This year's Yukon Orienteering Championships kicked off at Mount McIntyre Ski Club Wednesday night and more than 50 participants took part in the first of three stages – the sprint, involving race distances of between 1.4 km to 3.1 km.

Bruce McLean, president of the orienteering club, said the turnout was good and that rookies or first timers should not be discouraged from participating.

"The name championships is a symbolic really,” McLean said. "Everybody is welcome to come out.”

For $10, newcomers get a map and temporary membership and can compete in the races. The championships penultimate middle distance stage is slated for next Wednesday (June 9 at starting at Hidden Valley School) and the following Wednesday (June 16 back at Mt. McIntrye) will see the long distance races held.

The closest race in Wednesday night's sprint category came in the "advanced long sprint” 3.1 km event with five-time World Orienteering Championship participant Brent Langbakk nosing out Colin Abbott by just 44 seconds; a narrow victory by orienteering standards.

Langbakk finished the course in 17:47 while Abbott crossed the line at 18:31.

Originally a training exercise employed by the Swedish military in the 19th century, following the First World War the sport gained popularity throughout Scandinavia and eventually spread to greater Europe and beyond.

In modern-day competitions, cross trainers, a compass, map and one's wits are what's required. Competitors essentially learn the course while in transit, which can present difficulties, even for orienteering club presidents like McLean.

"A bunch of us made a few mistakes last night because we thought we knew the trail (at Mt. McIntyre) so darted off in the wrong direction,” McLean reported.

And the results in the "advanced short spring” – a 1.4 km race that should typically take top competitors 15 minutes to complete – tells some of the story.

It took McLean nearly 30 minutes to finish, while winner Afan Jones finished in an impressive 13:22 minutes with Kerstin Burnett (16:43) and Caelen McLean (17:22) close behind.

"The longer the segments and the more time you're off the trails, you rely more on your ability to figure out where you are on the map,” McLean explained of the challenges that will present themselves as race distances increase in the coming weeks.

"So you're still relying on basic map reading skills and it's a useful skill even though we have a world of GPS devices.”

Next Wednesday's "middle distance” races will be between five and six kilometres and June 16's events include course of up to nine kilometres.

In 2011, the Yukon Orienteering Association will be hosting the Western Canadian Orienteering Championships to be followed by the Canadian championships.

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More Stage One race results:

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             NOVICE 1.4 KM  

First Kaitlynn Mitchell 22:48 min.

Second Taylor Mitchell 24:13

Third Elias Sagar 25:15

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INTERMEDIATE 1.5 KM

First Pia Blake 10:57

Second Leif Blake 14:01

Third Cheylsea Mitchell 15:15

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SHORT ADVANCED 1.5 KM

First Afan Jones 13:22

Second Kerstin Burnett 16:43

Third Caelan McLean 17:06

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LONG ADVANCED 3.1 KM

First Brent Langbakk 17:47

Second Colin Abbott 18:31

Third Lee Hawkings 22:11

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GROUP NOVICE 1.4 KM

First Wilson/Horte, Bruce/Kately 19:43

Second Pronovost/Dessureault, Luanda/Emily 21:53

Third LaRochelle, Lori/Darci 22:55

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GROUP INTERMEDIATE 1.5 KM

First Scramstad/Haddock,Julianna/Megan 17:38

Second Hynes/Hynes, Natalie/Perry 19:48

Third Taylor/Boone, Tracey/Terry 20:04