These two types of terrains put different demands on an orienteer. So you'd expect that different types or orienteers would do better in each type of terrain.
One of my many untested (but perhaps not untestable) ideas is that top orienteering in the U.S. would improve if we had more races in Fair Hill-like terrain and fewer in Pawtuckaway-like terrain. My thinking is that Fair Hill-like terrain reduces the differences between more experienced orienteers and less experienced orienteers. Fair Hill-like terrain would, compared to Pawtuckaway, magnify the damage of small booms. The "competitive pressures" at Fair Hill reward running fast, making quick decisions, and minimizing the small booms.
Maybe those are the sort of competitive pressures that U.S. orienteering needs.
posted by Michael |
7:01 PM
