Tag: orienteering

US Ski Orienteering Team Heads to Finland for World Championships

Chris Burnham, Cambridge Sports Union (CSU), and Nikolay Nachev, Cascade Orienteering Club (COC), will race in Kemi, Finland March 15-19, 2022 in the World Ski Orienteering Championships. The pair will be joined by Erik Fey, of Espoon Suunta, who will race in the European Youth Ski Orienteering Championships held concurrently with WSOC.

Kemi is in northern Finland, a long way for Chris and Nikolay, but not as far for Erik who lives with his family in Espoo, a suburb of Helsinki.

The WSOC races for Chris and Nikolay will be the Sprint March 15, Pursuit March 16 and Middle Friday March 18. Erik’s EYSOC races will be the Sprint on Tuesday March 15 and the Middle Wednesday March 16.

Chris lives in Stowe, VT and competed at the WSOC in Pitea, Sweden in 2019. He has extensive Nordic experience, placing an outstanding second place in last month’s Birkebeiner Classic 55 km marathon in Hayward, WI out of 1,600 competitors.

Nikolay, from Redmond, WA, also is a top athlete, on the winning team at the North American Rogaining Championships last year in Lake Tahoe, CA. He has previously raced in World Cup ski orienteering races and at SWOC in Tanndalen Sweden in 2011.


Erik, currently living in Finland and being 13 years old, is unknown to most US orienteers, but has raced extensively in Finland, one of the world’s most competitive ski orienteering countries.

To prepare for the races during winter school holidays this year Erik went to Sweden to take part in the open youth races at Swedish Ski-Orienteering Championships and finished 1st and 2nd in the boys 14 class.  Erik commented, “It was a good experience to race in Sweden two weeks ago and see that I could do well against people there as well as in Finland.  This gave me increased confidence for the upcoming European Youth Ski-Orienteering Championships.” 

Erik was 4th in a close race in H15 in Finnish Medium Distance Ski-Orienteering Championships this year.  He did not race in the Finnish Long Distance Championships as one must be turning 15 in the calendar year to do so.  When asked about his goals for the upcoming European Youth Ski-Orienteering Championships Erik continued, “Since I am only 13 and my category at European Youth Ski-Orienteering Championships is 17 and under my main goal for this year is to gain experience in international racing and not make any mistakes larger than 15 seconds.” 

Erik represents Espoon Suunta in ski-orienteering and orienteering and Espoon Hiihtoseura in cross-country skiing. Both clubs are among the top in Finland. Erik is coached by Carl Fey (his father and former US Ski-O Team member) and Tero Jantunen. When asked why he likes ski-orienteering Erik responded, “I love the technical difficulty and feeling of flying down hills on winding narrow trails. The steeper and bigger the better. Normal cross-country skiers don’t know what they are missing!”

Press release courtesy Ken Walker Sr.

Youth Mapping Feature – March 2022

This month we feature a great example of how a small school map project can build into something bigger to benefit the community at large. From Bill Cusworth, mapper:

An example of an OUSA Youth Mapping Program (YMP) project that started small and grew into something bigger is the Gold Trail School located near Placerville, California. This project was the very first YMP project to be requested and the first one finished in February 2020. I was the mapper on that project before I joined the YMP committee a few months later as a map consultant. Danny Lulla is the 5th grade teacher who requested the map. He was directed to the YMP program after contacting the local orienteering club, Gold Country Orienteers, based in Sacramento.

After successfully using the school map with his students to teach them orienteering, Danny decided that he wanted to expand his course options by using the area that surrounds the school, Wakamatsu Farm. The farm is a historic landmark, the original site of the Wakamatsu Tea and Silk Farm Colony, established June 8, 1869 , the first Japanese colony in the USA. It is the birthplace of the first Japanese American and contains the gravesite of the first Japanese immigrant buried in the USA.

Wakamatsu Farm was too large (1.1 sq km) a project to fall within the scope of the YMP, so Danny secured a $1000 grant from the El Dorado County Office of Education to pay for the new map. Danny asked me to make the map and the map was completed in June 2021 and Danny set about organizing an event there, working with the landowner – the American River Conservancy (ARC).

I worked with Danny with some technical details on how to set up an orienteering course. The event took place on December 2 and with 63 fifth graders and was a successful Score-O with 20 controls. ARC has been very receptive to using the land for orienteering and is open to having a public orienteering event in the future. The folks at ARC even produced an introductory video and flyer to help students become familiar with the activity.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E1PIVvLzTzo
Introductory Video

The area is suitable for some nice middle distance courses and Gold Country Orienteers will likely hold an event in the future, especially after the map is updated with some brand new LiDAR data.

It all starts with connecting local youth organizations with a local club and through the Youth Mapping Program getting a map made to generate the initial interest in orienteering within the local community. The YMP committee would like your assistance in making these initial connections and is asking you to reach out to the folks you know in your local community – teachers, scout leaders, parks & recreation departments – to let them know about the YMP and how they can get a high quality orienteering map for their organization, often for very little out of pocket cost. YMP maps are the seeds for growing a new generation of orienteers, help us spread these seeds by suggesting it to contacts in your own local community.

Photos courtesy Danny Lulla.
Application for YMP Map.

OUSA Announces Masters Nationals for 2022 & 2023

At its board meeting this past Monday, the OUSA board approved not one, but two bids for national championship events.

The 2022 OUSA Masters Nationals will be hosted by the New England Orienteering Club (NEOC) on October 8-9, 2022 on a brand new map of Bigelow Hollow State Park in Union, CT on the CT/MA border.

Early October is fall foliage season in southern New England – don’t miss it!


The 2023 OUSA Masters Nationals will be hosted jointly by the Buffalo Orienteering Club (BFLO) and Rochester Orienteering Club (ROC) on Sept 23-24, 2023. Saturday’s event will be held at Sprague Brook, about 25 miles SE of Buffalo, then the action heads to the east side of Letchworth SP about 50 miles S of Rochester for Sunday. If you want a sneak peek – don’t miss this year’s Billygoat which will be held on the west side of the gorge at Letchworth in conjunction with the Overlook NRE the weekend of May 7-8, 2022.

Both events are now listed on the OUSA National Calendar – links to event information and registration will be updated as details are published.

Youth Mapping Program – 2021 Summary

The Youth Mapping Program supports the mission of Orienteering USA, with a focus on the goals of increasing participation and teaching map reading and navigation skills. We match schools and youth organizations with cartographers, provide grants for maps, develop mappers, and encourage relationships between local clubs and schools. Mappers can become part of the program by signing up here; schools and youth organizations can apply to get a map made here. 

As of our last report to the OUSA Board, the program had produced 33 completed maps, with 13 more in progress and 12 in the planning stages, for a grand total of 58 map projects. Finished maps can be viewed using the locator map on the OUSA website. Many kids have orienteered on the finished maps. We also publish example stories of map use on the OUSA website, you can view these here.

We are asking all OUSA member clubs to publicize this mapping program to schools and youth organizations in your area. For each map that is made, several educators have the opportunity to teach dozens or hundreds of children about orienteering. Please contact the committee if you have any questions. A good way to get started might be to ask your members to share with any school or youth group contacts a link to the YMP page. 

The YMP maps have already been used by hundreds of children and adults. PE teachers have created new orienteering units. JROTC units have conducted training on the maps. Parks and Recreation departments have collaborated with local Scouts and orienteering clubs to create permanent courses. 

The volunteers on the YMP Committee are orienteers who also teach kids or make maps themselves. We welcome additional volunteers, including people who can help with outreach to educators. Email us to find out how you can support the effort!

Announcing the 2022 US National Team

The Selection Committee for the US National Orienteering Team is excited to announce the new merged team for 2022! We got a taste of what is to come at the WRE/NRE races in Georgia a few weeks ago. Along with upcoming domestic NREs this year, we also have The World Games, Sprint WOC, JWOC, WUOC, and World Cup competitions to look forward to.

I’d like to thank my fellow Selection Committee members, Eric Weyman and Boris Granovskiy, for their knowledge and interest in the process of determining the 2022 Team.

Peggy Dickison
US National Team Selection Committee Chair

Elite Squad

  • Ali Crocker (CROC)
  • Anthony Riley (DVOA)
  • Anton Salmenkyla (FIN)
  • Eric Bone (COC)
  • Greg Ahlswede (DVOA)
  • Joseph Barrett (QOC)
  • Ricardo Schaniel (SWI)
  • Thomas Laraia (MNOC/SCOT)
  • Tori Borish (RMOC)

Performance Squad

  • Alison Campbell (DVOA/SCOT)
  • Danny Riley (CAOC)
  • Diana Aleksieva (QOC)
  • Evalin Brautigam (WCOC/AUSTRALIA)
  • Jessica Colleran (COC)
  • Julia Doubson (BAOC)
  • Michael Laraia (MNOC/GER)
  • Peter Zakrevski (BGR)
  • Sydney Fisher (QOC)

Junior Squad

  • Aidan Minto (ICO)
  • Alex Merka (QOC)
  • Annika Mihata (COC)
  • Ava Suhocki (DVOA)
  • Ben Brady (COC)
  • Bridget Hall (NEOC)
  • Emilia Schmidt (QOC/FIN)
  • Keegan Harkavy (NEOC)
  • Kirsten Mayland (DVOA)
  • Lily Addicott (GAOC)
  • Victor Frolenko (DVOA)
  • Zariah Zosel (COC)

Alison Campbell joins US National Team ESC

At a team meeting held during last weekend’s events at the Georgia O-Fest, members of the 2021 US National Team voted to elect Alison Campbell to a seat on the US National Team Executive Steering Committee (ESC).

Alison has been a member of the US Team for over 10 years competing as part of the Development, Performance and Elite squads during her tenure on the team. Originally from the Philadelphia area (DVOA) she currently lives and competes in Glasgow, Scotland.

Alison is stepping into the ESC spot vacated by Giacomo Barbone who is stepping down having completed his term. OUSA would like to express our sincere thanks to Giacomo for his service to TeamUSA during his term on the ESC. Alison and Giacomo are pictured here at the World Cup Sprint Relay in Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy last October.

Peggy Dickison (QOC) was re-elected to the ESC for another term and will continue in her role as acting Committee Chair. Peggy is pictured here handling the starts for the 2021 Team Trials held last May.

Rounding out the ESC for 2022 are:

  • Linda Kohn – Administrator
  • Greg Ahlswede
  • Eric Bone
  • Virginia DeBons
  • Jeff Saeger
  • Samantha Saeger

Stay tuned for an important announcement about the 2022 US National Team early next week. With the recent merger of the Senior & Junior Teams into a single entity we are excited about the future prospects for TeamUSA.

2022 Georgia O-Fest Recap

January 14-17, 2022

  • Official Event Website
  • Event Director: Charlie Bleau
    • UWG Course Setter: Fred Zendt
    • FDR Course Setter: Andi Berger
    • Registrar: Rick Shane
  • Friday: University of West Georgia, Carrollton, GA
    • Sprint WRE
    • Sprint NRE
  • Saturday: FDR State Park, Pine Mountain, GA
    • Middle Distance WRE
    • Classic Distance NRE Day 1
    • Southeast Interscholastic Championships Day 1
  • Sunday: FDR State Park, Pine Mountain, GA
    • Long Distance WRE
    • Classic Distance NRE Day 2
    • Southeast Interscholastic Championships Day 2
  • Monday: FDR State Park, Pine Mountain, GA
    • Mal Harding Extreme-O

Friday Photos:

Friday Media:

Saturday Photos:

Saturday Media:

Sunday Photos:

Sunday Media:

Monday Media:

OUSA Junior Development Team expands into Youth Development Program

As originally conceived, the Junior Development Team was intended to encourage and support kids who simply love orienteering – with competitive aspirations an option but not a requirement.  

The recent merger of the competitive Senior Team and the Junior National Team allows us to hone in on this original conception by expanding on existing training, coaching and Youth Mapping Program initiatives. We envision a Youth Development Program to support youth and young adults in developing their competitive interests as well as mapping, event direction, course design, sport journalism, or other aspects of orienteering that they love.  

The program can connect orienteers from all disciplines with peers, experts, and coaches as part of building Orienteering Development Model Stage 4 capacity and community across the sport. Youth participants will have the opportunity to increase their skills, connect with other orienteers, and develop relationships in the community that support their continued participation in the sport as they transition into independent adulthood.  All participants will have access to OUSA resources to work in areas such as mapping, sport photography and marketing, youth coaching, or competitive orienteering below the national team level. Participants will have access to existing education and coaching resources and can apply to use funding designated for Youth Development in their projects. 

Orienteering USA is  looking for people interested in both supporting and participating in this program. We especially need people who are well-connected within their local orienteering community to help build these important connections. Once we have identified a team of 3-5 people to support this effort, we will publish forms for youth and adults to indicate interest in participation.  Interested in helping us get started?  Let us know here.

US Team Merger Announced

Orienteering USA is excited to announce the merger of the US National Team, aka TeamUSA, with the US Junior National Team to create a single, unified US National Team beginning in 2022. This merger will provide a more streamlined pathway for competitive junior athletes interested in advancing to the elite level.

Starting in 2022, the National Team will consist of three tiers: the Elite Squad, the Performance Squad, and the Junior Squad. The Elite Squad will consist of those athletes who consistently perform at a high level and are deemed most likely to be selected for WOC, WC or TWG teams. Performance Squad athletes also perform at a high level but may not yet be consistent picks for international team selection. The Junior Squad will encompass all Team members age 20 and under but are fully eligible to take part in all team activities and to compete for spots on the international event teams. Team selection for races such as JWOC and WUOC will of course be subject to the age restrictions of the individual competitions.

Applications for the 2022 US National Team were announced in December and athletes interested in applying for this year’s team should have submitted their applications. The entry period for 2022 is now closed. Stay tuned for an upcoming announcement about the revised Junior Development Program which will include exciting new options for youth orienteers beyond the competitive track.

National Team Applications for 2022 now being accepted.

Starting in 2022, the National Team will consist of three tiers: the Elite Squad, the Performance Squad, and the Junior Squad. The Elite and Performance squads will reflect what the Selection Committee feels is the potential of an athlete making a WOC or WG team and the Junior Squad will be for all athletes born after 2001. Juniors are eligible to compete for and be a member of the WOC, World Cup, and/or World Game teams and to participate fully in all Team activities. Four of the nine members of our 2021 WOC Team were also Junior National Team members. If you normally run M/F 20 or M/F 21 then you are encouraged to apply to the National Team.

If you intend to apply to be a National Team member, please fill out the 2022 National Team Application Form as well as the 2022 Athlete Agreement Form and submit no later than January 8th, 2022.