River and Bay Orienteering Series 2020

 

This Series is run in partnership by Uringa Orienteers and Illawarra-Kareelah Orienteers, with the NSW Stingers giving assistance and running one of the events. This is Uringa’s story for 2020.

What was going on around us

The COVID-19 pandemic threw planning into disarray, with the restarted NSW winter season stretching into October. When it was time to start online pre-registration was recommended, social distancing was encouraged, and results were available at the event via a QR code.

The course setters (and their advisors)

All course setters had an ‘advisor’ for questions, advice and feedback on course design.

	Event	Course Setter	Advisor
8 Nov Sun aft	RBOS #2 ‘The Golf Course’, Beaman Park, Earlwood, Canterbury-Bankstown Council.	Simon Murphy	Shane Doyle
22 Nov Sun aft	RBOS #4 Map: ‘Cup and Saucer’, Hughes Park, Earlwood, Canterbury-Bankstown Council.	Jitka Kopriva	Ron Pallas
13 Dec Sun aft	RBOS #7 Map: ‘The Warren’, Steel Park, Marrickville, Inner West Council.	Kelvin Meng	Ant Nolan

The social side

There was cake, and watermelon.

It’s not only about orienteering. It’s also about friendship and learning new skills.

Thanks also to Gayle Shepherd for organising post-event dinners in various RSL’s and Clubs around the area!

Uringan's series podum places

Members of Uringa were plentiful at each event but there was still lots of competition

Series overall point score results (full details here)

Men’s Score (42 participants over all)

1 Simon Murphy

Women’s Score (23 participants over all)

3 Stephanie Murphy

Men’s Long Line (39 participants over all)

2 Ant Nolan

Women’s Long Line (14 participants over all)

1 Melanie Christie

Men’s Medium Line (38 participants over all)

1 Ori Gudes

3 Gabe Phillips

Women’s Long line (34 participants over all)

2 Maggie Mackay

Short

1 Alon Gudes

2 Maureen Ogilvie

3 Dave Lotty

2020 Christmas Party (5 Dec)

They are a Uringa tradition... and our COVID-19 year gave us the opportunity again, as government requirements regarding 'mingling' reduced.

This year Helen and Matt Peters again offered their front garden and indoors, with this year a slide-pool acclaimed by the children attending. 

The President's Cup is conducted (reported in a separate post). The club provides the meat (and the non-meat) for the barbecue, and invites Santa Claus.  Everyone provides the party!

And, of course, everyone brought a contribution of nibbles, salad or dessert for the groaning table.

Quite a few years back Santa arrived on the roof. We live in times more concerned with workplace health and safety, so he now tethers his reindeer around the corner in an appropriate parking spot.

Aldo Sesta was the official photographer.

The President's Cup 2020 (the 33rd)

Uringa's President's Cup is an award, a competition, a tradition.

The 2020 Cups

Course setter and Club President determine the results

Small Cup: Sam James & Nick Wilmott, Medium Cup: Jonathan & Ant Nolan, Big Cup: Linda Sesta, with cup maker Jitka Kopriva

The 2020 Competition

Course setting was delegated to Matt Peters, who had advised potential competitors in a recent Uringa newsletter:

As a previous President’s Cup fried brains with completion of a puzzle and in response to subsequent controversy, there will be no sudoku.

 

There will also be no trivia additional to that associated with finding the answers to the clues?  Some controls will have missing answers and some will have missing questions!!

 

The Cup will be offered in three classes.

1 “I’m only here for the party”  9 Controls        2.0km              Baby bear climb

2 “I want to work up a thirst”.   12 Controls      3.6km              Mummy bear climb

3  “I am here to impress”.           15 Controls      4.7km              Daddy bear climb

 

 

The tradition

The first President's Cup event was on the Belanglo Creek map in 1988. Michael Anderson and Wendy Fleming were awarded cups (only two presented in those days). Bruce Graham was recorded with the fastest time. Those Uringans are no longer in the club. In 1989 Keith Richardson and Jan Sargood were awarded cups on the Bunnygalore map, and Nick Wilmott was recorded with the fastest time. Keith and Jan were still orienteering until a couple of years ago, and Nick was here this year.

Potter and orienteer Jitka Kopriva crafts the cups. She has been doing it since that first year (or perhaps the year after).

It's orienteering. Maps are involved. What the course is depends on the setter.  Nick Wilmott reports that the first time he was awarded a cup (1997, Peters Precinct) there were no circles on the map, only descriptions of the control features. Linda Sesta's (2011, Grays Point) included questions that tested map reading skills.  Courses set by Matt Peters in recent years (Villa Maria) have featured increasingly challenging question-and-answer formats.

Sporting Schools Offers Orienteering in Double Bay / Rushcutters Bay...with a little help from Uringa

Uringan Frances Richards debuted as an orienteering coach for ONSW through the Sporting Schools Program in November, with support from physical education teacher Natalie Demetriou. 

Sporting Schools offers schools financial help to increase children's activity by introducing them to community sports. ONSW provides the coaches, the equipment and the curriculum. 

 Eighty-seven children in years 3, 4, 5, and 6 had some weeks of coaching. For the last week each group undertook a score course at Steyne Park across from the school, complete with electronic punching. Helping out on the day was SI guru Ron Pallas, Kelvin Meng, Dave Lotty and Mary Jane Mahony. 

Uringa offered the final even, a free line course the following Sunday morning at Rushcutters Bay. Fifteen participants (nearly all family groups with children from the school) turned up on a very hot,  windy, sunny day.