View source for Ski orienteering

{{short description|Winter sport combining cross-country skiing with orienteering}}
{{Infobox sport
| name       = Ski orienteering
| image      = Lob-fran.jpg
| alt        = 
| imagesize  = 200px
| caption    = Ski orienteering
| union      = [[International Orienteering Federation|IOF]]
| nickname   = 
| first      = 
| firstlabel = 
| region     = 
| registered = 
| clubs      = 
| contact    = 
| team       = 
| mgender    = 
| type       = 
| equipment  = skis, skipoles, map
| venue      = snow
| olympic    = no
| world      = yes
| paralympic = no
| obsolete   = 
}}
'''Ski orienteering''' ('''SkiO''') is a [[cross-country skiing (sport)|cross-country skiing]] [[endurance]] [[Winter sport|winter]] [[racing]] [[sport]] and one of the four [[orienteering]] disciplines [[Sport governing body|recognized]] by the [[International Orienteering Federation|IOF]]. A successful ski orienteer combines high physical endurance, strength and excellent technical skiing skills with the ability to navigate and make the best route choices while skiing at a high speed.

Standard [[orienteering map]]s are commonly used, but since 2019, a separate mapping standard ISSkiOM<ref>{{cite web |url=https://orienteering.sport/iof/mapping/|title=International Orienteering Federation Mapping Specifications  |access-date=2021-06-23 |publisher=The International Orienteering Federation Mapping Committee}}</ref> has been produced which recommends a subset of the symbols used in other disciplines. Ski-orienteering maps uses green symbols to indicate trails and tracks and different symbols to indicate their navigability in snow; other symbols indicate whether any roads are snow-covered or clear. Navigation tactics is similar to [[mountain bike orienteering]]. Standard skate-skiing equipment is used, along with a map holder attached to the chest.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.orienteering.ca/ski-o.htm |title=Ski Orienteering |access-date=2008-05-26 |publisher=The Canadian Orienteering Federation |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080529142648/http://www.orienteering.ca/ski-o.htm |archive-date=2008-05-29 }}</ref> Compared to cross-country skiing, upper body strength is more important because of double-poling needed along narrow snow trails.

==Events==

Ski orienteering events are designed to test both physical strength and navigation skills of the athletes. Ski orienteers use the map to navigate a dense ski track network in order to visit a number of control points in the shortest possible time. The track network is printed on the map, and there is no marked route in the terrain. The control points must be visited in the right order. The map gives all information the athlete needs in order to decide which route is the fastest, including the quality and width of the tracks. The athlete has to take hundreds of route choice decisions at high speed during every race: a slight lack of concentration for just a hundredth of a second may cost the medal. Ski orienteering is time-measured and objective. The clock is the judge: fastest time wins. The electronic card verifies that the athlete has visited all control points in the right order.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.orienteering.org/index.php/iof2006/News/Background-material-to-the-Press-Release-Ski-orienteering-bids-for-inclusion-in-the-2018-Olympic-Winter-Games |title=Background material to the Press Release: Ski orienteering bids for inclusion in the 2018 Olympic Winter Games / News / Top - International Orienteering Federation |access-date=2010-08-31 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100925045056/http://orienteering.org/index.php/iof2006/News/Background-material-to-the-Press-Release-Ski-orienteering-bids-for-inclusion-in-the-2018-Olympic-Winter-Games |archive-date=2010-09-25 }}</ref>

'''International competitions'''<br>
The [[World Ski Orienteering Championships]] is the official event to award the titles of World Champions in Ski Orienteering. The World Championships is organized every odd year. The programme includes Sprint, Middle and Long Distance competitions, and a [[Relay]] for both men and women.

The [[World Cup in Ski Orienteering|World Cup]] is the official series of events to find the world's best ski orienteers over a season. The World Cup is organized every even year.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.orienteering.org/index.php?/iof2006/content/view/full/1044|title=Home &#124; International Orienteering Federation}}</ref>

[[Junior World Ski Orienteering Championships]] and World Masters Ski Orienteering Championships are organized annually.

'''World-wide sport''' <br>
Ski orienteering is practiced on four continents. The events take place in the natural environment, over a variety of outdoor terrains, from city parks to countryside fields, forests and mountain sides - wherever there is snow. The leading ski orienteering regions are Asia, Europe and North America.

National teams from 35 countries are expected to participate in the next World Ski Orienteering Championships to be held in Sweden in March 2011. Ski orienteering is on the programme of the [[Wiktionary:Asian Winter Games|Asian Winter Games]] and the CISM World Military Winter Games. The IOF has applied for inclusion of ski orienteering in the 2018 Olympic Winter Games and will also apply to FISU for inclusion in the 2013 Winter Universiades.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.orienteering.org/index.php/iof2006/News/Background-material-to-the-Press-Release-Ski-orienteering-bids-for-inclusion-in-the-2018-Olympic-Winter-Games |title=Background material to the Press Release: Ski orienteering bids for inclusion in the 2018 Olympic Winter Games / News / Top - International Orienteering Federation |access-date=2010-08-31 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100925045056/http://orienteering.org/index.php/iof2006/News/Background-material-to-the-Press-Release-Ski-orienteering-bids-for-inclusion-in-the-2018-Olympic-Winter-Games |archive-date=2010-09-25 }}</ref>

==World Rankings==

===Men===
''{{As of|2025|1|23}}'', the highest ranked male ski-orienteerers are: 
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;"
|-
!Rank
!Name
!Country
!Points
|-
|'''1'''
|align="left"|[[Jorgen Baklid]]
|align="left"|{{flag|NOR}}
|'''6610'''
|-
|'''2'''
|align="left"|[[Niklas Ekström]]
|align="left"|{{flag|FIN}}
|'''6485'''
|-
|'''3'''
|align="left"|[[Nicola Müller]]
|align="left"|{{flag|SUI}}
|'''6469'''
|-
|'''4'''
|align="left"|[[Jonathan Ståhl (ski orienteering)|Jonathan Sthål]]
|align="left"|{{flag|SWE}}
|'''6467'''
|-
|'''5'''
|align="left"|[[Stanimir Belomazhev]]
|align="left"|{{flag|BUL}}
|'''6408'''
|-
|'''6'''
|align="left"|[[Aapo Viippola]]
|align="left"|{{flag|FIN}}
|'''6406'''
|-
|'''7'''
|align="left"|[[Vegard Gulbrandsen]]
|align="left"|{{flag|NOR}}
|'''6394'''
|-
|'''8'''
|align="left"|[[Henrik Fredriken Aas]]
|align="left"|{{flag|NOR}}
|'''6391'''
|-
|'''9'''
|align="left"|[[Eevert Toivonen]]
|align="left"|{{flag|FIN}}
|'''6373'''
|-
|'''10'''
|align="left"|[[Teodor Mo Hjelseth]]
|align="left"|{{flag|NOR}}
|'''6366'''
|-
|'''11'''
|align="left"|[[Gion Schnyder]]
|align="left"|{{flag|SUI}}
|'''6346'''
|-
|'''12'''
|align="left"|[[Styrk Kamsvaag]]
|align="left"|{{flag|NOR}}
|'''6338'''
|-
|'''13'''
|align="left"|[[Bjørnar Kvåle]]
|align="left"|{{flag|NOR}}
|'''6304'''
|-
|'''14'''
|align="left"|[[Gustav Nordström]]
|align="left"|{{flag|SWE}}
|'''6303'''
|-
|'''15'''
|align="left"|[[Tuomas Outinen]]
|align="left"|{{flag|FIN}}
|'''6274'''
|-
|'''16'''
|align="left"|[[Albin Gezelius]]
|align="left"|{{flag|SWE}}
|'''6269'''
|-
|'''17'''
|align="left"|[[Miska Tervala]]
|align="left"|{{flag|FIN}}
|'''6253'''
|-
|'''18'''
|align="left"|[[Rasmus Wickbom]]
|align="left"|{{flag|SWE}}
|'''6241'''
|-
|'''19'''
|align="left"|[[Gustav Jonsson]]
|align="left"|{{flag|SWE}}
|'''6239'''
|-
|'''20'''
|align="left"|[[Misa Toumala]]
|align="left"|{{flag|FIN}}
|'''6234'''
|-
|'''21'''
|align="left"|[[Petr Horvat]]
|align="left"|{{flag|CZE}}
|'''6232'''
|-
|'''21'''
|align="left"|[[Josef Nagy]]
|align="left"|{{flag|CZE}}
|'''6232'''
|-
|'''23'''
|align="left"|[[Isak Lundholm]]
|align="left"|{{flag|SWE}}
|'''6225'''
|-
|'''24'''
|align="left"|[[Andrei Lamov]]
|align="left"|{{flag|SWE}}
|'''6217'''
|-
|'''25'''
|align="left"|[[Pyry Riissanen]]
|align="left"|{{flag|FIN}}
|'''6215'''
{{Fb cs footer|u=June 2019 |s=<ref>{{cite web
 |url         = https://ranking.orienteering.org/?ohow=S
 |title       = IOF Ski-Orienteering World Rankings
 |publisher   = International Orienteering Federation
 |access-date  = June 1, 2019
}}</ref>
 |date=January 2025}}

===Women===
''{{As of|2025|1|23}}'', the highest ranked female ski-orienteerers are: 
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;"
|-
!Rank
!Name
!Country
!Points
|-
|'''1'''
|align="left"|[[Anna Ulvensoen]]
|align="left"|{{flag|NOR}}
|'''6513'''
|-
|'''2'''
|align="left"|[[Magdalena Olsson]]
|align="left"|{{flag|SWE}}
|'''6440'''
|-
|'''3'''
|align="left"|[[Daisy Kudre Schnyder]]
|align="left"|{{flag|EST}}
|'''6374'''
|-
|'''4'''
|align="left"|[[Maria Hoskari]]
|align="left"|{{flag|FIN}}
|'''6311'''
|-
|'''5'''
|align="left"|[[Frida Sandberg]]
|align="left"|{{flag|SWE}}
|'''6308'''
|-
|'''6'''
|align="left"|[[Elin Schagerström]]
|align="left"|{{flag|SWE}}
|'''6305'''
|-
|'''7'''
|align="left"|[[Amanda Yli Futka]]
|align="left"|{{flag|FIN}}
|'''6284'''
|-
|'''8'''
|align="left"|[[Sari Vaaranen]]
|align="left"|{{flag|FIN}}
|'''6234'''
|-
|'''9'''
|align="left"|[[Eliane Deininger]]
|align="left"|{{flag|SUI}}
|'''6232'''
|-
|'''10'''
|align="left"|[[Alina Niggli]]
|align="left"|{{flag|SUI}}
|'''6230'''
|-
|'''11'''
|align="left"|[[Synne Strand]]
|align="left"|{{flag|NOR}}
|'''6227'''
|-
|'''12'''
|align="left"|[[Ella Turesson]]
|align="left"|{{flag|SWE}}
|'''6203'''
|-
|'''12'''
|align="left"|[[Linda Lindkvist]]
|align="left"|{{flag|SWE}}
|'''6203'''
|-
|'''14'''
|align="left"|[[Idunn Strand]]
|align="left"|{{flag|NOR}}
|'''6202'''
|-
|'''15'''
|align="left"|[[Nina Karna]]
|align="left"|{{flag|FIN}}
|'''6200'''
|-
|'''16'''
|align="left"|[[Heta Virtanen]]
|align="left"|{{flag|FIN}}
|'''6191'''
|-
|'''17'''
|align="left"|[[Hanna Eriksson (orienteer)|Hanna Eriksson]]
|align="left"|{{flag|SWE}}
|'''6174'''
|-
|'''18'''
|align="left"|[[Kaisa Klementtinen]]
|align="left"|{{flag|FIN}}
|'''6164'''
|-
|'''19'''
|align="left"|[[Ane Sofie Krogh]]
|align="left"|{{flag|NOR}}
|'''6148'''
|-
|'''20'''
|align="left"|[[Aasne Haavengen]]
|align="left"|{{flag|NOR}}
|'''6145'''
|-
|'''21'''
|align="left"|[[Antoniya Grigorova]]
|align="left"|{{flag|BUL}}
|'''6138'''
|-
|'''22'''
|align="left"|[[Doris Kudre]]
|align="left"|{{flag|EST}}
|'''6118'''
|-
|'''23'''
|align="left"|[[Anna Aasa]]
|align="left"|{{flag|SWE}}
|'''6112'''
|-
|'''24'''
|align="left"|[[Birgit Dorthea Kleppa Madslien]]
|align="left"|{{flag|NOR}}
|'''6109'''
|-
|'''25'''
|align="left"|[[Delia Giezendanner]]
|align="left"|{{flag|SUI}}
|'''6108'''
{{Fb cs footer|u=June 2019 |s=<ref>{{cite web
 |url         = https://ranking.orienteering.org/?ohow=S
 |title       = IOF Ski-Orienteering World Rankings
 |publisher   = International Orienteering Federation
 |access-date  = June 1, 2019
}}</ref>
 |date=June 2019}}

==Equipment==
[[Image:Skionm2005.png|thumb|right|Ski orienteering map]]
A person taking part in [[competition]]s in ski orienteering is equipped with:
*Clothing adequate for [[cross-country skiing]], boots and skis and ski poles.
[[File:Lob-fran-crop.jpg|thumb|Map holder worn on chest]]
*An [[orienteering map]] provided by the organizer, showing the [[Control point (orienteering)|control points]] which must be visited in order. The map is designed to give all the information the competitor needs to decide which route is the fastest, such as the quality of the tracks, gradient and distance. Green lines on the map show a trail suited to race on skis. Depending on the thickness and continuity of the lines, the competitor makes decisions about which route is the fastest between control points.<ref>{{cite web
 |url         = http://www.orienteering.org/i3/index.php?/iof2006/content/download/866/4026/file/International_Specification_for_Orienteering_Maps_2000.pdf
 |title       = International Specification for Orienteering Maps 2000
 |publisher   = International Orienteering Federation
 |access-date  = June 11, 2008
 |url-status     = dead
 |archive-url  = https://web.archive.org/web/20100508041802/http://www.orienteering.org/i3/index.php?%2Fiof2006%2Fcontent%2Fdownload%2F866%2F4026%2Ffile%2FInternational_Specification_for_Orienteering_Maps_2000.pdf
 |archive-date = May 8, 2010
}}</ref>
*Map holder: a map holder attached to the chest makes it possible to view the map while skiing at full speed.
* Optionally lighter type of [[compass]] is attached to the map holder or to the skier's arm.
* An electronic punching chip (see [[Control point (orienteering)|orienteering control point]]).

==Bid for inclusion in 2018 Winter Olympic Games==
The International Orienteering Federation (IOF) had applied for ski orienteering to be included in the programme of the 2018 Olympic Winter Games.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2010-09-01 |title=Ski orienteering launches campaign to be included in 2018 Winter Olympics |url=https://www.insidethegames.biz/articles/10424/ski-orienteering-launches-campaign-to-be-included-in-2018-winter-olympics |access-date=2023-10-30 |website=www.insidethegames.biz}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Ski-O Bids for Spot in 2018 Olympics – FasterSkier.com |url=https://fasterskier.com/2010/09/ski-o-bids-for-spot-in-2018-olympics/ |access-date=2023-10-30 |website=fasterskier.com}}</ref> However this was unsuccessful.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Ski Orienteering: Possible Future Winter Olympic Sport |url=https://www.topendsports.com/events/winter/sports/ski-orienteering.htm |access-date=2023-10-30 |website=www.topendsports.com |language=en}}</ref>
In the past few years, ski orienteering has grown considerably in terms of global spread. The growth has been boosted by the inclusion of ski orienteering into the Asian Winter Games and the CISM World Military Winter Games.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Ski Orienteering Makes Successful Debut Thanks to GPS Technology |url=http://www.sportsfeatures.com/olympicsnews/story/48120/asiada-ski-orienteering-makes-successful-debut-thanks-to-gps-technology |access-date=30 October 2023 |website=sportsfeatures.com}}</ref>

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons category-inline|Ski orienteering}}
*[http://www.orienteering.org International Orienteering Federation ] 
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20100925045056/http://orienteering.org/index.php/iof2006/News/Background-material-to-the-Press-Release-Ski-orienteering-bids-for-inclusion-in-the-2018-Olympic-Winter-Games Ski orienteering presentation (Background material to the Press Release: Ski orienteering bids for inclusion in the 2018 Olympic Winter Games) ] <small>(August 31, 2010)</small>
*{{YouTube|WBOokaLLBeU|Ski orienteering presentation}}<small>(June 11, 2008)</small>

{{Orienteering}}
{{skiing}}
{{Racing}}

[[Category:Ski-orienteering| ]]
[[Category:Orienteering]]
[[Category:Cross-country skiing|Orienteering]]
[[Category:Multisports]]
[[Category:Types of skiing|Orienteering]]