O-Ringen Magazine, number 1 - 2021

PHOTO NICLAS VESTEFJELL
PHOTO PÄR HÄGGSTRÖM
O-Ringen in Åre 2023
It has been an intensive summer preparing for O-Ringen Åre 2023, making the
most of the snow-free months. With the pandemic forcing postponement of the
event by two years, we lost access to the area around Åre Björnen, where two
stages were planned to take place. Forthcoming construction works prohibit
use of this arena in 2023.
“Together with the course planners we
begun to explore the areas that had potential
to host one or two stages and quickly found
a solution that we are satisfied with”, says
Magnus Johansson, competition director for
O-Ringen in Åre.
The Norwegian course planners proposed
an additional stage in Ånn, and one stage in
Järpen. This means that the Åre event will
take place as follows:
• Stage 1 Trillevallen, long
• Stage 2 Trillevallen, long
• Stage 3 Järpen, middle
• Stage 4 Ånn, middle
• Stage 5 Ånn, long
“The area in Ånn offers good terrain to
run in and we think that it is big enough to
host two stages”, explains Magnus Johansson.
That Järpen was offered as a solution was
thanks to a discussion in the early planning
stages that were put to one side. Now those
plans for a stage in Järpen will come to
fruition, although the stage will take place
higher up the hillside than the area near the
village that was originally considered. The
area offers high quality terrain that will work
well for a middle race.
“Parts of this area offer really nice terrain;
I would honestly say among the best you will
find not only in Järpen but in the Jämtland
mountains. I am really satisfied with the
solution to hold a stage in Järpen and we
have received really positive things from
both the mappers and the course planners”
says Magnus.
Magnus Johansson
Competition director
O-Ringen Åre 2023
The mappers Jerker Boman and Kalle Engblom
have now spent just over a month in
the area working on a new map. Although an
older map exists, it had not been updated for
several years and so the mapping duo were
faced with a huge job to draw the new map.
Even Ånn has been visited by our mapping
team this summer. Two Czech mappers
visited in order to finish the Ånn map, a job
that was completed thanks to the lifting of
travel restrictions permitting other European
citizens to travel to Sweden this summer.
“It was fun to be able to be here again
and work on the map”, said Ales Hejna, who
worked with Milan Bily to add the final
missing details to the map in west Jämtland.
This means that the majority of the mapping
work is complete for the five stages in
Ånn, Trillevallen and Järpen. Next summer
the sprint map will be completed so that it is
up to date with the latest construction work
in Åre village.
In other news, recruitment of volunteers for
O-Ringen in Åre is ongoing. We are fortunate
to have great support from Norwegian clubs
in the Trondelag region who are now also
permitted to travel to Sweden and Jämtland.
For most of the past 18 months, coronavirus
restrictions have prevented all Norwegian
citizens from travelling to Sweden without the
need to quarantine upon return to Norway.
“It is great that our Norwegian course
planners have finally had the chance to get
out in the forests after 1.5 years without that
opportunity” says Niclas Lidström, project
manager of O-Ringen Åre.
During the late autumn all the course
planners and controllers will come together
among other things go and check the starts
and control sites in the Jämtland forests.
Speaking of the Norwegians, this autumn
the Norwegian clubs have also been visited
by project manager Niclas Lidström to
present the opportunities that O-Ringen can
create for their organisations. There were
happy faces all around when O-Ringen visited
Wing OK, based just outside Trondheim,
this August.
Intensive work is ongoing to secure accommodation
for all participants in Åre 2023. First
and foremost accommodation is planned to
be offered in holiday homes, apartments and
similar ski accommodation. However, the
possibility for campervan/motorhome and
caravan parking is also being explored.
“Next summer, when O-Ringen takes
place in Uppsala, we will open the booking
portal for cabins, apartments and other
accommodation”, says Niclas Lidström,
O-Ringen Åre project manager. “We will do
our best to provide as much accommodation
as possible”.
TRILLEVALLEN
ÅNN
44 O-RINGEN MAGAZINE NR 1 • 2021 O-RINGEN MAGAZINE NR 1 • 2021 45