Wanted: Top Multiday o-events of 2008

What are the best multiday orienteering events of 2008? It is not always easy to find all the interesting orienteering events out there – and to choose between them when you singled out your main favorites. World of O Calendar, and lately the World of O Wall Calendar, has made it easier for you – but still there is room for something more. In a series of short feature articles the coming month, World of O is planning to put focus on some of the top multiday o-events of 2008 by allowing event organizers to present their events at World of O (for free). World of O will act as an editor, and make sure the content is well balanced.

Event presentations with a special twist

When I am deciding about going to a multiday o-event, what I am looking for is usually:

Will there be interesting technical orienteering…?

• What kind of orienteering will I meet? Will there be interesting technical orienteering and/or challenging route choice problems.
• What kind of terrain is there? Preferably I want something else than what I am used to from my home terrain.
• Are there good recreational possibilities? A multiday o-event is holiday – and there should be other interesting things to do in the area – like for example nice nature, good hiking possibilities, magnificent mountains, swimming, or …

You can see which events I choose in 2006 based on these criteria here.

A map sample with a typical long route choice leg from a map in the area

The answers to these questions is also what I want to have highlighted in the event presentations. This will give event presentations with a special twist – and require a bit more work for event organizers who want their event highlighted at World of O. From all event organizers who want their event presented, I need the following:

• Event name and dates
• Link to event in World of O Calendar
• A short introduction about the event – why should somebody choose YOUR event! Max 150 words.
• A map sample with a short leg from one of the most technical/difficult areas in one of the competition maps / a typical map in the area. Accompanying the map sample, there must be a discussion (max 200 words) about how to manage the technical orienteering in this type of terrain, vegetation, undergrowth and other specialties about the terrain. Map sample will be scaled to width 590 pixels.
• A map sample with a typical long route choice leg from a map in the area – possibly from one of the event maps. Accompanying the map sample, there must be a discussion (max 200 words) of the route choice alternatives and how to think when doing route choices in this type of terrain. Map sample will be scaled to width 590 pixels.
• Two pictures from the terrain and two pictures from the nature/surroundings/recreational activities, including a presentation of recreational activities in the area (max 150 words).

The content should be sent in plain text in an e-mail to jan@kocbach.net with the pictures as attachment (no word/pdf files!). Max size of the e-mail should be 10 MB.

To be included in the event presentations, the following must be fulfilled:

• The event must be at least a 3 day event – between March 2008 and December 2008.
• The event must be included in World of O Calendar with geographic position, map sample and picture.
• The event should have at least 500 participants.
• The event must be an International event open to anyone – that is not an elite-only event, a national championships or similar.

All events who fulfill the above and send an e-mail with all requested details, will get their event presented at World of O. Please do as written in the instructions: No PDF/Word files! I hope to hear from many events – like for example French 6 days, O-Ringen, Nordvestgaloppen, WOC spectator races, EOC spectator races, Sørlandsgaloppen, OO.cup, and all the ones I forgot now ….