Discussion: Long results
in: BAOC: U.S. Nationals (Sep 6–8, 2019 - Boulder Creek, CA, US)
Sep 8, 2019 2:23 AM
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AJ did it fo realz this time, no?
These were true Long courses on a fantastic map. For decades (without exaggeration) there's been this fear/dissing of redwoods and other terrain of similar wildness, as in, you can't really have a fair event in something this gnarly; perhaps epitomized in Swampfox's iconic quote "Simply glancing at those slopes was enough to cause mini dirt avalanches". Or something. I'm too lazy to get the exact source. The subject of the quote is a closely related piece of redwood terrain a few miles to the southeast. Every year BAOC would set a dare-to-break 15 min/km challenge at Big Basin, and every year the challenge would be unmet. (Mostly, it needs to be mentioned, because of physically and technically capable runners performing loop-de-loops in badly mapped redwood-reentrants, with shown slope grade and direction bearing little resemblance to reality.)
Well, it turns out, with a precise map and with intelligent courses (both necessary and sufficient) you can tame the wilds for a perfectly fair event, nevermind the avalanches. The feared overtimes didn't materialize and the estimated winning times appeared to be met right on; if anything, the M21E was too short, I personally wished for another km or two to get closer to/pass the youngfolk. The feeling I got from looking up the crazyslope and going up and everything matches perfectly and a few minutes later you're at the CP despite the huckleberry and the three-foot dead trees (all depicted in exquisite detail), that can't be beat, and I don't think this magic has so far been achieved outside of Switzerland. Worth every penny.
Great job BAOC!
These were true Long courses on a fantastic map. For decades (without exaggeration) there's been this fear/dissing of redwoods and other terrain of similar wildness, as in, you can't really have a fair event in something this gnarly; perhaps epitomized in Swampfox's iconic quote "Simply glancing at those slopes was enough to cause mini dirt avalanches". Or something. I'm too lazy to get the exact source. The subject of the quote is a closely related piece of redwood terrain a few miles to the southeast. Every year BAOC would set a dare-to-break 15 min/km challenge at Big Basin, and every year the challenge would be unmet. (Mostly, it needs to be mentioned, because of physically and technically capable runners performing loop-de-loops in badly mapped redwood-reentrants, with shown slope grade and direction bearing little resemblance to reality.)
Well, it turns out, with a precise map and with intelligent courses (both necessary and sufficient) you can tame the wilds for a perfectly fair event, nevermind the avalanches. The feared overtimes didn't materialize and the estimated winning times appeared to be met right on; if anything, the M21E was too short, I personally wished for another km or two to get closer to/pass the youngfolk. The feeling I got from looking up the crazyslope and going up and everything matches perfectly and a few minutes later you're at the CP despite the huckleberry and the three-foot dead trees (all depicted in exquisite detail), that can't be beat, and I don't think this magic has so far been achieved outside of Switzerland. Worth every penny.
Great job BAOC!
Sep 8, 2019 8:47 AM
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Thanks Tundra/Desert for clearing up my memory: I did run a few O-meets in the Big Basin Redwoods and each time was awed and mortified at how difficult it was to get through and, as you write, it must have been exactly bc of unexact mapping and (maybe course-setting, I don't remember). But I would not have wanted to go back there to orienteer. However, as you write, things must have changed with better mapping and course-setting that an actual, enjoyable O-meet was possible.
It probably still is an awesome, magical place where each time I was there I felt like Alice in Wonderland and SO small and each time I encountered a fallen tree in my way, I had to consider which way around as it was a substantial distance and going over it was no choice ;-).
It probably still is an awesome, magical place where each time I was there I felt like Alice in Wonderland and SO small and each time I encountered a fallen tree in my way, I had to consider which way around as it was a substantial distance and going over it was no choice ;-).
Sep 8, 2019 6:12 PM
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Agree with T/D. I've not been to Big Basin before but the map and course design were excellent. Too many courses for the number of attendees but that's a different issue.
Sep 8, 2019 11:41 PM
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Ditto. Thank you BAOC for an amazing experience among the redwoods (in spite of a few organizational issues).
My only regret was having to exit the Long - a freak accident just coming out of the 1st control caused a grade 2 ankle sprain. The second long leg (M45/red) looked fantastic, hats off to the course setter, so wish I could have enjoyed it!
My only regret was having to exit the Long - a freak accident just coming out of the 1st control caused a grade 2 ankle sprain. The second long leg (M45/red) looked fantastic, hats off to the course setter, so wish I could have enjoyed it!
Sep 9, 2019 12:49 AM
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E:
Ditto pt. 2. Thank you Bay Area for hosting these events. I happened to get a copy of each of the course maps, and I can say a lot of thought was put into these courses.
Feel better soon @oxensd
Also, idea, if possible. Post the splits per course on Attackpoint, and post the splits per age/gender class on Winsplits. Any thoughts there?
Feel better soon @oxensd
Also, idea, if possible. Post the splits per course on Attackpoint, and post the splits per age/gender class on Winsplits. Any thoughts there?
Sep 9, 2019 1:58 AM
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Agree about the courses. Big Basin is not a place that screams, "orienteer in me", and we were presented with courses that made for a good challenge and experience.
Also request splits per course on AP. :)
Also request splits per course on AP. :)
Sep 10, 2019 6:22 AM
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I've had issues posting splits per course on AP before and have sometimes had to be content with classes. It depends how it's setup in the event software and if you have access to such afterwards (I did not on those occasions, in all cases they were championship events).
Sep 10, 2019 11:00 AM
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I must be missing something. This thread is called Long Results but nowhere can I see a link to the actual results. It does not seem easy to find on the event website either.
Could someone be good enough to point the way to the Results?
I scrolled through WinSplits and could find the Middle results but not the Long or Sprint.
Could someone be good enough to point the way to the Results?
I scrolled through WinSplits and could find the Middle results but not the Long or Sprint.
Sep 10, 2019 1:29 PM
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I don’t see any results on the website, but maybe it just doesn’t work on an iPhone? I go to quite a few BAOC meets, and they are quite fine except for the results. Seem to never be on AP, only sporadically on WinSplits.
Sep 10, 2019 3:12 PM
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If someone from BAOC sends me the results files I am happy to upload splits to Attackpoint.
Sep 10, 2019 8:50 PM
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Sep 11, 2019 3:05 AM
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The Long and Sprint spits are now up. The Middle splits have an issue that I will try to resolve after dinner. Don't expect them until late tonight.
This discussion thread is closed.