Latest ONSW News
Daylight saving is here, the formal bush season has finished, which means... it's time for the annual summer series to start around the state.
That's when we turn our attention to navigating our way through some of the most scenic parks, reserves and foreshores that our clubs have mapped. Many newcomers are amazed at the views on offer and the areas they discover through our summer series.
As an example, a map from a previous event is here. The maps usually cover an area of 2km x 1km. The fastest runners will often cover 9-10km in 45 minutes, while the more social may do 2-4km.
It's up to you how competitive or social you are. Here's what's on offer:
* On Wednesday, Newcastle gets underway at East Maitland. See their series flyer for full details. You only get two minutes of planning time, so make full use of it. Newcastle even offer a pram-walking category (see pic)!
* At the same time at Gladesville, Sydneysiders will number around 200 for the second event in the Sydney Summer Series. You get unlimited planning time (see picture, left, for a family hard at work). This serves a wonderful social purpose as much as maximising your score. This summer we are offering a free, short, off-road MINI course for children at most events.
* On Saturday morning the SOS, run by our partner Bold Horizons, opens for Term 4 at Chatswood High School. These are mostly 'Sprint' maps focusing on small, mainly urban areas.
* On Sunday morning the Western SSS in the Hills District starts up at Bella Vista, while the Southern SSS kicks off that afternoon at Tempe.
* Our Goldseekers club at Orange is expanding into Bathurst and has another three Friday evening events in October.
* Coffs Harbour (Wed) and Grafton (Fri) start up in late October
In November summer series start up in the Central Coast, Orange and Wagga.
Beginners will get coaching at the events. We hope to see you there.
Teenager Fergus Mackie underlined his potential with a third straight victory over strong opposition at the Australian MTBO champs, taking out Sunday's open men's Long race by a minute and a half.
The Sydney 16-year-old beat Kiwi Tom Spencer by a minute and a half to claim a clean sweep of the weekend - and bragging rights over older sister Lucy who had the misfortune to lose her SI stick halfway around and thus had to 'dnf'.
Finnish star Antonia Haga, en route to a six-month scholarship with Orienteering Tasmania, took out the open women's by two minutes from New Zealander Georgia Skelton.
On all courses at Wingello State Forest there were many route choices between longer fire roads and shorter, steeper single track.
Newcastle pair Erika Enderby (W12) and Toy Martin (W70) also won the Long to make it a weekend hat-trick.
Other NSW Long winners were Nat Carroll (SHOO) in M12, Mikayla Enderby (NC) in W14 and Tim Hackney (NC) in the Recreational Class.
New Zealand dominated the Long races, winning eight age classes to take out the AUS-NZ Challenge 23-12.
A massive thank you to carnival director Greg Bacon and the army of Newcastle and Big Foot setters, controllers, organisers and helpers. A really smooth four days of riding in top weather, including the warm-up events.
We can also announce a 2018 MTBO calendar update:
* Vic Champs & Australian selection trials will be near Creswick, Victoria, on March 17-18
* Aus Champs will be in Queensland from May 19-20
* The Aus v NZ challenge is in the South Island near Alexandra on April 25-26, followed by a cyclogaine on April 28.
Big Foot siblings Lucy and Fergus Mackie have netted doubles on the opening day of the Australian MTBO champs in the NSW Southern Highlands.
Lucy, who stormed to international stardom with a silver medal at the recent junior world titles, won the morning Sprint around Wingello Township by just three seconds from visiting Finnish WOC relay gold medallist Antonia Haga. Fergus (pictured, left) by contrast had almost a minute up his sleeve on Queenslander Joel Young.
It was a great area enhanced by some innovative building of single tracks and cunning course setting, with the finish in the local public school - and the local P&C manning the BBQ.
In the afternoon Middle champs at Wingello Quarries, Fergus finished 30 seconds ahead of Kiwi Conal Boland-Bristow. Lucy had a much easier time and was almost four minutes faster than Marquita Gelderman.
There were also double wins on Saturday to Newcastle riders Erika Enderby in W12, Rhiannon Prentice in W16 and Toy Martin in W70.
Other NSW Sprint winners were Nat Carroll (SHOO) in M12; and the Newcastle trio of Jenny Enderby in W40, Carolyn Matthews in W50 and Rudi Landsiedel in the nonetheless very competitive Recreational class (your debutant scribe can vouch for this!).
New Zealand riders came to the fore in the Middle champs, taking six titles in the older age groups. The only other NSW winner was Sydneysider Liam Wright who is an MTB regular having a go at the orienteering format.
In the AUS-NZ Test match, the Kiwis now lead 13 classes to 10 going into Sunday's Long champs.
A wonderful Australian championships carnival finished on a high note on Sunday with NSW claiming three major national trophies.
The ONSW organising team of Barbara Junghans, Andrew Lumsden, Ron Pallas and Rob Vincent drew high praise for 10 days of sustained excellence including some awesome new gold mining maps of Hill End.
At the final presentation on Sunday, NSW retained the OA Shield (based on results in the Australian Long Champs) and Xanthorrhoea Trophy (based on results in the Relays), and Newcastle (pictured) took out the Australian Champion Club trophy (based on results in the Australian Long Champs).
James Lithgow set great relay courses, using the flattest part of the Tambaroora map to create an initial spur-gully loop then a very tricky gold mining loop into the finish.
Capping off a great weekend, the NSW junior men's elite relay team of Toby Wilson, Alastair George and Duncan Currie (pictured left) won M20E to clinch the National League title.
NSW teams recorded seven relay wins, six second placings and six third placings.
Jenny Hawkins, a member of Northern Tablelands and Bushflyers (ACT), finished runner up in the prestigious Silva Medal. This is based on placings in the Australian Championships (Sprint, Medium and Long), and the Australian 3-Days Championships (each day considered as a separate event).
The carnival website has been updated with links to results, splits and Routegadget for each day plus the daily photo albums which are now on Smugmug.
We were delighted to see TV crews at five of the seven events. Our media page has links to all the coverage from the carnival - please note the TV news clips are on the networks' Facebook pages.
