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super series - from the spectator control

Show Profile  onemanfanclub Posted: 20 September 2002, 8:29 AM  
Well then, since Michael (in an unusual show of exclusivity) wants any non-elites with opinions on the super series to start their own thread, rather than respond directly to his, here it is! Since my understanding is that one of the aims of the series is to raise the profile of our top dudes in the rest of the kiwi orienteering community, I reckon that gives us a right of input! At the very least this will be an opportunity to find if there are actually any other non-elites out there who give a damn. (Don't be shy...)

So, my thoughts:
Spring to Autumn makes more sense than a calendar year series. I think apparent interest died off this year between QB and AK champs simply because there were no rounds! Start with the Spring regionals, and build up to Nationals (with good promotion those people across all grades who are always complaining about having Nationals so early in the year might finally get the point!), then push QB as the final round of the Super Series. That actually gives QB weekend an identity of its own, rather than just a A or B level event that someone's put on becuase there happens to be a 3-day weekend.

New rounds, and insuring "existing" ones happen: There's still a gap between Regionals (ending in November) and Nationals in Easter. It'd be nice to have an ANZ/APOC/World Masters in mid-summer every year, but thats not going to happen. To keep continuity how about in Feb/March introducing... hmm lets call them the NOrth Island and South Island Opens as Super Series rounds. OK I know there's barely enough enthusiasm to keep existing major races going at the moment, but here's an idea which I can't work out if its completely naiive or not... At Super Series rounds that aren't "existing" championships, eg those Island Opens, or QB, why not just leave the pre-entry/pre-marked maps side of things to the elites, and the rest of us can choose to bowl along on the day for an OY type event with far less courses, while supporting our clubmate in the "big" race. If the Series or squad had sufficient resources to take as much as possible of the elite race organisation off the host club, I don't think an event like this would be seen as a huge organisational burden.

Building a fan base: The series at the moment is not particularly visible, so a lot of my fellow rec or semi-competitive or masters orienteers probably don't even know it exists. It doesn't help that big race coverage in "NZOrienteering" (or even here - still nothing on the AK champs?) hasn't been great lately, but editors & webmasters are only as good as what they get. The series needs some good journalism, covering who does what at each round, and how this effects the series standings (yes, my volunteer arm is twitching, but I'll need to test my skills at covering one or two races before I come out from behind my secret identity). Its a 2-way street though, if and when such a "journalist" exists, the elites need to be approachable and open (I think most are, but might get self conscious with a notebook in front of them)

Building a fan base 2: This is about the individual competitors more than the series as a whole... be identifiable with your club! Make it as important that you're from North West or Hutt Valley or PAPO or wherever, as it is that you're in the national squad. If you've got club colours race in them as much as possible, be available as possible to coach your clubmates (again I think most do) or just chat with them. Again, its a 2-way street. Clubs, always be prepared to ask what you can do for your elite members (eg: if they don't have club colours, why not?), AND what they can do for you. Get it right, and you're less likely to loose them to another club... or sport...

Well I didn't mean to go on quite so long (I guess I'm more opinionated than I thought), and I'm sure in a few days I'll have other ideas, even if no-one else does. Remember elites you have your own thread to use, this one's for your groupies...

Show Profile  Nic Gorman Posted: 20 September 2002, 8:38 AM  
I don't think people are going to travel big distances to events if they are not going to get a premarked map. I wouldn't go all the way to Auckland for an event just to support the elites.

Show Profile  MASH Posted: 20 September 2002, 11:35 AM  
Wow !
"Spring, to Autumn makes more sense than the calander year"
Music to my ears.
I have been waiting years to hear others espouse to this.
Maybe it will come to fruition with a new generation of orienteers coming thru the ranks into administration.
I see so much potential to exploit the sports profile with such a simple change.
I envisage quality events over this period would draw top northern hemisphere orienteers of all grades
for down under orienteering / holidays.
An international flavour in any sport will lift its profile in the sporting media.
Sorry to deviate from the thread but I couldn't resist a comment, its a pet "O" subject with me.

"Spring, Summer, Autumn "O" yeh ! ! !


Edited by - MASH on 21/09/2002 12:54:38

Show Profile  onemanfanclub Posted: 20 September 2002, 1:41 PM  
Its one thing to have a made up user name, quite another to use someone else's real name. What Nic Gorman really thinks is that the events without premarked maps would mainly attract local crowds, and a few real keen nuts (which quite possibly WOULD include the real Nic Gorman). Their main focus would be the elite race - why not have a well organised elite race at what would otherwise be a club event. The real Nic Gorman has no problems with a certain degree of elitism for elites, I'm not sure the fake one sees the point.

Question: when Auckland played Canterbury in the NPC tonight, did it require B, veteran, and school teams from each province to be also playing at the same time? (I exaggerate, but not for the first time in this forum)

Show Profile  addison Posted: 21 September 2002, 7:29 AM  
Howsabout for the Super Series, having a SUPER PARK O' to finish off the season, say in Auckland with ELECTRONIC PUNCHING.

There, we can use this as a publicity thing for the sport, by inviting the papers etc etc and having an orienteering OPEN DAY. High profile sports have this type of thing occuring. Park Orienteering is the way to go for publicity

Show Profile  MASH Posted: 21 September 2002, 10:57 AM  
Sounds good Simon.
Super Series, Super Park 'O', electronic punching, top athlete's what more could you want for publiciy.
Well, the trouble is (in my opinion) the sporting media seems to need other criteria to warrant their coverage.
The use of superlatives and exaggeration is what makes good hyped commentary for them.
In other words sensationalism is what they seek.
Can such an event provide this for the sports journalist?
Probably not the sensationalism, unless you had the athletes running around the park naked.
We could however see some superlatives and exaggeration in their commentary if for example
their opening commentary was something like: "International orienteering athletes erupt in competition
on Auckland city's extinct volcano, local park One Tree Hill. New Zealands greatest athlete, Peter Snell,
himself an orienteer these days, set off this international field of athletes from the bottom of One Tree Hills
crater ............etc etc.
My point is our sport will more likely attract journalists if an international flavour is on offer.
Attract the overseas athletes to New Zealand and we might get some where, publicity wise !
Put our sport in the correct season, and you might achive this !

ps before anyone says it - no I won't give up my day job for journaliism :)

"Spring, Summer, Autumn 'O' yeh


Edited by - MASH on 23/09/2002 07:53:49

Show Profile  addison Posted: 22 September 2002, 9:22 AM  
Perhaps for the Nationals, another club other than the host club can set up a Super Park O' for preferably before the actual Nationals. Perhaps this Park O' can be given National Status.

By doing so, this can act as a warm up for the Nationals, as well as a publicity thing for our great sport of Orienteering. Perhaps we can use this as publicity for not only the Super Series, but for the Nationals themselves. Perhaps inviting local celeb's and maybe the Prime Minister or something, to help to raise the profile also. Image this. "In a small depression, away from the limelight of her job of running New Zealand, the Prime Minister (Electronically) Clips at an Orienteering Control, running in the New Zealand Orienteering Super Series".

But being realistic, hows about as well as having the Area Champs, allocating each area champ a different purpose. Eg Auckland Champs being Speed, requiring little climb etc. The CD Champs being the hillclimb, being held on the Mountain Road Map etc. Therefore each fascet can be used in publicity. Meaning different Elite Orienteers can be good at their own part of the Orienteering season, say they are good at Hilly Courses, then they can excell in that Area Champs. You get the point im trying to make.


Edited by - Simon Addison on 22/09/2002 16:24:54

Show Profile  MAMBO339 Posted: 22 September 2002, 1:25 PM  
Simon has finally hit something about the area champs. This is a great idea.

Show Profile  Dave Barr Posted: 22 September 2002, 1:32 PM  
why not have the elites wear costumes and have cool names like Phil 'The Hitman' Wood and Brent 'The Law' Edwards?



Show Profile  MASH Posted: 23 September 2002, 8:19 AM  
Jamie, ref your 10.39am post under Michael's topic.

Gets my vote !
If and when that happens I'll be back setting/vetting and coordinating events.
I won't hold my breath though. Convincing certain people / clubs to run quality
events in Dec/Jan/Feb (their precious holiday period) has been and still will be
the stumbling block.


"Spring, Summer, Autumn 'O' yeh !


Show Profile  addison Posted: 24 September 2002, 4:43 AM  
Running events is a hard thing. Just the other day i spent 4 hours checking out control sites for an up coming event on THE NEW WAIHOU MAP. Its a nice as river by the way, where Pump gets its water from (same main spring) WORLD FAMOUS IN PUTARURU.


Getting onto the Super Series. The Look that I would like looks like this

(Autumn)
2 Area Champs-each having own purpose, eg hill climb, speed, extra technical, route choice etc.

(Summer)
2 Other Area Champs
+other events

(Spring)
SUPER PARK O' before Nationals, helps lift profile of nationals up. NATIONAL STATUS PARK O?
Then Nationals as the highlight with double points. No focus on anything like hill climb, just a average course.

Show Profile  Greg Posted: 24 September 2002, 7:46 AM  
So now you want to turn area champs in to a over priced specific training session. What a fucken joke. The list Simon produced normaly happens as a result of where the race is, Woodhill is mainly flat and fast, Wellington hilly etc. Races are about putting everything together under pressure. Simon up until now you have had some good ideas but what the hell have they dumped in the Wiahou river that you're drinking.

Show Profile  Dave Barr Posted: 24 September 2002, 9:21 AM  
I believe I need to clarify my earlier post about costumes etc.

It was sarcasm, and the point I was trying to make is that Simon is an idiot.
We should be having orienteering at good locations with good courses.
That way we will be finding the best orienteer.
Not that hill climb bullshit. The terrain should dictate the course and the quality of terrain (including accessibility, previous usage etc.) should dictate where the event is held. Anything else will result in crap events.

Simon's brain is similar to his website. It obviously doesn't work.

Show Profile  Neil K Posted: 24 September 2002, 9:29 AM  
Will the real Nic Gorman please stand up?

Show Profile  Andrew M Posted: 24 September 2002, 10:41 AM  
HA! a wise crack from real "Neil K". Im sure I have heard your words echoing around these forums more than 8 times Neil.

Show Profile  Nic Gorman Posted: 25 September 2002, 4:04 AM  
I'm Nic Gorman
Yes I'm the Real Gorman
All you other onemanfanclubs are just imitating
So won't the real Nic Gorman...
Please stand up, Please stand up, Please stand up
Cause I'm Nic Gorman
Yes I'm the Real Gorman
All you other onemanfanclubs are just imitating
So won't the real Nic Gorman...
Please stand up, Please stand up, Please stand up


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