MEET REPORT and RESULTS

 

Ramblers Orienteering Club

 

SKI & SNOWSHOE–ORIENTEERING EVENT

at

The Morgan Arboretum — March 5, 2006

 

After a fabulous 41 cm snowfall in mid December, we were anticipating a great season. Unfortunately, the rest of the winter was remarkable only for record amounts of rain and mild weather. Twice we postponed, and finally had to cancel the Ski-O we had originally planned for the Bois-de-Liesse Park on February 5. A small snowfall finally saved our March 5 event at the Arboretum.

 

Two Ski-O courses were set plus a separate course for Orienteering on snowshoes – or wearing only boots, as a few people did. The weather was great, with the temperature hovering just a little below freezing. We had a record number of participants – for a winter event: 68 persons (including two children under 10 and a baby in a backpack). There were 46 actual “Starts”. The day was a fine success and almost all competitors had finished – when a catastrophic tragedy struck.

 

Since 2001, André Laplante had won 5 of the 6 Ski-O meets that we had organized, out-performing such strong competitors as Nicolas Côté and Francis Falardeau. At 52, André was a very fit and accomplished athlete. He was Head Coach of the McGill Nordic Ski Team and had convinced four of their number to come to our Arboretum Ski-O. As he began the second half of the race – the Blue Course – it appeared probable to me that he would top the list again. Alas, this was not to be. On the final up-hill, no more than 100 meters from finishing, he collapsed. There wasn’t an actual witness but it is believed that he was found soon after. Resuscitation efforts were quickly begun. Sadly, nothing could be done to save André. No club in Orienteering in Quebec, has ever known such a tragedy – and we hope we never will again.

 

We will miss André very much, and not just because of his prowess as a skilled Orienteer. He leaves a loving family and work colleagues at McGill University and around the world where his achievements have been felt and acknowledged. André always wore a smile and was ready to lend a helping hand. He had earlier offered to pick up all the flags with help from his Team. An obituary and photo can be found at www.athletics.mcgill.ca/varsity_sports_coach_profile.ch2?athlete_id=2569

 

The Ski-O event comprised two courses. Both were marked on participants’ maps, the first (6.7 km) in RED and the second (6.3 km) in BLUE. (Distances are “probable best routes”.) Skiers did the RED first and when finishing – back at the Centre – could decide on whether they wished to proceed to do the BLUE. Almost half the “starts” did both.

 

The Snowshoe-O event had one course of 6 km (straight-line measurement).

The maps for both events were distributed only at the start.

 

And the Winners are…

Michael Bole, a Ramblers member for only one year, returned 22 minutes after the noon hour with the fastest time of the day (1:33:00) on the LONG Course. He would have to share the winning honours, however. One of the McGill Teams (Stoa and Steingard), who began their race at 9½ minutes before one o’clock, returned with an identical time to Bole’s. Stéphane Rousseau (Ramblers) and Bruce Glen (Ramblers) placed 3rd and 4th respectively (1:44:25; 1:48:45).

 

In the SHORT Course event the Koptelov family took three of the top five positions : Oleg had a firm grip on 1st with a time of 52:00; daughter Polina (14 years of age) was 3rd (75:00) and son Andrey, 13, came 5th (79:00). 2nd place went to Christian Reber (59:00) and 4th to Nicole Roy (77:00).

 

 

SNOWSHOE-Orienteering is now proving to be as popular as Ski-O and for the third successive year, David Agar (Ottawa OC) placed at the top of the results, this time, however, he too had to share the title. Patrice Gagnon (Ramblers) trying his first winter O-meet, turned in an identical time – 62 minutes.

 

Martin Hamel (Rams) was 3rd (72:00) and Yee Fun Wong (Rams) was the top woman and 4th overall (87:15). Both of the first placers were lucky, however. Alain Harel, a new member on the scene, posted an unofficial time of 56:20. It was discovered later that Harel had mis-punched at control 11. (How very important it is to check those control codes on the flags with the codes given on the map!!)

 

The distinction of being the Orienteer that covered the most ground went to someone who had never Orienteered before. I met Ian Scott, a mature but sturdy individual, while hanging controls in the Arboretum, three days before the meet. After a short chat, I apparently convinced him to come and try our sport. Ian did. And when he had completed the Ski-O courses he went back out and did the whole of the Snowshoe-O course. Bravo, Ian !

 

THANKS

 to all who came out and competed. See you next time – when Spring has arrived!

THANKS

 to Yee Fun Wong who helped with the starting and to Gloria who handled registration.

and

THANKS also

 to The Morgan Arboretum for the use of the Conservation Centre, and their many

 trails that we enjoyed, including the new snowshoeing trail.

 

John

 …. for the Ramblers Orienteering Club

 

The complete Results follow

 

Ski-O Long Course – 13 km RED Course - 6.7 + BLUE- 6.3 km (best routes) 15 controls

 

 

 

 

O-Club

Time

1

 

Michael

Bole

Ramblers

1:33:00

1

 

Ryan

Stoa and

                     }

 

 

 

 J-D

 Steingard

McGill Team }-

1:33:00

3

 

Stéphane

Rousseau

Ramblers

1:44:25

4

 

Bruce

Glen

Ramblers

1:48:45

5

 

Eric

Lillie

Ramblers

1:54:00

6

 

Robert

Darby

Ramblers

2:03:40

7

 

Katie

Beardsley

                     }

 

 

 

 Guillaume

 Girard

McGill Team }-

2:08:30

8

 

Ian

Scott

—

2:11:00

10

 

Anke

Fassina

—

2:13:15

11

 

Charles

Fields

—

2:32:20

12

 

Elaine

S

Ramblers

2:40:30

 *

 

André

Laplante

Ramblers

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Ski-O Short – RED Course 6.7 km (best route) 9 controls

 

 

 

 

O-Club

Time

1

 

Oleg

Koptelov

Ramblers

0:52:00

2

 

Christian

Reber

Ramblers

0:59:00

3

 

Polina

Koptelova (14 yrs.)

Ramblers

1:15:00

4

 

Nicole

Roy

—

1:17:00

5

 

Andrey

Koptelov (13 yrs.)

Ramblers

1:19:00

6

 

Daniel + Penelope (13)

Sauriel

Ramblers

1:43:00

7

 

Sandy

Phillips

Ramblers

1:44:15

8

 

Scott & Maeve + baby

Bohle / MacNair

 

1:44:20

9

 

Ryan

Jones (11 yrs.)

Ramblers

1:50:15

10

 

Therese & Colin

Jones family with  }

Ramblers

1:57:00

 

 

 Patrick(5) & Anna Karin(9)

Jones                  }

Ramblers

 

11

 

Barbara + 2: 6 & 9 yrs.

Schumann

Ramblers

2:07:15

12

 

Stanley

Lee

Ramblers

2:42:00

13

 

Beverley

Lai &

Ramblers  }

2:43:00

 

 

 Doriann

 Lee-Cheng

                 }

 

14

 

Celestine

Segers

Ramblers

2:50:00

 

 

 

 

 

 

Snowshoe-O* – 5.76 km (straight line); 7.15 km (best route) 15 controls *or just using boots

 

 

 

 

O-Club

 Time

1

 

David

Agar

Ottawa OC

1:02:00

1

 

Patrice

Gagnon

Ramblers

1:02:00

3

 

Martin

Hamel

Ramblers

1:12:00

4

 

Yee Fun

Wong

Ramblers

1:27:15

5

 

Sylvain

Harel

Ramblers

1:27:20

6

 

Marie-Pierre

Gaudette

Ramblers

1:31:30

7

 

Vincent

Dehail

Ramblers

1:50:00

8

 

Dominic & Louis

Samoisette

Ramblers

2:08:15

9

 

Sylvaine

Grousset & }

—

2:11:30

 

 

 Anne-Marie

 Vigneault   }

—

 

 

 

 Suzanne

 Richard      }

—

 

10

 

Frederick

Fortier

—

2:13:35

11

 

Ian

Scott

—

2:16:30

12

 

Micheline

Leger &

Ramblers }

2:24:00

 

 

 Pierre

 Millette

Ramblers }

 

13

 

Richard

Aronoff

Ramblers & OOC

2:28:33

14

 

Maksim

Kirtsman &   }

Ramblers

2:41:19

 

 

 Christopher

 Labos         }

—

 

15

 

Jean-Pierre

Langlois

Ramblers

3:28:00

 *

 

Alain

Harel

Ramblers

 (56:20)* DSQ.

1

 

Vickie

Mortensen &

"Short Course"

 

 

 

 Bernie

 Meehan

 

2:18:30

-

 

Claude

Maltais + François (11)

Scouts

not timed

-

 

Marc-Antoine &Natasha

Audet

Scouts

 not timed

-

 

Marie-Andrée

Audet + A. Pepin (11)

—

DNF

-

 

Melany

Goldring

—

DNF

-

 

Hélène

Riol + Chris Zakem (11)

Scouts

not timed

 

 

 

 

 * Punched wrong control at #11

 

Ramblers Orienteering Club