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[Meat Market]

Our problem is that our image and profile are miniscule. We don't have a public image! The number one project must be to promote the sport as hard as possible; sell our image (the image we want to show) as widely, as often and as strongly as we possibly can. Publicity!!!

I'm not saying people publicising events don't try hard to put a good image out to newcomers, it just seems like newcomers do have an image of orienteers being 'bearded wayfarers' who enjoy being a bit weathered, carrying rucksacks, eating berries etc.

I know we think newcomers are likely to be most scared of going out and getting lost for the first time i actually think thats what needs to be advertised about the sport. When you are in a forest with a map with no idea where you are then you have no choice but to get yourself out of it, unlike other sports where you can just give up. There is that element of living on the edge that noone really thinks about when they are orienteering. OK theres not that many injuries but it is a sport full of risks and unknowns.

In this risk assessmented world we live in today i think people are actually quite up for making calculated risks and maybe not feeling 100% assured when theyre out there. And you can see the sort fo outdoors people we want to attract are quite keen to take up things such as snowboarding, water sports and mountain biking. Many people wont agree with me but i think the 'getting lost' aspect of orienteering could be better publicised although obviously it is good to let parents know that when things go wrong, everything is in place to get their children back safe and well.

[Carnage Head]

You have obviously come to this conclusion from analysing a certain amount of information from your own experience. But it doesn't mean that the entire population is in agreement. In my experience orienteering has a good public image.... so there!

Our problem is that our image and profile are miniscule. We don't have a public image! The number one project must be to promote the sport as hard as possible; sell our image (the image we want to show) as widely, as often and as strongly as we possibly can. Publicity!!!

Good point - even amongst the image-savvy Year 11s (16yr olds) at the school I teach at, there was more of a reaction of 'what is orienteering?' than p*ss-taking... and now it's getting a bit unwieldy... I took a full minibus of sixteen to a Wed night AIRE informal this week, half of whom were regulars and half of whom were Yr11s who all decided to give it a try at once (sheep mentality)! I even had to turn one away due to lack of space (sign-up sheets will now be the order of the day)!

I reckon many adult runners are 'shy' too, but others simply seem to like the 'mind-numbing' aspect of road-running.

Another point - I am also intrigued as to the reasons behind the evangelising instinct which is so evident in this and many other threads. What makes so many of us want to 'spread the good news' about orienteering? (And do other sports have such vociferous supporters?)

[Andy.T]

One of the problems (apart from the strange 'o' PJ's) is the fact that every single orienteering course is different (excluding pernament courses), leaving no view for PB's unlike in road races where it is an exact measurement regardless of where in the world you are.

That and vast majority of 'o' events are run in hard to get to locations (especially if you dont have access to a car). Many road races take part in cities, hence easy access by public transport.

Rant over

Andy.T

[SeanC]

Carnage Head wrote

"Another point - I am also intrigued as to the reasons behind the evangelising instinct which is so evident in this and many other threads. What makes so many of us want to 'spread the good news' about orienteering?"

I get the impression that lots of orienteers worry about membership decline and who will run clubs and events in 20 years time. I've dusted down some figures BOF gave me (posted on an earlier thread).

1997 BOF membership for 3 regions (SE, YH, SCOT):

Total membership: 3269
Total under 20: 697 (21.32%)
Total 20-40: 996 (30.47%)
Total 40+: 1463 (44.75%)

2004 BOF membership for the 3 regions:

Total membership: 2679
Total under 20: 529(19.75%)
Total 20-40: 597(22.28%)
Total 40+: 1500(55.99%)

Change between 2004 and 1997.

Total membership: -590
Under 20: -168
20-40: -399
40+: 37

Whether people worry about this decline for altruistic, selfish or religious reasons is one for the psychologists out there....

[King Penguin]

One of the problems (apart from the strange 'o' PJ's) is the fact that every single orienteering course is different
Rant over

Andy.T

I don't see this as a "problem" but an asset - every event is different which keeps the challenge and the interest alive. I'd hate to run 10k in circles round a track all the time - how boring !

[Supersaint]

One of the problems (apart from the strange 'o' PJ's) is the fact that every single orienteering course is different (excluding pernament courses), leaving no view for PB's unlike in road races where it is an exact measurement regardless of where in the world you are.

Isn't that the whole point! If you knew the course it wouldn't really be much of a challenge. The best thing i like about O is going to different places - over the last few years i've only ever gone to events where i) i've never run there before, ii) it's a big race (UK Cup, Harvester etc), or iii) i loved the area the last time i ran there.

I'd get thoroughly bored if i ran the same course over and over, as said before, it would just be like doing track running which is about as boring as running gets!

[El]

In my experience the image of orienteering is becoming more positive. When I was at school and I told people I did orienteering it was "oh I did that at school once and it was a rubbish form of treasure hunt". When I came to law school this year and I told people it was "wow, respect, that's pretty difficult right? how far do you run? do you stop to read the map?". Granted, the conversation beyond that still runs along the same lines of "well there's a map with a course marked on it..." etc etc but the sport image is becoming more known. Of course there are still the people who say "orienteering, what's that?" but I think the number of them is getting smaller. Maybe now I'm circulating amongst people more likely to have heard of it. Or maybe it's my refusal to notice the glazed look in people's eyes when I say "Britain's top guy got a silver medal at the European Champs this week" . . .