Discussion: It's now the U.S. Corn Maze Champs!

for the one and only U.S. Corn Maze Championships. E-mail me (pg@crocker.com) if you are coming or with any questions, and add your name to the list on the event page.

A few details --

Climb: 1 meter
Course length: To be determined, sprint distance
E-punching will be used
Age categories: 0-29, 30-59, 60+
Gender categories: None (or should I have one for the men to give them a chance?)
Start times: Will be assigned, starting 5:15 pm.
Distance parking to assembly area: no more than 50 meters
Distance assembly area to start: 0
Spectator viewing platform? Of course
Should this also be the USA Corn Maze Championships? Probably.
Directions: From the junction of routes 47 and 116 in the center of Sunderland MA, go south on 47 for 0.35 miles, entrance is on the right.

First test run, the terrain is fabulous.

So my course yesterday was 1.57 km as the crow flies, I actually ran 2.8 km to do it, optimum route was probably 2.7.

Expected distance for the championship course is about 1.5 km. Expected winning time -- who knows, 14:59? Note that climb has been revised from 0 to 1 meter as the finish is on a little rise.

I get to be in the 30-59 category, right? So I don't have to compete with the girls?

unless they run up a category.... or you do, depending...

Are you coming, Neil?

That brings up an important question - are the age categories by orienteering age? Or real age? In other words, am I competing against Boris or not?

I wish...

Word has just been received that the CSU Corn Maze Championships have also been designated the U.S. Corn Maze Championships, the first ever in fact. Awesome.

To abide by the rules of Corn Maze Orienteering USA, our newly formed governing body, there has been a slight change in the class structure. Age is determined in the same manner that non-corn-maze O' does, age on January 1 of the year. And the required classes are 0-31, 32-59, and 60+. Gender subdivisions are not allowed.

In further news, maze owners are so honored to have the event that the normal entry fee has been waived. There will still be a suggested entry fee -- something to eat or drink at the post-race party.

More details to follow.

Will the classes track BorisGr's age for years to come?

Boris is likely to live more than mere years. I should think he is good for several decades to come, at least.

Shouldn't this be the Maize Maze Championships? It might help to get the World Champs sanctioning.

How about an OUSA sponsorship from Campbell's Soup.

True, but all that hard livin is going to catch up to him at some point. It's tough being a rock star.

Event info has been e-mailed to all who expressed an interest. If you're not on the list and want to take part, you need to contact me ASAP.

Start times will be posted tomorrow.

Is this likely to affect the U.S. Rankings significantly?

Is this likely to affect the U.S. Rankings significantly?

Only the Corn Maze O' rankings, if there were any, which there aren't....

Yet. Why just a few days ago, there wasn't even a National Championship.

Late word from CMOUSA -- the federation, moving with its usual swiftness, has approved the holding of a Sprint Championships in addition to the Classic Championships already scheduled, with the Sprint Champs also to be held this Wednesday afternoon.

This is very exciting news!

The Classic Champs will be run first, first start at 5:00 pm, followed by the Sprint Champs, first start at 5:45 pm. Expected winning time for the Classic is just under 15 minutes, for the Sprint 2 minutes and 50 seconds.

For those new to Corn Maze Orienteering, the Classic Champs are meant to be a test of navigation skills and endurance over a variety of terrain, whereas the Sprint Champs are short and fast and as devious as possible, a test of speed and cunning.

In addition, the organizers have announced that the seeded "Red Group" for the Classic Champs, the last four starters, will be (in order) Greg Walker, Cristina Luis, Boris Granovskiy, and Ali Crocker. Seeding for the Sprint will be determined by results in the Classic.

The guessing among the fans already gathering in Sunderland is that it will be a 1-2 female finish, with just the order to be determined. Does anyone think the guys have a chance?

Yet. Why just a few days ago, there wasn't even a National Championship.

And now there are two! :-)

Will you pave the way for the 2012 NAOCs and provide video?

It should be pretty easy to set up an arena.

Just need to find a corn maze near the arena...

So we've got three choices for the arena:

1. Between "TOMATO" and "SOUP". Right in the middle of the action, for sure. But, hard for people to find, long way from the toilets, difficult for the TV people to get their cables laid, not very good sight lines.
2. Outside the maze, SW corner. Nice shade, swimming nearby. But, with the area also used as the town cemetery there may be permission issues. Plus, entrance to the maze is on other side, would seriously compromise course design. The latter, while acceptable in foot orienteering, is definitely a no-no in corn maze orienteering.
3. Outside the maze, NE corner. Pavillion, power, toilets, parking, viewing platform, food and drink services permanently installed.

I think we are going for #3.

Working on live video feeds, but I don't think it's going to happen unless someone steps up big time. Though there is 28 hours to the first start, so still plenty of time.

It's great that the sponsor logo is prominently featured on the map. Thanks for sponsoring this, Bash!

:-) Oh, it was nothing. Really.

Bash, yeah, thanks for the great support, it would probably be the easiest to make the check payable directly to me....

And thanks to Bash's generous support, we will now be making cash awards to all class winners in both championship events.

Sorry, we don't have "checks" in Canada - only "cheques". Regardless, I'm so impressed by your efforts that I'm doubling the amount I was originally planning to give you.

With "Atlas Shrugs" calling for a boycott of Campbell's Soup, there is potential for a large media presence at the CMOUSA champs.

PG,
I guess that you can understand that here in Canada the interest in the championship is omazing. Please help. How do I log into the live tracking?

When will RouteGadget be available?

I hope that vmeyer is doing the results.

re: sponsorship
well one of the participants in next month's Salomon Dontgetlost.ca Raid the Hammer (and a former AR team mate of mine) is a marketing guru for Campbell's Soup in Canada! But as Smoke points out above Campbell's Canada has other things to worry about at the moment - i.e., dealing with the boycott led by U.S.-based conservative bloggers like Pamela Geller.

GHO bids to host World Corn Maze Championship near Hamilton and McMaster University.

http://dailynews.mcmaster.ca/story.cfm?id=7010

Further information about the Championships, including the start list for the Classic Champs, is at CMOUSA's home page (on which development started about 45 minutes ago and which went live 10 minutes ago).

Now how are we going to get shirts done by tomorrow afternoon?

Wah! I want to be there! If I took the 11:30 flight, I could make it. Only $1340 for the ticket. Oh, well, maybe next year.

Ok, the start list for the Sprint Champs is all set, same order as the Classic Champs but 30-second intervals, first off at 5:50.

Now less than 4 hours to the start. We'll kick things off with a trumpet fanfare by Cristina and then Gail will be the first down the chute in the inaugural U.S. Corn Maze Championships.

Meanwhile, the maps have been printed. Still have to hang the controls and buy more beer.

With less than 3 hours to go, organizers have just released a new view of today's terrain -- a midsummer view from directly above. Of course a corn maze in midsummer and a corn maze in the fall look quite different. But the corn has not moved.

Does this give a late advantage to any competitors who are wired? One would hope so. Corn maze orienteering is not for the luddites.

What's the matter with that corn? Doesn't it realize it's supposed to be harvest ripe, and toasty brown by now?

If this turns out to be some kind of "astro-corn" (ie--artificial corn) scammed up champs venue, it's going to be the scandal that rocks the millennium.

start list? results? where is the on-line race HQ. sitting and waiting.

Start list is here: https://sites.google.com/site/cornmazeo/

Should be starting in 1 minute!

I have no idea how results will be displayed.

Last starter just started!

Update from the maze: Greg Walker is the first ever Corn Maze Orienteering Classic Champ and J-J Coté is the Corn Maze Orienteering Sprint Champ! More news soon from CMOUSA HQ.

Who are the female champions?

All the info will soon be available at https://sites.google.com/site/cornmazeo/

There were three age classes (Young 0-31, Inexperienced 32-59, and Elite 60+). No gender subdivisions.

Results coming, but the beer/party keeps intruding....

Results and splits are now posted on the CMOUSA web site.

Here are the maps:

Classic, part 1
Classic, part 2
Sprint

This really happened? Are there pictures?

Pictures are now on the CMOUSA web site.

wowwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww

My head just exploded.

Makes me tear up a little to be a part of CSU. Nice work to all those involved!

Nothing short of a triumph.

Wow. Great job on every aspect of this important event.

Hilarious!

Cristina has done a great job with the web site and the organizational genius of PG put this event over the top. Even the awards were of real value!

Have the 2011 Canadian Maze Orienteering Champs been claimed?

Ottawa is considering hosting the Ontario Champs Sprint in NA's largest collection of natural mazes.

"Natural mazes"?

What a great venue! I can see this idea is really catching on. PG is once again leading the way with his vision for the future of orienteering.

Perhaps the pacific NW should look for something similar made out of blackberry brambles so we could eat our way from start to finish? Oh, the possibilities!

Orienteer Kansas hosted 3 annual corn maze events back in 2000-2002, so this idea isn't totally new.

I want to stay as far away from blackberries as possible....

I would like to advocate on behalf of expanding from corn to other kinds of mazes, perhaps consolidating into maze-O or labyrinth-O and not having to have separate disciplines for every type of plant or other wall material.

...put this event over the top

Oh, it certainly was!

Remember that Bill Gookin has run a Maze-O in Anza Borrego with rock features as the maze which is obviously not corn. (Wouldn't grow there.) However, this event and organization is the corn maze orienteering group. Other mazes really don't count as corn mazes!

There was some discussion at dinner that bamboo mazes would probably be in the same spirit, if any actually exist. [...] Of course, there is at least one. (These guys also claim to have a "Boulder Dash", but I'm skeptical.)

The hill by the slide in that Maize Quest Fun Park would make an excellent arena ;)
and jj, I thought the Saunders Farm website (the venue I mentioned above) referred to their mazes as natural mazes but I'm mistaken. The just use 'hedge mazes'.

Saunders farm for Ontario Champs would be awesome Jeff. TOC has used the hedge maze on their awesome Toronto Islands sprint map a few times recently. even Tero joined in the fun during a training run there last autumn.

Seeing the photos of the race I see the need for a better arena. Has corn-O US of A considered buying this:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/05/14/field-of-...

This is what dreams are made of. Please provide more time prior to the next event to allow for coordination of airline tickets.

@FoxShadow. There'll be a novelty O' event coming up in March that won't require you to buy airline tickets, let alone go anywhere. Stay tuned...

my other half organised maize maze orienteering last year here in the UK
http://www.walton-chasers.co.uk/results/2009/Maize...

The corn maze that is close to my home has flashlight nights where you can go through the maze after dark. Corn Maze Orienteering Night Championships? http://www.cherrycrestfarm.com/

You mean like this?



Most people found it easier to navigate at night than the did in the day, but said it was more fun :o)
We had music playing over the Maze speaker system, and I was very restrained in not playing the trailer to the Blair Witch Project!!