Lincoln Orienteers reach 500th event
MORE GALLERIES
This Sunday will see Lincoln Orienteers reach a major milestone as the club puts on its 500th official club orienteering event.
Beginning from Flinders Park between 10.30am and 11.45am, the event will involve two courses with most of the navigation taking place within Pioneer Park.
Committee member and custodian of maps Kevin Vigar founded the club and said he discovered orienteering while he was a teacher at the Port Lincoln High School.
"They had an elective program for year 11 and 12 students offering unusual activities not offered anywhere else, one of which being orienteering," he said.
"Enough students chose it to make up a class and I had to learn more about it."
Mr Vigar organised the first event at Coomunga in May, 1977 before further events were organised at Koppio by Colin Beaton in June and at Marble Range by Warren Dickie in August.
He said he never would have expected the activity to get to where it was today as at the time he did not think there would be much interest.
"There are a handful of us there were at that first event that are still orienteering today," he said.
"I enjoy it, I've made most of the maps we use and it's the map side of things that stimulates me the most.
"At an elite level it's an athletic sport, people like Herb Elliott and Ron Clarke had orienteered."
Mr Vigar said orienteering was an activity for all ages and helped give people confidence when going out into the environment.
People can find out more by visiting www.lincolnorienteers.com.au.