JK 2014

[Wendles]

Thankyou to everyone concerned with a great weekend

Please find my photos on the following links. As per usual, feel free to download them, use them in newsletters etc (I would appreciate a credit). If you wish me to remove any from flickr, contact me.

Day 1: https://www.flickr.com/photos/wendles56/sets/72157644132176634/

Day 2: https://www.flickr.com/photos/wendles56/sets/72157644195611405/

Day 3: https://www.flickr.com/photos/wendles56/sets/72157644186211031/

Day 4: https://www.flickr.com/photos/wendles56/sets/72157644187948851/

[Arnold]

A great weekend indeed, thank you very much.

Although one of interesting contrasts - the Sprint didn't offer a huge amount of technical challenge, despite Kris' best efforts, but was still fun mainly due to the arena activities which were particularly good if you had kids. String course, boating lake, beach, face painting, pub, playground, just brilliant.

Sat/Sun was the opposite - fantastic technical orienteering but not much of an arena or atmosphere to speak of. It felt really "old school" but the challenge on the moor was fab, as were the views all round. On 35L it felt like a mini mountain marathon at times.

I did think what an amazing sport we have, where 3000+ people aged 8 to 88 pay good money to subject themselves to fairly rank weather on an open hillside!

[PhilJ]

time to fill in the jk survey, sent out by email before the jk, which I can no longer find!, anyone got a direct link to it?

[mark2]

not much of an arena

Original concept was the quarry area about 200M South West, which would have been much better. Would have helped with the parking a bit as well. A nesting peregrine put paid to this.

[awk]

Although one of interesting contrasts - the Sprint didn't offer a huge amount of technical challenge, despite Kris' best efforts, but was still fun mainly due to the arena activities which were particularly good if you had kids. String course, boating lake, beach, face painting, pub, playground, just brilliant.

I thought the M55/W35 sprint course was as good as any I've done. No, the area wasn't super technical, but there was lots of variety (buildings, then ornamental wood, then open park, then back into buildings), loads of changes of direction, some interesting route decisions, with a good twist at the end. No let up! One or two people obviously and sadly took advantage of the illegal route through the garden on 20-21 (but fortunately nobody contending for places as far as I could see). Some courses weren't quite as exciting, inevitably (I'm glad I'm M55 not M50!), but for an event trying to cater for over 2000 competitors, I thought this was excellent.

Really enjoyed the rest of the weekend too, although couldn't get my head round the map on Saturday. I know others preferred it to Sunday, but I was the other way round, feeling I couldn't see the landforms for the detail. I suspect that says more about my failings though than the map! Loved Sunday, including coping with the weather! Thought the relay map was a vast improvement over previous editions: much less fussy but still easy to read at 1:10000, and a cracking course.
All in all, a great JK, and many thanks to the organisers.

On the food front, we took our own as well - saved us a fortune by the looks of it. However, heard secondhand that the caterers felt they had to put their prices up to cover the charge from British Orienteering - they charged much less at the Welsh Six Day. So, it looks like there's a BOF levy on food now as well. And I thought a major part of the remit was to ENHANCE the event for competitors??!!!! Sounds like everybody lost on that one except British Orienteering. I think a major rethink, and a willingness not to go tearing up the system before you know your market, mightn't be a bad idea.

[Big Jon]

JK survey:
https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/B7PDK2V

[PhilJ]

thank you - done

[SIman]

Thanks to everyone for a great weekend.

I hope that everyone takes time to read the note from Helen Errington on the JK2014 news page. I heard that the Day2 walk to start had to detour round nesting birds, but I hadn't realised that the whole assembly and finish had been changed.

[Simon]

Some more photos from the weekend. (Taken by Barny):
Sprints
Relays

[DJM]

Some more photos from the weekend. (Taken by Barny)

Many thanks - I've now added these to the JK photos page at http://www.thejk.org.uk/jk2014/index.php?pg=233

Would someone like to let me know who "Barny" is so that I can give a proper credit on the page? Thanks.

[PhilJ]

DJM - the link to day 1 sprints by crawford lindsay does not work

[denbydale]

DJM - the link to day 1 sprints by crawford lindsay does not work

Does for me - Anyone know if the photos of the prize winners appear anywhere?

[Barny]

Barny is also known as Chris Branford WIM who usually is working hard trying to beat you

[DJM]

Barny is also known as Chris Branford WIM who usually is working hard trying to beat you

I guessed so - just wasn't sure ...

DJM - the link to day 1 sprints by crawford lindsay does not work

Works fine for me too!

[PhilJ]

for some reason picasa is blocked in work (crawford lindsay) but flickr is ok works fine at home, apologies.