Is Orienteering a sport?

[Becks]

Can we have his e mail address?

[Mrs H]

This bloke needs "enlightening". I wonder if Ravinous has any knowledge of the paper involved. I agree with DM that it would be funny to quote themselves back at them if it is the Kent Messenger but in my experience both as a local paper reporter and an "orienteering correspondent" this attitude is rare and as the bloke is on the verge of being dismissive to the point of rudeness, I'm inclined to think he's just not cut out for the job.

As I said before - you need to speak to the general editor who needs to know his sports editor is a dick.

[Becks]

Maybe Ravinous could challenge him to a 10km?

Edit: Is he still in Sweden? No matter, as I think a quick look at his past times and Mr Sports Editor will be cowering in a corner.

[distracted]

That's appalling. I think Kitch's reply hits the mark! I wonder whether the ed. is just trying to save face -- can't be seen to be going back on what was said originally when in possession of the facts, can we?

I wouldn't go as far as getting Barrable to challenge him to a 10k - I doubt he'd be able to keep up just following an 'average' orienteer round a course... but that's just my perception

Out of interest, does the paper report on any other local league "hobbies" - chess, darts, pool, snooker - now that would be hypocritical!

[mharky]

destroy him

[Mrs H]

A quick scan through this week's Malvern Gazette sports section (while i'm watching the Commonwealth games Lawn Bowls ) and we have
Football (including photos of juniors all named)
Rugby
Pole Vaulting
Athletics
Running
Table Tennis
Lacrosse
Crib
Golf
Bowls
Skittles
Race walking
darts

I would say it was a quiet week - we usually also have swimming, hockey, bridge, motorsports, grass boarding, snooker, equestrian, cycling, fencing, tennis, badminton, squash, triathalon as well as any orienteering we would care to send in etc etc and I believe quizzing has appeared on the sports pages too - we are obviously very lucky

[SeanC]

Ha ha, great response Kitch.

It wasn't the Kent Messenger ... they don't do this area any more.

It's tempting to send Kitch's response to make me feel better, but I don't think it would help to get into a row. I suspect Distracted is right... and at least I have educated him a little bit. Small progress. I have contact details of another reporter on the paper who has been helpful in the past so will start there.

Newspapers in South East London haven't been doing very well over the past few years. Many have closed or become free papers, and there seems to be more advertising and easy crime stories rather than genuine news. I think part of the problem they have is that people who live in a suburb of London often don't have the affinity with their local area that people living in small towns have, therefore are less likely to be interested in local news. Things are probably better further out in Kent... but we'd like to reach SE London as this is where 1 million people live. I think we can do that without the help of these local papers if we have to... which may not exist in 10 years time anyway.

[frog]

Agree with Rocky that sports and hobbies aren't mutually exclusive. For most people unless professional athletes their sport is a hobby.
If he hasn't grasped this as sports editor of a local newspaper he is really stupid.
I'd write a letter to the general editor/ letters page of the paper. Local papers are supposed to reflect the variety of sports in their area, not police them.
I first started orienteering after seeing details of a local event in the sports pages of a New Zealand paper. I hadn't realised it was a sport before that and had thought of it as a boy scout group ramble sort of thing.

[Mrs H]

Wouldn't it be cool if somehow he got copied into this debate.....

[Red Adder]

Has this bloke's partner just left him or a close friend/relative been diagnosed with a dreadful disease - because only being in shock after experiencinmg one of life's tragedies could excuse his stupidity and the rudeness of his response. Otherwise if his paper is prepared to employ someone of such incompetence and insensitivity (especially when they are actually offering to do his job for him) their days must surely be numbered.

[Gnitworp]

Can we have his e mail address?

Let's clog up his inbox

It's tempting to send Kitch's response to make me feel better, but I don't think it would help to get into a row.

Quite right, Sean - don't cut off your nose - keep up the good work

[Red Adder]

Alternatively perhaps we could all try submitting a story about a very recent or upcoming event to our local paper - gauge the response and possibly get some free publicity. I've just tried but had the message bounced by the sports desks email account - not a terribly impressive start for an organisation in the communications business....

[Mrs H]

Okay - at the risk of blowing my own trumpet I'm sending this:

Warwick win for local orienteer

Malvern and District Orienteer Lynden Hartmann recorded her first victory in the last event of the national Nopesport Urban Orienteering League at Warwick on Sunday when she won the Women’s Super Veteran class by just 1 second.

The victory meant that Lynden, 55, of Eaton Road, completed the league in second place having taken part in all but one of the ten race series.

Having travelled as far as St Andrews, London, Edinburgh and Carlisle for events, Lynden said:”I’m thrilled with the result and although we’ve had plenty of traditional orienteering races on the Malvern hills and commons in recent years – I hope we might be able to stage a full scale urban race in the near future. Urban racing is fast, furious, fiendish and fun!”

The next event in the Malvern and District Orienteers (MADO) mini-league takes place on British Camp on October 23rd, full details at
http://WWW.harlequins.org.uk.

Photo – Cheers - Lynden wins the Warwick Cup.

[Red Adder]

I'm sure Mrs H is providing just the sort of copy they want - especially the local winner of a wider event. I'm trying lines of good results by juniors in regional qualifying for National event (YBT).

Of course if she submitted it nationally it might need to be jazzed up a bit "Lynden (22) blue eyed blond (37-23-35)....."

[Mrs H]

Oh only 33 years too late (okay so maybe not 37 but I seem to recall the rest was 22-35)