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Junior World Orienteering Championships


I am submitting this report on behalf of the Bay Area Orienteering Club JWOC Task Force.

Nick Corsano
President, Bay Area Orienteering Club
September 11, 2009


Task Force Summary Report

Background: The BAOC Board formed the Task Force in January 2009 to evaluate a possible bid for the 2013 Junior World Orienteering Championships. The Task Force was instructed to report its recommendations to the board at the September meeting (Monday, Sept 14). A bid for this championship would need to come from the national federation (i.e., from USOF), and is due by the end of January, 2010. Award of JWOC will be made by the International Orienteering Federation in August, 2010.

Recommendation: The Task Force proposes that the board request the U.S. Orienteering Federation to submit a bid for JWOC 2013, to be held on BAOC maps. JWOC will be held in conjunction with a major international orienteering festival, and a very attractive Junior program.

The Task Force analysis covered a number of areas. Here are some of the key ones.

Mission: To raise public awareness of Orienteering in the U.S., and to inspire a new generation of orienteers by hosting international events.

Outcomes: Success will look like this:

Venues: New maps in the Tahoe National Forest (TNF), mostly north of Truckee, CA. Several promising areas have been identified, with good quality terrain and satisfactory access. BAOC will begin making base maps this fall. Even if JWOC never happens, these will be future A-meet sites.

Permits: Relationships with the National Forest Service are being developed at both the local level and the national level. The club secured a permit for a small-scale event in the TNF, held last month.

Event Center: Northstar Ski Resort would provide a world-class event center for JWOC. Bids have been solicited from both Northstar and Squaw Valley for lodging, meals, transportation, and social activities.

Supporters: The JWOC bid has strong support within USOF. Clare Durand, President, and Glen Schorr, Executive Director, are both behind the idea. Several current and former USOF board members, as well as prominent names in the orienteering community from around the country have given their support, and in many cases volunteered to help. Cascade Orienteering Club in Washington has officially volunteered to staff the starts for JWOC.

Responsibility: The Task Force recommends that a separate non-profit organization be set up by BAOC and USOF to manage JWOC. BAOC will retain complete responsibility for the maps (and therefore complete intellectual property rights), and will receive appropriate compensation from JWOC.

Finances: The forecast is that JWOC plus the festival plus the Junior program will break even under the most conservative attendance estimates, and can be very profitable with higher festival attendance. The main variable in attendance is how many European orienteers, not affiliated with JWOC teams, will attend.

Marketing and Publicity: There are three aspects.

  1. Increase awareness of orienteering in the U.S.: The Task Force has modest expectations. Even prime-time sports have difficulty attracting attention to junior competition. Good Internet presence is the key.
  2. Attract orienteers from across North America and especially from Europe. Much of the publicity effort will be directed toward Europe.
  3. Attract interested U.S. teens to cheer for their team and take part in a fun program that will enhance their skills and their enthusiasm.