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Accommodation news and Youth meeting invitation

We are happy to inform you that our offer for hotel rooms at Scandic Plaza and Scandic Syd  with special prices during OOcup has now been prolonged to June 6th, as long as there are rooms still available.

We have also three additional cabins at First Camp free for reservation. It´s three “Lingonstuga” with 4 beds for the price of 160€/night that is still available.

If you are interested to make a reservation, please send an email to: tjelvar@telia.com

In case you’re looking for accommodation, you might be also interested to check out this website – hopefully there will be more alternative the coming weeks: Private cabins and holiday villas, Sweden (bynordiq.se)

Then we have also the poster Invitation by Kaisa from Umeå OK for the Youth meeting that will be held on July 18th by the youth of Umeå OK for the youth of OOcup! Anyone born between 2002 and 2009 is most welcome! Some cool games will be on the program as well as Swedish fika! A great opportunity to make new friends and have some fun! 

Scandic hotels offer expiring soon

Please note that the special offer from Scandic hotels is about the expire. From May 1st normal rates will apply according to Hotels price list. Currently you can still get a Bed and Breakfast for as little as 27,5 – 35€ per person (110€/room/night in 4 bed room, 90€/room/night in 3 bed room and 70€/room/night in 2 bed room). This is really hard to beat and if you plan on taking part in OOcup we kindly suggest you to consider the offer.

Umeå is a charming nordic city very close to all the venues of OOcup/2022. Furthermore, you can book a seat in a bus taking you from hotel to Arenas and back.

International youth meeting at OOcup

In the evening after the second stage at OOcup (July 18th), we invite to an international youth meeting all the young OOcup participants who were born 2002-2009 (13-20 years).

The juniors of Umeå Orienteringsklubb will arrange the meeting which will include a smorgasbord of playful social activities and we also offer the most Swedish of all – SWEDISH FIKA!

The meeting is also part of the birthday celebration of Umeå 400 years and is held with the support of Umeå municipality.

The meeting is completely alcohol and drug free and participation is free of charge. More information about time, place and registration will come later!

In 2022 Umeå celebrates 400 years, quite a few more compared to 20 years of OOcup :)!

In the meantime we’d like to remind you of our accommodation offer; we can still offer a few cabins at First Camp in Umeå for accommodation during OOcup 2022. We also have hotel rooms at really good prices in the Scandic hotels in Umeå. We can not guarantee these low prices longer than for reservations before 20th of April. Read more about the different offers at Accommodation section!

Bus Umeå – Arenas

If you don’t feel like traveling by car all the way to Umeå or even renting one when you arrive, you can now book bus transfer from Umeå to Arenas during the 5 days (via OrienteeringOnline). The price is 40€/person/5days. We can guarantee 48 seats, for anything more than that we will decide according to demand. The deadline to book the bus is June 20th.

The bus starting points will be The Umeå first camping and Umeå center (Scandic hotels).

Short interview with Hanna Lundberg

Hanna Lundberg is perhaps the most shining rising star in the world of orienteering today. 2021 was a dream season for her, winning 3 gold medals and one silver at World ski orienteering junior championships, 2 gold medals and one bronze at JWOC, a World cup race in what was maybe the most technical race of the season and 3rd place overall in the World cup. Hanna is from Luleå, not too far from OOcup/2022 venues. Here is what she has to say about terrain that we will use for the races.

What do you think about when you see the samples of the maps that will be used at OOcup next year?

It is difficult to just sit still when I see the map samples and the pictures from the terrain that await, for better orienteering than this can not be found in my world. The coast of Norrland has something special with technical challenges in varying visibility and tempo changes and is physically demanding with fast sections exchanging with slow heavy areas covered with blueberries or stony fields. Unfortunately, it rarely happens that a terrain type can offer courses difficult enough for the elite, and at the same time provide ground for reasonable challenge for recreational runners and youngsters. But in the forests where OOcup will be organized, there are good conditions for that!

What is most important when orienteering in this type of terrain?
In total, I have spent hours making mistakes in this type of terrain, in order to learn to hit hundreds of legs perfectly. The terrain has taught me the hard way that the leg can quickly turn from success to a failure.

 

 In such a technically challenging terrain type one is quickly punished for focusing on the wrong features on the course. My basic tactic is to always take one stretch at a time. I start planning the leg before leaving the control point in order to find the course setters traps and the difficulties on the route. If it goes downhill, it will go faster and a higher map frequency is required, if it is a leg on the slope, it is easy to slide down too far, the density of vegetation will probably vary from open to dense to just name a few examples of difficulties. It is important to use the compass and take direction towards the first safe point, to get right into it at the beginning to then be able to “thread the map details on a bead band”. This means that as you reach the first safe point, you look out for a new one and repeat the same procedure with the compass – all the way to the last safe point from which you attack the control point. I think this plan works on most routes, but the difficulty lies in repeating the same process over and over again. It is of course important to adapt a little, a denser forest requires closer contact with the compass to give an example.

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Hanna storming towards Finish line at Idre Fjäll WC race


Why should one come to the northern parts of Sweden for orienteering?

The feeling when you slide forward on a technically difficult course in a nice slope with full control and hit the control perfectly is hard to beat, I’m sure most orienteers agree with that. Unfortunately, we do not get to experience it on many courses today, as the terrain does not measure up. However, it is a problem that is not as common in the forests of the north. Here, real orienteering is offered in areas that, in addition to their orienteering value, are fantastically beautiful. Everything from the archipelago to the mountains further inland, it is simply an experience you must not miss!

Website updated

Website is now updated with basic information for OOcup/2022. You’re welcome to check it out!

OOcup/2021 is now history

So we did it. Second OOcup in these strange Covid times. Just like the previous one in France, it brings mixed feelings. Big thanks to all of you who came to the race despite conditions that do not favor traveling and taking part in orienteering competitions abroad. Posebna zahvala tudi Slovencem, ki so se OOcupa udeležili v večjem številu kot običajno! And of course big thanks to all members of our small but efficient team, you were great like always!

This year’s edition was a little reminder of how to organize a race with limited resources. Almost like in good old times back in 2002 :). Most of you were probably not aware that the race you just ran was actually the 20th edition of OOcup… well, at least one person in the crowd knew it very well.

After a short break, our focus switches to 2022. Event in Umeå is our big motivation and hope for normal times. If OOcup ever needed your participation, it is in the next year. And I’m sure you will not be disappointed, because the terrain up in the north is just amazing.

Here are the maps from today.

And below a few photos from the last stage…

Thank you and see you around,
Ivan

Only one stage to go

The fourth stage is now behind us, only one to go! Tomorrow something completely different, an OOcup stage in a non karst terrain :).

Here you can download all maps from today.

And below are some photos by Ivan …

See you tomorrow on the last stage.