Kainuu Orienteering Week is a holiday and orienteering week for the family Siponen in beautiful views of Kainuu
Published: 08.06.2023
Kainuu Orienteering Week is a holiday and orienteering week for the family Siponen in beautiful views of Kainuu
Member of the Finnish Parliament Markku Siponen's orienteering career began as a small boy, when he started “Oravapolkukoulu” with his older brother at the age of 6. Little by little, the whole childhood family got excited about orienteering. For the first time, the family Siponen participated in the Kainuu Orienteering Week in Puolanka and Paljakka in 1990. At that time, the whole family stayed in a tent and it rained pretty much during the week. Tent camping as a form of accommodation remained in that experience.
As an orienteer, Markku's best memory from Kainuu Orienteering Week is from 1995 in the Puolanka (H16E category), when he overwhelmingly won the third stage and was second in the overall results before the pursuit on the last stage. "Well, I didn't have the nerve in the last stage, I fell in the rankings and the one Pasi Ikonen passed by." Also in the summer of 2022, it was nice to take a stage win after a long time on the fast terrain of Puolanka on the first stage of the Kainuu O Week.
The children of the family Siponen compete in XC-skiing, athletics and orienteering. Futsal and ice hockey are also on the program for children. Orienteering has fallen a bit short, as there haven't really been enough resources for it in our local club.
In recent years, however, it has been fun, as every year more and more children of the family have also been orienteering. Last summer, already three girls; Anna, Emilia and Iida competed in Kainuu Orienteering Week. This year, perhaps Vilma will also participate in the Family-RR route and Anton in adventure track (rastiralli). The mother, Sanna, will orienteer on open courses and Markku competes in the H40 competition category.
During the rest days of the Kainuu O Week, the family's program includes, for example, hiking, sightseeings or frisbee golf. Sprint orienteering has also been part of the program of the rest days. Markku usually takes his bike with him and goes biking on the days in between. He likes to challenge himself in various endurance sports and ball games, if he has time for it.
"The best thing in Kainuu is when you can combine a family holiday and an orienteering week in beautiful scenery with nice activities! Kainuu O Week has become a tradition for us, where we often go together with the families of our sister, brother and grandparents." The family often stays in Vuokatti during Kainuu O Week. Last summer they stayed in Ukkohalla, and this summer the family plans to move to Kainuu O Week from the summer cottage on the shore of lake Pielinen.
The family Siponen believes that orienteering is one of the best forms of the whole family’s sporty hobby, and Kainuu Orienteering Week embodies it at its best with its arrangements. Everyone can train or compete at their own level. The children of the family willingly orienteer in Kainuu O Week, when the children's tracks and courses are carefully and professionally planned and rarely need to be alone in the terrain, unlike for example on weekly recreational orienteering events (in Finnish “iltarastit”). Everyone in the family likes more about fast, hilly moor terrain (pine forest) than demanding covered terrain.
Naturally, the orienteering family also participates in club activities. They are involved in the activities of the Kiuruveden Urheilijat and have been organizing national competitions and recreational orienteering events. "Organizing competitions especially gives children the opportunity to compete in their home club, and through competitions it is usually possible to make or update new orienteering maps and collect funds for the club."
Next summer's Kainuu O Week in Kuhmo's Jämäsvaara will once again be one of the highlights of the summer for the family, and it's great to go there with the strength of different generations. "It's great to offer my own children the same experiences that got me excited about orienteering as a sport!" Let’s smile when we meet and spend a nice week in Kuhmo!
