CKO is a timed race in which one- or two-person boats start at staggered intervals.
Canoe/Kayak Orienteering (called CKO or Canoe-O) is an orienteering sport using a canoe, kayak, or other small boat. Usually, CKO is a timed race in which one- or two-person boats start at staggered intervals, are timed, and are expected to perform all navigation on their own. Portages are allowed. The control points, shown on an orienteering map, may be visited in any order. Standings are determined first by successful completion of the course, then by shortest time on course.
Traditional CKO controls may be places around a lake and in the woods. The course is usually designed as a Score course with points assigned to each control based on difficulty and distance. One or more competitors navigate the course in a canoe and the winner is the canoe team that accumulates the most points within the time limit.
CKO is best done in a body of water with many small islands and a complex shoreline. Frequently, two-person teams compete using one canoe. Some control points are accessible by water and others by land. Route choice is important: competitors must select both water and land routes so that the controls are encountered efficiently, and neither team member wastes time waiting for the other.
Canoe/Kayak Orienteering has no international sports governing body, although the US Orienteering Federation (USOF) does maintain a Chair within their Programs Committee. The United States Canoe Association (USCA) has held an annual Canoe and Kayak Orienteering Championship since 1996 and has offered CKO during its national championships since 1992.
#1 by phibious at May 8th, 2009
WHAT IS CANOE-ORIENTEERING?
Another View Point!
Canoe-Orienteering is simply a canoe and kayak race with map and compass.
Orienteering is a sport in which orienteers use a detailed map and a compass to find a series of specific locations in the lowest possible time. Most orienteering events are held on land and can be enjoyed as a walk in the woods or as a competitive sport. Canoe-orienteering, or canoe-o, is the on-the-water version and is usually open to both canoes and kayaks.
A canoe-o course consists of a series of “control” sites that are marked on the map by circles. At each control site an orange and white flag marks the location. To verify their visit, the orienteer punches their control card with a punch hanging next to the flag. (Every punch has a different pattern)
The route between “controls” is not specified, and is entirely up to the orienteer; this element of route choice and the ability to navigate are the essence of orienteering. An example of a canoe-orienteering route choice would be whether to portage a peninsula or paddle around.
Most orienteering events use staggered starts to ensure that each orienteer has a chance to do his or her own navigating. The phrase “registration and starts10am-1pm” means that orienteers may sign-in and start anytime during that period.
The sport of canoe-orienteering is growing rapidly with most orienteering clubs staging at least one canoe-o event every summer. The United States Canoe Association has held an annual canoe-orienteering championship for the past ten years.