History of orienteering
The history of
Military exercise
The actual term "orienteering" (Swedish: orientering) was first used in 1886 at the Swedish Military Academy Karlberg and meant the crossing of unknown land with the aid of a map and a compass. The competitive sport began when the first competition was held for Swedish military officers on 28 May 1893 at the yearly games of the Stockholm garrison.[1] The first civilian competition, in Norway on 31 October 1897, was sponsored by the Tjalve Sports Club and held near Oslo. The course was long by modern standards, at 19.5 km, on which only three controls were placed. The competition was won by Peder Fossum in a time of 1 hour, 47 minutes, and 7 seconds. The first public orienteering competition in Sweden was held in 1901.[2]
Orienteering as a mass participation sport
At the end of
The sport gained popularity with the development of more reliable compasses in the 1930s. In 1928, Gunnar Tillander, a Swedish orienteer, invented a new style of
The first international competition between orienteers of Sweden and Norway was held outside Oslo, Norway, in 1932. By 1934, over a quarter million Swedes were actively participating in the sport, and orienteering had spread to Finland, Switzerland, the Soviet Union and Hungary. The nations of Finland, Norway and Sweden all established national championships.[9] The Swedish national orienteering society, Svenska Orienteringsförbundet, the first national orienteering society, was founded in 1936.[10]
Spread beyond Europe after World War II
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Following World War II, orienteering spread throughout Europe, and to North America, Oceania, and Asia. This spread was due in part to post-war travel by European orienteers, therefore more military people were using orienteering as part of a training method.
In North America, the first orienteering event took place in the
The
In Australia, the first orienteering event was held in 1955.[citation needed]
Establishment as a world sport
The first international governing body for orienteering was the International Orienteering Federation, which was formed by Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, Denmark, East Germany, Finland, Hungary, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland and West Germany in 1961.[13]
Eleven countries sent representatives to an international conference in Sandviken, Sweden, in 1949 that aimed to bring more consistent rules and mapping standards to the sport. The Norwegians and Swedes began producing new multi-color maps with cartography designed specifically for orienteering, in the 1950s.[citation needed] The International Orienteering Federation (IOF) was established in 1961 and the first world championships were held in 1966.[citation needed] By 1969, the IOF would represent 16 countries, including the first two non-European member societies representing Japan and Canada.[14]
Eighty different national orienteering federations are member societies of the IOF today.[15] World championships were held biannually from 1961 to 2003, and are now held every year.
References
- ^ "Historiska milstolpar" (in Swedish). Svenska Orienteringsförbundet. Archived from the original on 2009-10-02. Retrieved 2009-10-26.
- ^ ISBN 1-86126-095-4.
- ISBN 0-8117-2870-6.
- ISBN 1-86126-095-4.
- ^ Litsky, Frank, Bjorn Kjellstrom, 84, Orienteer and Inventor of Modern Compass, Obituaries, The New York Times, 1 September 1995
- ^ Seidman, p. 68
- ^ Kjellström, Björn, 19th Hole: The Readers Take Over: Orienteering, Sports Illustrated, 3 March 1969
- ^ Silva Sweden AB, Silva Sweden AB and Silva Production AB Become One Company: History, Press Release 28 April 2000
- ^ Palmer,
Peter (1997). The Complete Orienteering Manual. Wiltshire, England: The Crowood Press Ltd.,
ISBN 1-86126-095-4, p. 20.
- ISBN 0-8117-2870-6.
- ^ ISBN 0-8117-2870-6.
- ^ Kirk, Colin (2006). "History of the Canadian Orienteering Federation". Canadian Orienteering Federation. Archived from the original on 2005-10-27. Retrieved 2006-02-22.
- ^ "Orienteering". hickoksports.com. 2004-04-18. Archived from the original on 2008-05-22. Retrieved 2008-08-31.
- ^ Dandenong Ranges Orienteering Club. "Orienteering History". Momentech Software Services. Archived from the original on 2006-01-08. Retrieved 2006-02-19.
- ^ "National Federations". International Orienteering Federation. Retrieved 2016-02-16.
- Ryan, Rachel Estrada (September–October 2008). "Lost and Found". AAA Mid-Atlantic. p. 18.