After having Vendy & Alles re-map all the best parts of LBE last winter, the prospect of an event there was more exciting to me than it has been for years. Not only that, but Alles had forwarded his suggestion for a Big-Ol'-Mean 8.2 KM Red course, with cut-offs forming Green and Brown. I couldn't resist, hot May weather or not. Then, of course, I added my own Little-Ol'-Mean tough and challenging White, Yellow and Orange courses, just to fulfill the spirit of the day's program.
I shouldn't have.
If folks wanted to get their money's worth in terms of total time spent in the woods, then it worked well. But if it was a normal day's orienteering you wanted, these designs were not so good.
Look at the results. Brown, Green, Red winning times were 174, 124, 144 minutes respectively. Those are unheard-of numbers. No one finished any course in anything near a recommended time. Several groups were out over 3 hours and two were 5 hours, so the web page shows all actual times and no "OT=overtime".
From your course-setter's viewpoint this was a dreadful set of courses. I apologize. I know most people came out of the woods grinning and saying it was sort of fun although frustrating, but they were just being polite. I know one group on Red spent 1/2 hour trying to find the right control because the control code at #4 did not match the clue sheet. Another two groups slipped out on Green before I could tell them to forget about the erroneous #4 appearing on their control description sheet. And so it went....
The good/bad news is that we did not lose anyone and did not threaten to exceed our permitted 75 person limit. Where was everyone, by the way? Did you know I was putting together killer courses and stayed away? Surely it could not have been the weather. In fact it felt downright balmy under the shady trees with a breeze in our faces. About 85F, low humidity (for FL) and a nice westerly breeze is as nice as we can make it.
I want to thank Ron Eaglin and Nicci Wright for setting all controls. Thanks to Janet Putnam, John Ide, Mike Dempsey, Missy Kaler, Arturs Intsons and Nicci for Registration, Start & Finish in orderly shifts. Thanks to Dave Brault and Jim Fuedner for control retrieval. Then there must be a special notice for Jonathan Linforth who printed the maps beforehand, went to Russ Steinke's house Sat AM to pick up all equipment, delivered all to LBE, went to work in Deland for the day and then returned at 3PM to take all equipment home with him in preparation for Ocala Forest next month. Marathon Man, we salute you!
Bob
| Name | Time |
| Trujillo | 78:56 |
| Barr | 108:31 |
| Karen Pyros | 115:19 |
| Name | Time |
| Rob Hamersing | 83:58 |
| McCallum | 85:46 |
| Dalean Jordaan | 123:04 |
| Hawkins/Lunt | 126:00 |
| Carroll | 133:47 |
| Jack Cash | 141:12 |
| Paul Griffitz | 193:57 |
| Blomstrom | 248:57 |
| George Pyros | DNF |
| Name | Time |
| Nettlow | 174:19 |
| Hamilton | 183:04 |
| Kevin Kurzawa | 198:57 |
| Chan | DNF |
| Name | Time |
| Mike Dempsey | 124:14 |
| Nicci Wright | 124:28 |
| John Ide | 155:36 |
| Joe Maliszewski | 157:15 |
| Figueroa/Yates/Archer | 179:08 |
| Missy Kaler | DNF |
| Dennis/Carolyn | DNF |
| Name | Time |
| Artur Intson | 144:18 |
| David Shuman | 164:19 |
| Andrea Canelos | 170:52 |
| Schmid | 179:36 |
| Brandon Wilson | 185:21 |
| Pirnasch | 205:07 |
| Carr | 237:28 |
| Brian Bills | 238:41 |
| Andy Capp | 295:56 |
| Rodenmeyer | 303:56 |
| Norman Wilson | DNF |
| Kyle Tallent | DNF |
| DNF | Did Not Finish |
| DQ | Disqualified (Missed Controls) |
| OT | Over 3 Hour Time Limit |