Local athletes compete in ski orienteering in Europe

Glacier Nordic Club athletes, Liam and Euelle Browne, who are 17 and 16, respectively, competed in Europe last month in ski orienteering, an endurance winter sport which combines navigation and cross-country skiing. 

The European Youth Ski-Orienteering Championships was held in Posio, Finland, in March. Over 260 competitors were in the championship races and hundreds more in the open races. There were 34 boys in M17 division, which included skiers born in 2008 or later. They came from 13 countries. 

The Brownes trained with the local team, then traveled and raced with a team out of Missoula. Erik and Mark Fey were the other two competitors from the United States competing. The Fey brothers are also from Montana. 

In his second major international ski-orienteering race, Euelle finished in 22nd place, which was the second fastest finish by an American competitor and his brother, Liam, earned 24th place.  

Erik Fey, age 16, placed sixth and his younger brother Mark finished in 26th place. Erik’s sixth place finish may be the best finish by a non-European racer at a major international ski-orienteering competition. 

Kara Browne, Liam and Euelle’s mother, said the U.S. is revamping its ski-orienteering, or ski-o, program, with a focus on building the program from younger athletes.  

Prior to a freestyle cross-country ski-o race, athletes are testing skis, coaches are pondering wax and offering encouragement, but no one has previewed the course.  

“Coaches and athletes yet to race are tucked away so they do not see or hear from those who have already raced,” Browne said, adding that no phones are allowed. “But most odd of all, the athletes have something protruding from their chests -- map holders.”
Fifteen seconds before the familiar beeps of the start, racers are given a map. They snap the map into the holder and use the remaining seconds to figure out where they are on the map and pick a route.  

“Each racer must punch a series of controls in a specific order, but they choose their own routes,” she said. “They assess contour lines, distances, symbols for impassable fences or open meadows all while keeping track of their location on roads, ski trails, snowmobile tracks, or while cutting off trail.” 

The fastest person to the finish wins. However, Browne said simple speed is not the only factor to getting across the finish line first.  

“Many decisions, from route, speed, how many times you look at the map, what to do when mistakes happen, what to do if lost, determine a racer’s finishing time," she added.

    Euelle Browne competes in the European Youth Ski-Orienteering Championships in Posio, Finland in March. (Photo provided by GNC)
  

    Liam Browne competes in the European Youth Ski-Orienteering Championships in Posio, Finland in March. (Photo provided by GNC)