Discussion: Dates
in: dbakker; dbakker > 2017-09-16
Sep 17, 2017 6:27 AM
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Set a date (likely end of April after exams get out? Not sure on US university schedules if we want to draw the Seattle Crowd)
Two things:
1) GVOC is a stronger target audience than Seattle. GVOC has a longer history of sprint festivals (12 years vs 3) and attendances at Sprint Camp are significantly larger than SART (100+ vs 80). They have a stronger sprint culture. I think more ears would perk up in Vancouver than Seattle when they hear "ooh, another sprint tournament". Not to mention that it's closer and there's no border crossing required.
2) I don't think you need to worry about US university schedules, because I don't think there were any American uni students at SART. The juniors we have are high school and younger, and the conflict to worry about for them is the US Interscholastic Champs, which is April 28-29 near Boston. That's going to draw some of the top local kids (some of whom were at SART), their parents (some of whom were at SART), and other club leaders (some of whom were at SART). Personally, I can't commit, since we'll have a 4-month old baby, and who knows what travel will be like.
3) Give away some entries if you need to. A bracket is more fun when it's full, so consider throwing some free entries at the Vancouver Sprint Camp winner, or at a UBC-O running club, or at a running store in Kelowna. SART 2016 didn't sell out, so a week before, I gave a free entry to a guy from my running group who I knew worked at Google Maps. He'd never done orienteering before, but he came. He enjoyed it so much that he attended all 8 of CascadeOC's Winter Series, and he registered for SART 2017 within the first week. I give out free SART entries to the top man and woman at the Vancouver & Boston Sprint Camps (and I think the San Francisco event, too). We only had one taker this year, though (Tori B).
Two things:
1) GVOC is a stronger target audience than Seattle. GVOC has a longer history of sprint festivals (12 years vs 3) and attendances at Sprint Camp are significantly larger than SART (100+ vs 80). They have a stronger sprint culture. I think more ears would perk up in Vancouver than Seattle when they hear "ooh, another sprint tournament". Not to mention that it's closer and there's no border crossing required.
2) I don't think you need to worry about US university schedules, because I don't think there were any American uni students at SART. The juniors we have are high school and younger, and the conflict to worry about for them is the US Interscholastic Champs, which is April 28-29 near Boston. That's going to draw some of the top local kids (some of whom were at SART), their parents (some of whom were at SART), and other club leaders (some of whom were at SART). Personally, I can't commit, since we'll have a 4-month old baby, and who knows what travel will be like.
3) Give away some entries if you need to. A bracket is more fun when it's full, so consider throwing some free entries at the Vancouver Sprint Camp winner, or at a UBC-O running club, or at a running store in Kelowna. SART 2016 didn't sell out, so a week before, I gave a free entry to a guy from my running group who I knew worked at Google Maps. He'd never done orienteering before, but he came. He enjoyed it so much that he attended all 8 of CascadeOC's Winter Series, and he registered for SART 2017 within the first week. I give out free SART entries to the top man and woman at the Vancouver & Boston Sprint Camps (and I think the San Francisco event, too). We only had one taker this year, though (Tori B).
Sep 17, 2017 6:34 AM
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Ha, I just realized that the US and Canada spell Okano(a)gan differently.
There's some sweet terrain SE of Okanogan, WA. The best stuff is privately owned, but the rest is owned by the Colville Indian Reservation. Lots of open land with rock features galore. Kinda resembles photos of orienteering terrain I've seen in Spain, just with different species of trees. There's no plans to map it, but I've floated it as a potential rogaine (or mini rogaine) venue.
There's some sweet terrain SE of Okanogan, WA. The best stuff is privately owned, but the rest is owned by the Colville Indian Reservation. Lots of open land with rock features galore. Kinda resembles photos of orienteering terrain I've seen in Spain, just with different species of trees. There's no plans to map it, but I've floated it as a potential rogaine (or mini rogaine) venue.
Sep 17, 2017 10:18 PM
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I learned this past spring on our way down to Idaho for the SML Champs that you spell and pronounce it differently. For us it is the Okan AAA gan, where for you it is okan O gan, right?
I haven't really figured out the forest areas in Kelowna to map yet. I haven't been down into the South Okanagan in BC very much either, so not really sure on how nice the terrain is or what ownership is like. I know there is a large conservation effor trying to establish a national park protetcting a large grassland area. Ask Brian May probably, he has spent more time around Penticton. That said, there is a massive map about 1.5 hours outside of Kelowna towards Vancouver that looks nice, but not really like the maps of Spain that I have seen. More like Kamloops terrain. https://sage.whyjustrun.ca/maps/view/417 It hasn't been used in over 15 years.
I haven't really figured out the forest areas in Kelowna to map yet. I haven't been down into the South Okanagan in BC very much either, so not really sure on how nice the terrain is or what ownership is like. I know there is a large conservation effor trying to establish a national park protetcting a large grassland area. Ask Brian May probably, he has spent more time around Penticton. That said, there is a massive map about 1.5 hours outside of Kelowna towards Vancouver that looks nice, but not really like the maps of Spain that I have seen. More like Kamloops terrain. https://sage.whyjustrun.ca/maps/view/417 It hasn't been used in over 15 years.
Sep 17, 2017 10:21 PM
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1) Yes, basically have to draw the Vancouver crowd if the event is going to be successful, but it would be nice to draw at least a few people from Seattle as well.
2) Good point on lack of participation from American university students. Are both Siri and Thomas (I know Thomas is from Minnesota) still in high school or is this their first year of university?
3) Was planning on the Vancouver Sprint Camp free entries give away, good idea for running stores in Kelowna too.
2) Good point on lack of participation from American university students. Are both Siri and Thomas (I know Thomas is from Minnesota) still in high school or is this their first year of university?
3) Was planning on the Vancouver Sprint Camp free entries give away, good idea for running stores in Kelowna too.
This discussion thread is closed.