Discussion: Course Setter vs. Orienteer???

In the thread about control placement, Greg B. states (I think) that in Russia good course setting is about the course setter _vs._ the orienteer. That really got my attention. A few years back, at a course setting workshop taught by a nationally respected course setter here in DVOA-land, the first thing I was taught was that course setting is _NOT_ about the setter vs. the orienteer. There is no competition or adversarial aspect between course setter and participant.

What are your thoughts on this?
Is this a cultural difference (Russia/US)?

I think what Greg meant is that setter creates problems/puzzles and orienteer is suppose to solve them. Good setter always wins :)

The competition is always between runners, and not between the runners and the course setter. Though sometimes other elements will involve themselves in competitions, such as fiercesome multiflora rose jungles, extra deep death ravines, and of course attack badgers. The orienteer rarely stands much of a chance against these other elements and that is why so many orienteers drink beer. Or maybe there's some other reason for the beer?

John, I was talking about my personal approach to solving problems created by course setter for us - runners. Good course setter envisions a multitude of different tasks we have to perform while on a course - i.e. rout choice decisions, test of navigating skills like reading map on a run and staying in contact with it, moving in the right direction thru the green, contouring, etc. If I understand course setter’s philosophy and my orienteering concentration is working I have good results. I usually race against myself, as paradox as it sounds: if I could have done a better job on a course, then I lost. I am looking for that perfect race, and that what makes me come to orienteering events for last 27 years.
I think, EricW is the best course setter in US now for elite competition and totally agree with all his statements, as far as last statement of Mr. Swampfox goes, I lost a battle to some rocks on Mt. Norwottuck map during Billygoat race, as a result my face looks like I lost a pro boxing match in heavy weight division, and that resulted some beer consumption last night. I guess Mr. Swampfox’s statement is right too.

You must have drunk a lot of beer to have joined the heavyweight division. I would have thought any self-respecting rock could outweigh any self-respecting orienteer...

Those must be some bad rocks if they got the best of you Greg.

Greg, I hope you enjoyed my taste of good beer:)) I told you, take a beer before the race ...

Beer before or after - this is the questions that each respectful orienteer must solve (some do wisely doing it both)! :)

If I wanted to go against Swampfox in the Course Setter Vs. Orienteer battle, I would have certainly retained those few circles south of Pig Sprint Control 4 I had originally penciled in. But then, they give you bungee cords and all on Fear Factor (TM), and I thought the cost of those would be slightly prohibitive, even given the frothy returns from the stock fund into which we put the cushy proceeds from the brisk sales of Pig Global Television Rights. I also had that unfortunate memory of the first time (9 yrs. ago) the young and naïve Impaler ventured out against the seasoned Swampfox, aided by armies of multiflora rose in an appendix that should have been removed.