> Mike Beveridge
Mike Beveridge
Profiled Sept 2016
Mike lives and breathes Orienteering. This year he has been heavily involved in mapping projects, updating older maps and generating new maps for Oceania/World Masters Games. His other main orienteering passion is his work with Schools’ Orienteering. I think we can give Mike most of the credit for the huge uptake over recent years in Junior orienteering – his School sprint series has gone from strength to strength and brings many newcomers to the sport. Mike, we certainly all appreciate all your time and dedication!
Number of years orienteering:
Too many to remember. Started in late 1984 at the ripe old age 35.
How introduced to Orienteering:
I saw a brief documentary on TV a few weeks before my first event, but didn’t really think much of it. Then saw it advertised in the Sport pages of the Saturday Herald as a club event being held at Moire Park Massey. The rest is history. I wish I’d found out about the sport years earlier.
Key orienteering achievements:
Nothing hugely startling. I started as an M35B which is those days was a very strong grade with 12 to 15 competitors and the orange courses much tougher than what they are today. Course lengths 5-6 kms in length so there was no real desire to jump up to M35A where the courses were way harder and much longer. Won several 35B Auckland Champs and picked up the National title in the same grade on the old Temu Rd map in 1986. The same map now being used for the WMOC.
Went up to M40A grade a year later winning Auckland Champs at Kiwitahi on an atrociously wet day. The farm was under water and mud halfway up to your knees in places. I was training for a marathon at the time which probably helped me get through. Beating Dave Middleton put the icing on the cake. Hardly ever been achieved since unless, he miss punches or DNF’s. Also won the Aussie M40 Aussie relay title in 1989 on the Hovell Tour at Heburn Diggings in Victoria with Dave and Rob Ambler, afterwards known as the A team as we beat the NZ team in the process. Then Deb, children and a business came along soon after and my fitness waned somewhat and mapping started to take over.
Chris O’Brien and I set the first Great Day O in 1990, I think, which not only challenged us but almost destroyed the participants. It started on the shores of Otakanini on the west coast at 8 am and finished in the dark at Wairewa. Apart from Otakanini Topu none of the maps, Mt Auckland, Woodcocks, Waterfalls and Waiwera are used anymore. All were really steep and physical. Those were the days!!!
I always enjoyed course planning and set two NW Nationals, Kaipara Knolls in the early 90’s and The Beez Kneez at Weiti in the late 90’s. I was happy to take or leave controlling, but did it, and had the great pleasure of co-planning with Marquita for the WMOC finals in 2000 and also Oceania in 2005 where we set and controlled two days at Waioneke. She’s the true professional and someone all younger aspiring course planners and controllers should work with.
Current Orienteering Projects:
Mapping for WMOC and Oceania relays. The WMOC mapping has been challenging working with two other mappers and each of us with slightly different styles. Then rechecking each other’s work, trying to maintain a similarity across both maps that runners will understand. It’s also made for extremely accurate maps once planners and controllers have had their say.
Mapping:
First map I was ever involved in was the Long Bay farm map in about 1987. We didn’t have any photogrammetry so myself and an ex club member Wayne Campton surveyed the whole area using a theodolite and a height staff. It must have taken us nearly a year to complete. It would be interesting to look at the contours of the old map compared with the current lidar contours we can get from the council and see how accurate we were. Anyway, we did orienteer on it for a number of years so it couldn’t have been too bad. Sadly there’s not much left of it now - it’s nearly all housing - but that’s progress in a big city.
The transition in mapping in the 90’s when Ocad and computers took over from 5 separate sheets of drafting film, special pens and light tables was a real challenge and took some getting used too but I’d never go back. I’m still learning as I go and have only scratched the surface of what there is to know as it’s evolving all the time, I must say for the betterment of the end product.
The maps I’ve been involved in have been numerous but the best I’ve worked on would have to be Waioneke, Middle Earth, Whites Line and Otakanini Topu, the forest maps are always the most challenging because of their intricacy. The biggest map I’ve been involved with would have to be Turkey Ridge/Otakanini Topu it’s massive. Sadly we can’t use as much of Turkey Ridge as we used to - and I’ll always remember field working Stag’s Roar in 9/11 when the twin towers came down. It’s one of those ‘where were you?’ moments. People have often asked me about the name of the Stag’s Roar map. It came about when I started mapping the area in April 2001. It was during the roar when the Stag’s were looking for mates. You could hear them all the time and it was sensible to keep out of their way.
Favourite maps and why:
Naseby because it’s so intricate and if you lose it, you’re gone. I’ve only competed there once so have unfinished business to complete. I also love running on the Aussie rock maps and marvel at the mapping skill of people like Eric Andrews and Alex Tarr and how they deal with the areas. I don’t think I’d know where to start. Biggest rocks first I suppose, then work down in size until you’ve used up all the rock symbol options then leave the rest off.
Maps I’ve never orienteered on but aspire to:
They would have to be Scandinavian maps. My kids have but I haven’t so on our next overseas trip, when they’re over there, I will attempt a few just to say I’ve had the experience.
Orienteering heroes:
I don’t really have any but have been inspired by what Gene and Renee have both achieved in their lives to date.
Junior and Schools Orienteering:
My real passion, next to mapping and my family. The past eight years has been a great experience seeing the development of our juniors and the skill levels they’re achieving.
We’ve had a JWOC champion, in Matt Ogden, and many who have been to JWOC have come through the same system. Long may it last. Hopefully the base has been set firmly in place with the sprint series so others can continue with the work, as I would like to focus my attention on getting them away from the campus competitions and more into the forest events, so they can achieve higher goals of making regional teams to compete both here and in Australia and eventually JWOC.
I’ve also enjoyed my role as Diocesan coach and the success the girls have achieved to date, and I’m sure there will be more to come.
Day job:
I’d been a horticulturist and nurseryman most of my life but my focus now is clearly orienteering-based.
Favourite foods:
I love Indian curries and spicy food. With desserts, the steam puddings and apple sponges my mum used to make were to die for, but Deb makes a mean tiramisu.
Interests:
The great friendships you develop through the sport with both young and old.
Supporters
