Hanover
Dartmouth will host the North American Orienteering Championships, a biennial event sanctioned by the International Orienteering Federation. It pits the top orienteering athletes from the U.S. and Canada — plus some of the best from around the world, along with amateurs — in a series of races where navigational skills are equally important to speed.
More than 500 athletes from the U.S., Canada and Europe have pre-registered, and more are expected on race days. Those from the U.S. and Canada who belong to one of the their country’s national federations will be eligible to earn points for their nation in competing for the Bjorn Kjellstrom Cup, issued to the top cumulative North American point-scorer.
Those 21 and under from the U.S. and Canada will be vying for the Future Champions Cup, while many from Europe will be hoping to improve their international standing. Others will be participating simply for enjoyment’s sake, though it can be a bit difficult for beginners.
Succeeding requires adept use of a compass as well as topographical map-reading skills to help navigate the courses, which vary in distance and elevation change based on the ages and abilities of classes. Time limits are imposed as competitors carry a computer chip to register at a series of checkpoints, also known as controls, along the routes.
“Some people call it ‘the thinking sport’ because it tests your mental ability as much as physical ability,” said Peter Goodwin, a Wolfeboro, N.H., resident who recently stepped down as president of USA Orienteering, the country’s national governing body and co-host of the event. “There’s definitely an endurance aspect to it. You’re moving quickly, but you’ve got to read the map to figure out how to get from point ‘A’ to point ‘B.’ ”
Hanover’s Storrs Pond Recreation Area and Oak Hill will host Saturday’s middle distance events, which range from 2.2 kilometers, 45 meters of elevation gain and 11 checkpoints, for the children 10-and-under class, to 5.5K, 205 meters of elevation and 26 controls for those in the “blue” category for men 21-35. The time limit for middle distance events is two hours, as participants rummage amid the Storrs Pond area’s mixed hardwood forest and rocky areas.
“There are some cross country trails interspersed in there, so runners will have to make choices about whether to leave the trails,” Dartmouth Outdoor Programs deputy director Brian Kunz said. “They might have to judge the contours on the map and decide if bushwhacking might be more efficient than staying on the trails.”
Saturday’s long distance events will be staged in the Burnt Mountain area of Lebanon and feature courses up to 5.5 kilometers in length with 205 meters of elevation gain and 26 controls. Burnt’s relatively steep and varied terrain should provide a challenge even for the elite orienteers on hand.
That includes Alison Crocker, a 2006 Dartmouth graduate who was first introduced to orienteering by a math teacher at St. Paul’s School in Concord. Crocker, now a professor at Reed College in Portland, Ore., went on to compete five times in the World Orienteering Championships.
“I’d have to say the long distance events are my favorite, just because they’re the most challenging,” said Crocker, whose 15th place finish in the sprint at last year’s WOCs in Scotland was the highest ever by a U.S. orienteer in that event and stage. “It’s a blast for athletes who also enjoy being a problem solver. You’re constantly trying to figure out the best route while testing the limits of your body in the rocky New England woods.”
Sunday’s sprints and sprint relays will be the most spectator-friendly, staged on and around the Dartmouth campus downtown. Courses will range from 1-4K and up to only 65 meters of elevation change and 24 check points, with a 1- hour time limit.
While the sprint courses are shorter and generally more forgiving than middle and long distance events, they’re no stroll on Dartmouth Green.
“Sprints are technically the easiest of the three, because you’re going around buildings and down streets instead of through the forest,” said Crocker, whose parents, Nancy and Larry Crocker, are Grantham residents.
“But there are still unpredictable things that you might not expect, and you still have to be good at map reading,” Crocker added. “Let’s say it looks like there might be a clear path between buildings for the next check point, but it might be alongside a facilities services building that has fencing so you can’t pass through. The map might only have a thin black line to indicate that, but it will save you time if you can recognize that before you get there and have to turn back.”
Especially during the wooded events, almost every orienteer spends time, for lack of a better term, disoriented. Goodwin, 64, has discovered he’s most efficient when he doesn’t force speed.
“I tend to plod along, and sometimes (those who are rushing) will pass me three or four times, which is generally a good sign because it means they’re getting turned around much more than I am,” said Goodwin, who just last weekend competed in the U.S. Two-Day Classic Championships in Pound Ridge, N.Y. “You might be lost for five minutes, you might be lost for 20 minutes, but at the end of the day, everyone comes out of the woods.”
In 1941, Dartmouth military ski instructor Piltti Heiskanen organized what the college maintains was the first U.S. orienteering competition when he pitted fraternities against each other in an event they called “Tiedust.”
Kunz, the Dartmouth Outing Club director, said hosting this weekend’s event is helping the campus come full circle with the sport 75 years later.
“Obviously, there’s some rich history with the sport here,” he said. “We’re thrilled to serve as co-host (along with USA Orienteering) and hope people really enjoy visiting the area for it.”
Jared Pendak can be reached at jpendak@vnews.com or 603-727-3225.