#Photo #video #Liepāja #full #teachers #tenth #time
As usual, this year too, the Independence Day of the Republic of Latvia – May 4 – is being actively and eruditely celebrated in the city.
Unlike previous years,
this time the main goal of the games is to rediscover the local or to look back at the forgotten,
the other traditions, including the “red-white-red” team design, have remained unchanged.
1323 participants, who compete in 316 teams, have applied for the tenth orientation games.
In order to apply for participation, the teams had to choose in which category they would start, so 625 participants applied for participation on foot, divided into 148 teams, cyclists applied 115 teams with 471 participants, while motorists – 53 teams with 227 participants.
As the sun was shining brightly, already at ten in the morning, the streets around the Jānis Čakste square, where the registration of the participants of the games took place, were rapidly filling up.
While the audience was warmed up for the day by the musical group “Organization of Rare Friends Together”, the teams lined up one after the other, evaluated their opponents, improved the overall image of the team and took the starting position.
While some were in the mood for a good time with their family, others excitedly said:
“We won’t go home without first place!”
“Here you don’t have to rush to the finish line, but you have to enjoy it more and get involved in order to reap the laurels,” reminds Antra Brūna, one of the long-term planners of the event, advisor to the executive director of Liepāja municipality.
Orienteering games are designed as an exploratory walk or trip around the city, that is, being together, supplemented with the opportunity to learn facts about Liepāja and its importance in Latvian history and culture.
“Participating in games is a good opportunity to strengthen team spirit, promote physical activity and just have a good time.
Families with children can calmly stop by and have lunch,” the organizers inform the happy residents of Liepāja.
Keeping up with the latest trends and trying to facilitate the course and order of the event, an integral attribute of games in recent years is at least one smart device (phone, tablet, etc. with internet connection) per team, as the orientation map is available digitally, in a special app.
“This allows us to better plan the route and the flow of people so that we don’t have to wait in line at the same checkpoint for a long time,” explains A. Brūna.
When the teams are instructed and ready to go on an adventure, “Start!” Streams of people pour into the city and go on errands.
We did not notice a gloomy face on the streets of the city, only happy teams of enthusiasts who rather supported each other than tried to overtake.
Groups of friends, families, dance groups and co-workers in larger or smaller companies enjoyed the adventure.
In the hikers, we meet the Kalnin family of four people. “I ate for the first time, I must say, very pleasant atmosphere and event.
If we talk about what could be improved… I don’t know, maybe the fact that we applied at the last minute and got a strange map that instead of the promised 4 kilometers led us along an 8 kilometer long route like a zigzag, we had to go back to places we were already close to etc., in the end we got fed up and went home,” says Jānis, representative of the “Liepājas Kalniņi” team.
Also, he would like to shorten the initial gathering time of the teams, since they were among the first to arrive, and by the time the start was announced, they had already relaxed a bit.
Will you be participating next year? Can’t promise, but would love to go again.
The control points of this year’s orienteering games were created in places where new objects or services have been created in recent years, where you can spend your free time meaningfully, as well as learn new and interesting facts about Latvia and Liepāja in both the historical and modern context, such as the surroundings of the Nature House, In the area of Raina Park, where you can see the restored organ near the Akmens church and the former fire station in the yard.
From the historical objects – Bokumu photo workshop, where photographs of the Latvian government were taken.
The environmental and green theme was also not left out: the route includes several large trees, for example the Crimean linden alley on Liepu Street.
In total, participants were offered 38 different orienteering game checkpoints.
A. Brūna admits that the planning of orienteering games and checkpoints is exciting for them as well, because from time to time they have to discover something new about the Windy City over and over again.
But also any suggestion from the participants regarding future planning is very much welcome, as it is the only way to improve.
A. Brūna knows how to say that there are even teams that start all ten times, such as, for example, the team called “Weeds do not disappear”.
“It seems to me that the generations have already changed, but seeing them on the list year after year gives me real joy,”
says the organizer.
Successfully finishing in the orienteering games, the teams “Dārdošie zefiri” (pedestrians), “Vēlāk izadas” (cyclists), and “Pļavu ielas republika” (car drivers) won the highest number of points and the 1st place.
The 2nd place was won by the teams “One, two, free” (pedestrians), “Barcelona” (cyclists), “Kākiškiėšu pupupėkiės” (car drivers).
On the other hand, the 3rd place was won by the teams “Liepājas Avārijas Brigāde” (pedestrians), “Laumiņas” (cyclists) and “Brīvības osta” (car drivers).
Each team was presented with a correct answer booklet and, as usual, a participation medal. The winners of the first three places in each category received Liepaja gift cards.
At the end, in J. Čakste Square, the event-weary participants were awaited by a festive concert and awarding of the winners.
The concert featured patriotic, well-known and popular songs in a new, never-before-heard jazz arrangement – performed by saxophone, trumpet, guitar, drums and trombone.
Concert visitors were entertained by soloists Henry Ley and Zephyr. But Gatis Gorkuša, Emīls Knubis, Inga Vamze, Martins Miļevskis, Kristaps Vītols-Vītoliņš, Marks Jonatans Runds, Timotejs Rozentāls and Andris Buiķis performed with a special instrumental performance.
Orienteering games “Footprints of Liepāja in Latvia” are organized by the municipality of Liepāja in cooperation with the foundation “Foundation Liepāja 2027”, Liepāja companies, non-governmental organizations and other cooperation partners.
The games are organized with the funding of the Liepāja municipality and the Ministry of Culture. This year’s hunting cost about 20 thousand euros.
