The verdict is in concerning the North American Orienteering Championships, held last week in Kimberley and Cranbrook, and reaction from the participants reflects the degree of professionalism and organization the local hosts brought to the event.

“Congratulations to Jim (Webster) and his crew for an excellent world-class event. This one set many standards which will be remembered in years to come.”

“The North American Championships were top-notch in so many respects, and the technical quality and logistical organization made it not just a great contest but also a great pleasure.”

These are a sampling of comments on a website dedicating to orienteering (attackpoint.org).

“We’re pretty happy with the feedback we received from everybody,” said Jim Webster of the Kootenay Orienteering Club. “And we’re pretty impressed with all the volunteers, how they took their areas and just ran with it, and made it way better than I could ever imagine it was going to be.”

“Every event started right on time, and we never had one misplaced checkpoint.

“Between all the events there were 300-400 different places that had to be marked in the forest. What you’re always afraid of is that something will get put in the wrong spot, then you have to throw out a course - there was none of that. Everything went as well as you could want it to go.”

Two years worth of planning, work, bringing in specialists from outside, and the efforts from local volunteers in staging the NAOC paid off.

“Getting the right people in key roles early, and letting them take responsibility for their areas was key,” Webster said. “As coordinator, you can’t deal with all the little details. You have to put your trust in the people who are looking after their areas to make the right decisions, and they did do that.”

Orienteering is a sport in which competitors navigate through unfamiliar and diverse terrain, using a map and compass to find a series of checkpoints along route. Hundreds of enthusiasts of all ages, including elite internationals, converged on Cranbrook and Kimberley for the five-day plunge into the local woods. Events of varying distances and age categories took place, including the annual competition between Team Canada and the U.S. And the weather agreed to be civil for the event.

“Some people thought the weather was a little cool - it was perfect for running, but standing around afterwards it got a little chilly, but people didn’t seem to mind that. They were happy to watch the other racers come in and look at the results.”

The NAOC featured competition in both amateur and elite ranking events.

A full list of the results is available at naoc2010.com (click on the results link).

The U.S. won the overall team competition, taking home the Björn Kjellström Cup for the first time since 1982. And Webster singled out certain individuals for special mention.

“Louise Oram from Vancouver - the reigning Canadian champion - did amazingly well. We had competitors from not only North America, but England, Sweden and Australia competing in the Women’s Elite Category, and she came out on top of the whole field in both the Middle and Long event. In the Sprint event, Oram was beaten by two women from the U.S., not by much.”

On the Men’s side, Michael Vesta from the Czech Republic came out on top during a couple of events, Webster said. Mike Smith from Prince George finished as top North American in the Long Event.

As for the hosts - the Kootenay Orienteering Club - Webster says the NAOC created both interest in the sport and heightened the level of participation among club members themselves.

“It certainly raised awareness. From where we were when we started - half a dozen to a dozen people who are coming out and participating regularly, who actually competed in this competition. That’s a big leap from where we started two years ago - we didn’t really have anybody who was at a level to compete in this.

“Everybody seems keen to get out and do more. So that’s good.”

For more information on local orienteering, check out kootenayorienteering@me.com.