MEET DIRECTOR’S NOTES
Welcome to Dimond Park and, if not the inaugural bike-O event in BAOC history, at least the first one we have held in quite a while. There will be six different score-O options, all mass-starting at 10:30--a 60 minute, 90 minute, or 120 minute foot-O, a 60 minute or 90 minute bike-O, and a 90 minute "duathlon” where at least the first 45 minutes must be on foot, with the rest on bike. You don’t have to decide on your course choice ahead of time. Take only 60 minutes if you want, or if you are feeling good (or are very much over the 60 minute time limit), you may stay out for 90 minutes or 120 minutes.
Unlike previous Dimond Park events, we will be using the entire map. It covers a large area. 32 control sites will be circled on the map. Each control will be worth between 1 and 6 points, depending on the tens digit of the control number (for example, control numbers 31 through 37 are all worth 3 points). I don’t really expect even the 90 minute bike competitors to get all the controls, so route choice will be critical. Be prepared for some tough decisions!
For those of you who like “surprises” at street-O events, sorry, but at this event all the control circles will be at street intersections. You will be looking for the green street sign at each intersection, and copying down the block number of one of the streets onto your control sheet. A more complete description will be given on the control sheet itself.
As you Dimond Park veterans well know, a key aspect of the map is the location of all the little paths that connect the streets. To make these paths as clear as possible I am stealing Vicki Woolworth’s excellent idea from two years ago, and making color copies of the map with all these little paths marked in yellow. I have colored in a few other map details as well. My current plan is to have 50 color maps available (first come, first served!), and several more black and white copies available if the attendance is larger than expected.
I’m looking forward to a fun event. Bring a pen or pencil and, if you will be bicycling, start thinking about how you plan to read the map and bicycle at the same time (or maybe not at the same time). See you Sunday.
Original Announcement
(NOTE: The Point Pinole event that was originally scheduled for this date has been moved to mid-May, and will become the BAOC Sprint Championships. Stay tuned for further details.)
After a one-year hiatus BAOC will return to Oakland for a street-O event. And to add some extra excitement, this year there will be a mountain bike option! Tentative plans are to have three different competition formats: A one-hour score-O on foot, a one-hour score-O on bicycle, and a 90-minute duathlon with both a running and bicycling component. All three events will be mass-started at 10:30 AM. As usual, we do not want to put up any controls in an urban environment, so a question-and-answer format will be used. Bring a pencil or pen.
Directions:
From the north, take the Fruitvale Avenue exit off I-580 in Oakland. Turn left on Fruitvale. Continue north through two more stoplights (the second one will be the major intersection of Fruitvale and MacArthur) and in a couple more blocks you will see a Safeway on your right. The main entrance to Dimond Park is a bit further north on the left. Park anywhere you can on the streets and head towards the picnic area on the south side of the park. From the south, take the Coolidge Avenue / Fruitvale Avenue exit, turn right onto Coolidge at the light, then turn left onto MacArthur at the next light. Go straight on MacArthur through Lincoln Avenue and turn right at the intersection with Fruitvale. As before, look for the Safeway on your right and Dimond Park on your left.
--Steve Gregg