether for the JWOC team, the WUOC team or both teams. Petitioning information will be collected through EventReg during registration – whether competing in the trials races, or entering as Non-Compete.

Both events have races for accompanying supporters and other orienteers, the Czech O-Tour during JWOC, and the WUOC Tour during WUOC.

2023 Annual Fundraising Campaign

November 2023
Dear Friend of Orienteering,

As an orienteer, you understand the thrill of navigating through unfamiliar terrain. Orienteering is not just a sport; it’s an adventure. Through your support, Orienteering USA can bring more adventure to more people.

OUSA is embarking on a new strategic direction with a focus on improving services and sponsoring innovation. We believe that these initiatives will help the sport of orienteering to succeed into the future.

Improving Services

Through website improvements, educational programs, and monthly online forums, OUSA wants to connect everyone with the resources they need. Whether a club is looking to improve their events or an athlete is looking to improve their performance, we want to help. We will also continue to support our teams and juniors in their quest for competitive excellence.

Sponsoring Innovation

OUSA is also committed to supporting innovative ideas for the future of orienteering. We will provide funding for clubs or individuals who want to try out new ideas, expand their reach, or learn from the experiences of other organizations.

Your Support is Needed

OUSA cannot achieve these ambitious goals without the support of our members and donors. Make a one-time donation or a monthly recurring donation. Your contributions will help us to:

  • Provide grants to clubs and individuals that are helping to grow orienteering.
  • Fund junior orienteers who want to improve their skills or learn more about event management or mapping.
  • Support our teams with funding for international competitions.

DONATE ONLINE NOW

Orienteering USA is a Section 501(c)3 nonprofit. Your gift may qualify as a charitable deduction for federal income tax purposes and for employer matching.

Sincerely,

Clare Durand
President, Orienteering USA

1405 S. Fern Street #90654
Arlington, VA  22202

Queen of the Hills Event Recap

November 4-5, 2023

  • 2-Day Classic – combined time
  • Host: DVOA
  • Venues:
    • Sat: Iron Hill Park
    • Sun: Fair Hill Park
  • Event Director: Angelica Riley
  • Course Setters:
    • Sat: Sergey Ryzhkov
    • Sun: Bob Agosta
  • Event Website

Results, photos, maps

Orienteering USA Introduces Monthly Forum Series

Orienteering USA is introducing a monthly series of Orienteering Forums focusing on a wide variety of topics suggested by OUSA participants and clubs.  Our first Forum topic will be of particular interest to Event Directors, Volunteers, and Club Officers since we will be sharing best practices on how we run our local events. Did we change our procedures for Covid? Are we keeping some of these changes? What are we doing to make hosting our events easier and safer?

The inaugural Monthly Orienteering Forum will be on Tuesday, November 14, at 8:30-9:30 PM Eastern Time on Google Meet at https://meet.google.com/ama-bpex-yrv. Forum participation is open to all interested persons regardless of experience level. Whether you’re a veteran event organizer, or a newcomer interested in learning more, please plan to join us for these monthly meetings.

For our November forum, Don Fish, Sharmagh Yepremian and Beatri Bennett will get us started with a presentation on Quantico Orienteering Club’s newly updated Event Director’s Manual, reflecting changes made in recent years as the COVID-19 pandemic waxed and waned.

After the presentation we will have a round-table discussion of not only QOC’s manual & procedures, but open the discussion to forum participants to share how their club makes events run more smoothly. So if you are interested in improving the way your club runs local events, plan on joining us on November 14th and feel free to bring along some ideas to share with the group.

Orienteering USA is planning to host these meetings on a monthly basis, alternating between Tuesdays and Thursdays. Odd numbered months i.e. Jan, March, May etc. will be on the 2nd Tuesday.  Even numbered months i.e. Feb, April, June etc. will be on the 2nd Thursday. 

Future forums will discuss a variety of topics with your suggestions welcome (particularly if the suggester is also up for presenting).  Suggestions can be made via ClubNet (https://groups.google.com/a/orienteeringusa.org/g/clubnet) so others can chime in.

We will always get together on Google Meet at https://meet.google.com/ama-bpex-yrv however we have also created a Facebook Event – if you want to let us know you are interested or wish to start some online discussion either before or after the forum takes place. Keep discussions civil, we will delete inappropriate or off-topic posts.

We look forward to seeing you. 

Joseph Huberman, VP Club Services
Jon Torrance, VP Competition
Clinton Morse, Communications Manager