Photo by Vince Fedoroff
CITY CHASE 鈥� Trevor Bray races to the finish of the first Yukon Orienteering meet of the season with Dahria Beatty close behind. Bray came in first in the expert category with Beatty finishing third (top). FIRST-PLACE FINISH 鈥� Savannah Cash finishes the Downtown Sprint in the Yukon Orienteering club's first event of the season. Cash finished first in the novice category. There were 36 participants in the Downtown Sprint.
The Yukon Orienteering Association isn't letting a little snow get in the way of their season.
The Yukon Orienteering Association isn't letting a little snow get in the way of their season.
The club kicked off its year Wednesday evening with a local meet called the Downtown Sprint.
"After the last few dreary days, the 36 determined orienteers were rewarded with a nice sunny evening event,鈥� said organizer Forest Pearson. "The orienteers were challenged by tricky courses, which included a new map around the new library and Kwanlin Dun Cultural Centre.鈥�
The event started next to the Old Firehall, which was coincidentally hosting the Athletics Yukon Expo.
Sprint orienteering is somewhat of an unusual twist from the conventional forest events, Pearson explained.
The sprint events challenge participants with a very short, fast-paced course using an extremely detailed urban map.
Wednesday night's courses ranged from 1.6 to 2.6 kilometres, with no climbs.
The challenge is heightened by dead-ends, "sneaky control placement,鈥� and a variety of uncrossable features, said Pearson.
"This confused many of the veteran orienteers who weren't used to the idea that they couldn't run everywhere they wanted,鈥� he added.
Many infractions were reported, including competitors climbing over uncrossable fences, reaching through fences to get to the control, and running through flowerbeds.
Yet, the alleys and waterfront of Whitehorse were enjoyed by all who braved the courses, "with much learning about the do's and don'ts of this relatively different form of orienteering,鈥� Pearson said.
Top performances in the Downtown Sprint were as follows:
Novice (1.6 km) 鈥� 1. Savannah Cash (19:27); 2. Kim, Veronica and Bruce Porter (23:42); and 3. Elvira Knaack and Maura Glenn (43:20).
Intermediate (1.6 km) 鈥� 1. Sarah Murray (21:46); 2. Sam Fleming (25:31).
Advanced (2.6 km) 鈥� 1. Darren Holcombe (25:40); 2. Caelen McLean (28:12); and 3. Barbara Scheck (28:33).
Expert (2.6 km) 鈥� 1. Trevor Bray (19:05); 2. Brent Langbakk (19:30); and 3. Dahria Beatty (20:04).
The volunteer-based Yukon Orienteering Association coordinates and administers various programs and events devoted to the promotion and development of orienteering in the territory.
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