A0040409P

Newsletter Number 91, September 2003

PO Box 3,
Central Park,
3145, Victoria.
61-3-95721784 fax
E-mail: Neil Phillips

IRF Team

President: Neil Phillips
Secretary/Treasurer: Rod Phillips
Promotions and Development: David Stephens
World Rogaining Championships Manager: Gordon Birch

Czech Republic : Jaroslav Vavra, Miroslav Seidl
Finland : Iiro Kakko
New Zealand : Peter Squires
Canada : Alan Stradeski
United States of America : Eric Smith, Clinton Morse, Bob Reddick
Australia : David Stephens, Rod Phillips, Gordon Birch, John Berwick, Neil Phillips
Founders Representative: Bob Reddick

Observer status
Estonia : Andres Kaar
New Zealand : Michael Wood
Sweden : Lars-Åke Svenk
Russia : German Shestakov
China : Jianping Zhang
South Africa : Pieter Mulder
6th WRC: Peg Davis

7th World Rogaining Championships: New South Wales , Australia

The New South Wales ( Australia ) bid to hold the 7 th World Rogaining Championships in 2006 has received support and favourable comments from within the IRF membership. The IRF will now formalize arrangements with NSWRA.

6th World Rogaining Championships

Date: 8-9 th May 2004 in Arizona , USA .
WRC Manager: Gordon Birch
6WRC Co-ordinator: Peg Davis

http://rogaine.tucsonorienteering.org/.

First South African Rogaine

The first rogaine in Africa attracted 159 orienteers, adventure racers, hikers and various other outdoor devotees on a mixed 8-hour and 3-hour course south of Johannesburg around Suikerbosrand. The number of participants was twice that projected in the organizers' most optimistic forecast, and is a credit to pre-event publicity. Competitors came from Sweden , Swaziland and several parts of South Africa including long-term members of the local Rand Orienteering Club who organized the rogaine.

First European Rogaining Championships

The first European Rogaining Championships were held on 16-17 August 2003 near Perm , Russia . There were 84 participants in 40 teams on a course that was relatively flat and used for earlier Perm 24-hour rogaines. First place went to the Czech team of Petr Boranek and Miroslav Seidl, followed by Andrey Lipin, Anatoly Osokin and Vitaly Mazunin, and third place was Konstantin Volodin and Serguei Iachtchenko. There was representation from the Czech Republic , Austria , Finland , USA and seven different centres in Russia .

New Zealand Rogaining Association

After its first year of operation, a number of successes are justifying the formation of the NZRA in 2002. The practice of supporting rogaines not directly run by the Association provides the support base for individuals in many centres around the country to organize events open to all interested: this means a much fuller program of rogaining events than any new association committee could hope to organize alone. NZRA rogaines attract a large number of participants from non-orienteering background which ultimately results in both sports benefiting from greater interest in cross-country navigation activities. At the elite level, New Zealand rogainers have shown they are equal to the very best at World and Australian Rogaining Championships. The attendance of 170 entrants at each of the last two rogaines is testimony to the growing interest of rogaining in New Zealand .

There are a series of short rogaines in various centres in New Zealand over coming months leading up to the New Zealand Rogaining Championships (24 hour) on 6-7 March 2004 in the Waikato area, and the World Rogaining Championships in Arizona (USA).

Port Hills twilight rogaine for 3 hours on October 22 nd.

Colonial Challenge is a 5hour / 10 hour rogaine near Wellington (this is a rebirth of the event cancelled last year because of fire risk).

“Heights of Korowai” on 29 th November is a 7 hour rogaine in the eastern Canterbury High Country. www.rogaine.org.nz

Something different from the USA

24 Hour Relay Adventure Race, 2nd August, 2003 Scioto Trail State Forest , Waverly, Ohio

Described as like the 24 hour mountain bike relay races (24 hours of adrenaline, 24 hours of Snowshoe) ... except the organizers thought that riding multiple MTB loops for 24 solid hours was so boring that even they couldn't stand the thought of it.

“This is a whole new concept in adventure racing - relay teams complete multiple loops of an adventure racing course - every loop is different - you will encounter trail running, paddling, mountain biking, orienteering and plenty of the dreaded special mystery events - whichever team (or solo) completes the most laps in 24 hours wins. In between laps, team members can hang out at the staging area and rest, socialize or eat. More info at: //americanbushwhackingclub.org/ambush - don't dawdle because we must receive your registration soon to assure you a spot in this whacky adventure sports shindig!” Brad Hunt: Coordinator, American Bushwhacking Club.

6WRC Arizona

The quirky characters, colorful towns, and historical events of western Arizona come to life on a new Driving Audio Adventure from Tour Guide USA aptly named the Phoenix to Bullhead City Loop Tour.

The newest of five driving tours from Tour Guide USA steers west along Interstate 10 before traveling up Arizona 's western border on its way to Bullhead City and its sister metropolis of Laughlin , Nevada .

A landscape painter might only need two swaths of color to capture the essence of western Arizona - blue and gold. The gold would flood the canvas like sunshine and symbolize the precious metal that set off a stampede of exploration and development in the region. The blue embodies the Colorado River , which transforms the arid environment into a recreational mecca for boaters and outdoor enthusiasts.

The road trip introduces a unique Arizona landscape that serves as a bridge between the Sonoran and Mohave deserts. The sun-drenched towns along the route are a plentiful source of honored Arizona tales, including audio segments on an abandoned Smithsonian observatory, a desert-dwelling humorist, Arizona 's navy, and roaming camels.

Whether you're new to Arizona or a native, you're bound to enjoy stops along the way like London Bridge , the Bill Williams Wildlife Refuge, Route 66 and the mining town of Oatman , Arizona . Or venture across the river to Laughlin , Nevada for some big-time gaming entertainment.

The Phoenix-Bullhead City Loop tour includes more than an hour's worth of audio entertainment and a touring map for just US$14.95.