Prizes; Spot the difference

[HOCOLITE]

Re Graeme and others. The short course prizes are fine if people like you who enter when injured declare themselves non comp, like you obviously would on a green or blue course if injured so you don't upset the standards if you win. As previously mentioned people who regularly do short courses and are the best on the day by these standards do deserve a reward, not a title but a reward. These are often the volunteers who put most effort into getting the events up and running. This applies to ranking too. People should declare themselves non comp for ranking purposes too.

[SeanC]

I like the idea of prizes because they're a good way of getting orienteers together for a post event social/banter rather than shuffling off alone and lonely.

Rather than giving prize money or expensive prizes out, I'd prefer the cash to be spent on outside caterers to do food for the prizegiving ceremony because:

- it would get more orienteers to the prizegiving and encourage them to socialise
- Graeme, Nails etc would get a bigger cheer (surely far better than the cash?)
- I'm really lazy and don't like making my own sarnies before an event so always end up buying rubbery petrol station sarnies

Outside caterers providing food? Orienteers would never swallow it.

(apologies for that terrible joke)

[Copepod]

Free food for marshals / helpers is a good incentive - especially when it's Wilf's, as at this weekend's Polaris Challenge or at KIMM for marshals and competitors.

[NeilC]

Free food for marshals / helpers is a good incentive - especially when it's Wilf's, as at this weekend's Polaris Challenge or at KIMM for marshals and competitors.

I would never recommend that again. The WC last year provided vouchers for a proportion of the helpers (talking a hundred odd helpers each day) - the poor old organiser than had to decide who got them and who didn't....

[mharky]

Like BOC last year, had a bar I seem to remember, plus helium balloons...

[guest]

Seems a shame that the winners of M/W10B don't even get to receive their prizes in the BOC prizegiving, have to wait around and collect it afterwards as everyone's leaving...

[Fat and Forty]

At last months POM the prize giving was preceeded by a raffle of prizes donated by the sponsors, names of all competitors in a hat, if you were not there in person to collect, the next name out got the prize. They left the mountain bike and DVD player until after the prize giving to encourage people to stay to the end.

[guest]

'Outside caterers providing food? Orienteers would never swallow it.'
Not everyone agrees with Wilf's having the monopoly for catering at orienteering events.
Not everyone likes vegetarian food.
Not everyone likes Wilf's prices.[/quote]

[guest]

reply to other guest who wrote:
See

ms a shame that the winners of M/W10B don't even get to receive their prizes in the BOC prizegiving, have to wait around and collect it afterwards as everyone's leaving...

These classes, along with the rest of the juniors are amongst the most important orienteers that we need to 'keep happy' or we will lose them to other sports/hobbies. But also, newcomers to the sport at all ages and abilities should be encouraged, and rewarded whatever age, or class. A Short course is not inferior, and in some cases is more competitively fought by more runners than the equivalent Long class. Divert some of the 'international' money from BOF to the ordinary Bof member.
I have been to at least two events in the last 2 years where the 'elite'!?! were given thier prizes first, then as the 'ordinary' orienteers were getting their prizes they buggered off to put it politely. Everyone applauded the 'elite' but they couldnt stay and cheer everyone else!
That is why I am now anti-elite. I will NOT attend to spectate at 'elite' only events / UK cup, or attend/cheer at their prizegivings.
NO, they should not receive prize-money.
YES, they are amateurs (Didsco please note)
Everyone else has to pay, unsubsidised, for orienteering events abroad, so the 'elite' can too.
People should see what 'priveleges' they receive at these high profile events abroad.

[graeme]

Re Graeme and others.... Graeme, Nails etc

Not sure who the etc and others are here. I rather suspect that Nails is the person I disagree with most here, so the etc must be pretty broad.

I'm still waiting to receive any 'priveleges' (sic) at high profile events either here or abroad. I did get a rather nice hat for planning the chasing sprint once, but that's it from elite races.

Divert some of the 'international' money from BOF to the ordinary Bof member.

Sounds good to me. The 'international' money comes from we taxpayers through sportscouncils to the squads, so your MP/MSP/AM is the person to complain to
about it. Good luck!

Graeme

[SeanC]

A guest wrote

"Not everyone agrees with Wilf's having the monopoly for catering at orienteering events.
Not everyone likes vegetarian food.
Not everyone likes Wilf's prices."

I'm not sure if Wilf's got anything to do with it.

My suggestion is that instead of everybody bringing their sarnies to the event, or buying food of Wilf's, everyone pays for their food in their entry fee. They then are entitled to some of the grub /drink layed on by the outside caterers timed to co-incide with the prizegiving. This is just an excuse to get everyone together at the same time so that orienteers can socialise. The social side is a big missing ingredient in orienteering and one of the main reasons for the decline in the sport in my opinion.

Yes, the prizegiving gives this opportunity, but people are much more likely to turn up and hang around to socialise if there's some food and drink layed on. Yes someone else controls what we eat, but we get some post event buzz in return.

But getting some orienteers to agree to pay for outside caterers in the entry fee when they can save £2 by making their own sarnies and leaving early.... that's pie in the sky.

(yet more apologies)

[tim sleepless]

Not everyone agrees with Wilf's having the monopoly for catering at orienteering events.
Not everyone likes vegetarian food.
quote]

Worry not... I'm told that by 2007 they will have finished the industrial storage tanks of creamy pasta sauce and veggy chilly that they made up in 1994, and be ready to make some new stuff up.

[tokoloshe]

If sponsorship is easy to come by I like the idea of prizes, particularly for juniors, although arguably it is the 21s that we need in volume.
If sponsorship in an area is not forthcoming the way to fund prizes is through an increased entry fee. Is that setting off on a slippery slope?

[awk]

reply to other guest who wrote:
See

A Short course is not inferior, and in some cases is more competitively fought by more runners than the equivalent Long class.

As a regular short class runner.....
No, the short course is not inferior, but the competition, at least in the current structure of British orienteering, certainly is. Even if there are more people on occasions, that doesn't make the competition better.

Let's not fool ourselves. The short courses, as they currently stand, are B courses. I've not got a problem with that, and I'm really surprised if anybody else has. I see prizes for us as completely anomalous with the status and aims of the Short courses. If you want to compete for a prize, then go on the L course. However, I think there should be a Short (medium or whatever title) Championship, where the L courses are for those who aren't prepared to run the championship (S) classes - plenty of those from experience who think that they must have distance for money.

As to Mrs H.'s comments about the age winners not being champions because others might be running 'up'. It's one reason why I believe that the open (elite) shouldn't be run with the vets/juniors: it would mean that vets/juniors could run the open race and their own age class.

Incidentally, I really like the idea of what the Swiss 6-day are doing: one class for each age class, and an HAK or DAK course for those who want something shorter. Much more sensible than a mess of Short classes. So AK will be on the HAK course!

[HOCOLITE]

Ref Food at prize giving. In Belgium a few years back they had a BBQ in a big shed where there were tables and chairs and you could purchase your food and watch the prize giving. The day winners got a tee shirt. Ours is still worn several years on, same as promotional ones only had Dag winner on back. Overall winners on third day got binnoculars for first and hat for second, can't remember what third was.

Incidentally there were no short courses, the only time I've ever run long, I didn't come last, second from last yes. But the courses were not humongous in length, si I got round despite the incredible heat.