The Black Sea Orienteering Gospels

[Tessa]

Here is the word according to the orienteer Tess:

Stranja Cup.
A fantastic 2 day event on the coast of Buglaria, comprising of a short and a middle distance race. Organised by Constantin, shortly Consto, the weekend was bound to be full of surprises for Team GB.

Day 1.
Kyle Stork was first to start, gliding through the terrain so gracefully. Starting 7 minutes infront of me, with 1.2 km longer, it would be a head to head back to the finish. And with the last 4 controls the same, it could be a sprint off at the end. I started strongly, spiking controls, running hard, twatting snakes with my compass as I went. Then, at my 6th control out of 10, I caught a glimpse of a white top ahead of me, striding out in the terrain. Desperate to catch the lycra clad scot, I moved up a gear. Nailing the last controls, I sprinted the run in. However, no sight of Kyle. I waited, and waited, until the muppet appeared on the horizon. He was the victim of a parallel error on the wrong ravine valley. 5 minutes lost proved to be costly.

The next head to head was between Carol Black and Jerry Knoll. Similar course length, similar start times, who would be victorious? Jerry started slow and steady, and got slower and steadier but navigationally perfect. Blackie stormed off into the forest, only to make the same error as Stork. However, it was a close battle, but Jerry narrowly defeated Carol.

Day 2.
Returning to the same forest, Team GB were confident that time would be caught up and leads would be maintained. Start order was reversed with Blackie first to bless the forest. She ran well until getting stuck on a tree root (not literally.) Jerry's fortunes changed as mistakes proved costly - his 10 second lead was lost by 20 minutes. Kyle made up for his stupidity yesterday by clinching the M20 title with a beast of a run.
I started well, nailing the first 4. But then, I slowed down. Approaching a bingo control with no attack point or catching feature within 300m, I was not suprised to find 10 Balkan runners madly shouting abuse. After 3 attempts at attacking, always landing in the same depression shaped dip in the land, my patience was running dry. In frustration I stomped around, eradicating the frog population of said dip. Then, out of the corner of my eye I caught a glimpse of the control, less than 15m away. After that, I carried on strongly, storming to the W20 title.

Prize giving.
This must be one of Team GB's most succesful competititons aborad in years. 3/4 competitors with medals. Kyle 'Koolie' Stork was first up and proudly received his medal and book on 'top tips for bulgarian orienteers in buglarian. He also got given some freshly picked weeds from the field by some random. Jerry Knoll, being special got a book although he only managed a silver medal. That will be his bed time reading. He promises to publish a full translation. I was very proud to recieve my medal, flowers and book. It seems like valuable fashion advice - retro orienteering style.

Other notable results include class wins from 'The Doctor' and Victor, who have been great friends of Team GB so far.

[*Carol*]

Here is the word accroding to the orienteer Carol:

The Stranja Cup:
Saturday 3rd June marked the start of two days of immense running (or walking) in Bulgaria's snake and lizard filled, sexy sunlit forests on the Black Sea coastline. The relaxed event, organised by Constantin - shortly Consto - was set to take us by storm...

Day 1:
My first taste of Bulgarian orienteering started well - not knowing when to start due to my lack of bulgarian as they shouted the time..
Tess Knoll and Kyle Stork went head-to-head in the Sprint with the BigBird having a 7min headstart in a 1km longer course, though BigBird was an absolute muppet and made a massive parallel error and let Tess claim absolue victory! I set off to beat Jerry Knoll, running like a beast but delicately avoiding the swarms of snakes an frogs at my feet - in the wrong direction. I must have covered twice the set distance and punched twice the number of controls as I failed to differentiate between numbers 5 and 6. Jerry flew round, though not like BigBird, while I proceeded to make the same parallel error, whoops.
All four of us however finished in podium positions - amazing results for GBR!!

Day 2:
The second part to the competition proved far more confusing. Not having my control description holder, I was held down as someone selotaped my descriptions to my arm... but I couldn't read them. Option 1: break off my arm and carry it. Option 2: run in hope!
Determined to catch up some of the time I lost to Tess, I cast aside any regard for snakes and lizards. Entire families were wiped out as I stormed through pits and ditches, only to miss number 4 - which I spent 40 minutes running, walking, crawling around a 300m2 patch looking for, never to be successful. Tess had warned me that Bulgarian orienteers tend to shout the control they're looking for as they approach the circle in the hope of a reply of "yupyupyupyupyupyupyup!". Whilst looking for #4 I heard hundreds of cries and shouts, but I didn't know my Bulgarian numbers - will learn by Tuesday.
Jerry's series of blunders lost him 20 minutes to the rival he was 10 seconds ahead. BigBird failed to read codes properly and ignored his control until he developed another few braincells.
Overall, there were 2 Golds and 1 Silver out of 4 - Team GB's best ever results abroad?! All three were awarded medals and handpicked flowers plus possibly the best prize ever seen - "How to Orienteer" in Bulgarian, signed by a local celebrity (who?)! BigBird received plenty of attention from Bulgaria's finest W18s... his ego might prevent him from fitting through doors now.

I love Bulgaria


NEWS FLASH!
Much beach fun, swimming, football and bizarre but hillarious Bulgarian sprint games have left 2 of the team injured:
- I played a violent game of football (minus rules...) and have a painful and damaged foot - will I be recovered to run tomorrow?!
- Tess tried showing off in the pool only to cut open and bruise her nose on the floor of the pool... hahahahaha.

[juniorkyle]

Here is the word according to the orienteer Kyle:

The Stranja Cup.
A 2-day competition comprising of a short and middle race situated a stones throw away from the Black Sea. This was a well and laid back organised event, by the famous Constantin, shortly Consto, and was bound to throw up a few surprises.

Day 1:
As first starter of Team GB, the language barrier proved costly, as there were no maps for my class. But after only losing 20 seconds before being handed my course, I cruised off into the forest. Spiking every control it seemed too good to be true, and finlly I was thrown by the smell of something that was to put it politely, rank. It turned out to be Tess Knoll, and desperate to escape the stench, I raced off, making a parallel error and losing 5 minutes. It was waiting at the finish, laughing and pleased after a near perfect run. The other battle of the day was between Carol Black and Jerry Knoll. Jerry pulled it out the bag when it mattered, with Carol making the same parallel error as myself, and taking 3rd place in her class. Jerry had a narrow 10 second lead to try and hold onto the following day.

Day 2:
First off was Carol, desperate to make up the time she was down on Tess, and soon after Jerry followed. I was next, starting 6 minutes before my main rival. After being helped in finding a control by some Bulgarian, and not losing too much time on the bingo controls, I finished strongly and was waiting for a short while before Jerry came storming down the run in. Unfortunatly he had lost his overall 10 second lead by 20 minutes. Next in was Tess, who had minimised her losses and so took the W20 title. She was quoted to have been 'Well Pleased!' There was still no sign of Miss Black, but finally appeared having found 60% of her controls before losing the plot and saying 'Give me a drink now thank you kindly.' My last rival finished earlier and I had managed to pull back the deficit and win M20 by a couple of minutes.

Prize Giving:
Later that day, it was time for the prize giving ceremony. I mounted the podium, and recieved a medal, a book in Bulgarian, and also a beautiful bunch of freshly picked flowers from one of Bulgaria's finest W18's. Tess was up next,also recieving Gold, but was not quite so lucky with the flowers. The final medal for Team GB went to Jerry, who was pipped to 2nd in his class. A nice and successful end to Team GB's first competiton of the tour.

[Fratello de Pingu]

i like the name adjustments, and well done, especially for all posting at exactly the same time

and where is:

Here is the word according to the orienteer Jerry

[Tessa]

A new week, a new 2 day competition - can the fun ever stop? Next up was the Begun cup, and with the wedding of Bulgaria's finest elite over, the competition really hotted up. And no M/W20, meant Stork, Blackie and Knoll Junior were running up on the 21E...and there was money at stake.

Begun Cup. Day 1
Location Location Location. A 'sprint' (well 4.5 km) around a forest/beach/ex-Soviet youth camp, couldn't have been better prep for the JWOC/Takas sprint.

Kylie was first off, slightly confused by the 50m all out sprint mass pile-on to the start/maps and proceeded to royally screw up the first control. Learning from his mistakes, he found number 2, only to muck up 3 and 4. But have no fear, BigBird was not going to give up easily. Being caught by a Bulgarian WOC runner, he gave it everything for 300m and then promptly died. Anyway, his natural talent and speed saw him through and was in a respectable position on M21E.

I was next to head off into the unknown. Again, the initial sprint meant that relocating was the first skill used on the course. All was going well until the 3rd. A good route choice (well, if the contours had ben 5m not 2m) but a hazy attack point caused time to be lost. Minimising the error, again I relocated and continued on my way. All was fine from then on and I was gutted to be in 3rd position - 3 seconds down on a Ukranian and about an hour behind some beast of a Buglarian.

Blackie was determined to do well. She warmed up alone, listening to Eminem to motivate her. It worked, until she ran off the map - twice. But all was well, she finished in the top 15, very respectable.

But today was Jerry's day. His plan was 'total accuracy'. The veteran was unphased by the sprint and cruised off into the forest at his usual sedate pace. But it picked up from there, embarrassingly beating me on some splits. Despite being many years too old for the catagory, he cruised to victory in the M45. One man chasing by 11 seconds, then 3rd place over 2 minutes behind. The question on everyone's lips was - how much will he loose it by tomorrow? Oh, but how we were wrong.

[EriOL]

Orienteering by the Black Sea is great! Start planning for this epic trip:

http://www.wwop.se/resor/07_hostost_karta.pdf

[juniorkyle]

Begun Cup Day 2:-

First off again, my aim on day 2 was to finish before Blackie and Knoll Jr started. The first classic race of the week, so pacing was needed. When waiting in the start box, it was nice to see one of Bulgaria's heros make a 180 out of the start only to pass back through it to massive cheers and laughter from just about everyone there. It was all going well till the infamous bingo control so many had fallen at earlier in the week, but minimising losses and running clean till the end I was sure I must have won, sadly it was not to be, but 6th and only 12 minutes down on WOC runners was pretty damn good! Running to the start after finising I just caught a glimpse of Blackie racing off into the forest, my aim had been completed. Next back was Jerry, and his amazing tactics had pulled him through again! 3rd on the day, and 1st overall, legend! It is obviously easier to win running against 29 others than it is against 1! But next, it was the closest race of the day, the battle for Silver in W21E. Tessa starting 2 minutes behind the one beat her on day 1, was determined to catch her, but first down the run in was the Ukranian. But would you believe it, almost exactly 2 minutes later in comes Knollie. Who had done it? 3 seconds behind again and 6 seconds overall, Tess spewed her guts up. The moral of the story, empty your bowles before you run. Not long after, Blackie finished, pulling out her best run of the week, obviously enjoying the longer distance. But had she found all the controls? Well she says she did...

[Adventure Racer]

Orienteering by the Black Sea is great! Start planning for this epic trip:

http://www.wwop.se/resor/07_hostost_karta.pdf

I see they've even put a picture of Tessa Knoll on the right of the second page

[Shea]

That is huge.

[Colm Hill]

realy does seem like a walk in the park.......... r just a fun fourm of orienteering suicide