Barefoot, or to fly?

Category: Women... or Mixed?

Location and Schedule

On Saturday, 21 May 2011, two event durations will be offered: 3 hours and 90 minutes. You can do either on foot or on bike. The headquarters will be in Laurel Park, just west of the Louden Nelson Community Center.

This is the inaugural Santa Cruz Street Scramble. Get Lost!! is working with Meridian Geographics to bring Street Scramble® urban navigation races to the Bay Area. Check out the description and our calendar of Street Scramble events.

09:30  Registration and check-in

       open, Louden Nelson Center

10:30  Maps are available for

       route planning

11:00  Start, all divisions,

       foot and bike

12:30  Finish, 90 minute division

12:30  Light lunch service starts

14:00  Finish, 3 hour division

15:00  Awards

We will use a novel electronic scoring system. You will be able to register checkpoint visits by texting us the answer to the question on your scorecard. Checkpoint visits will be instantly tabulated, and scores available upon the teams' return. If you'd rather not use the cellphone for any reason, you can instead circle answers on the paper scorecard. More details are here...

This is an example of the map (© Meridian Geographics) that will be used for the event (this particular map is from the Millbrae Street Scramble):

	Headquartered in Taipei, Taiwan, Qstarz International Co., Ltd. brings GPS & Bluetooth technology to the consumer mainstream. The mission of Qstarz is to accelerate widespread consumer application of GPS & Bluetooth technology by delivering high-performance, leading-edge solutions that power GPS-enabled devices. The featured award at this Street Scramble is Qstarz model BT-Q1000XT recorder that can chronicle a race of up to 42 hours.
The mission of Road ID is twofold: One, to educate outdoor enthusiasts about the importance of wearing ID. Two, to provide these athletes with innovative identification products that they will want to include as part of their gear. The dream of Road ID is to see the day where wearing ID is as common among athletes as wearing a seatbelt is among motorists.
	o21e makes a line of clothing for the map sport in Los Angeles, California.
Seattle's Meridian Geographics is an active outdoor lifestyle company. It produces the Street Scramble, Northwest Trail Runs, and BEAST Adventure Race series. Its showcase events are the annual Seattle and San Francisco Night and Day challenges, and the Three15er and Big Tahoma rogaines.
	Oakland's terraloco organizes urban and wild map trek adventures!
Scarborough Orienteering, aka Orienteer.com, is a leading vendor of equipment. They carry compasses, SPORTident cards, Inov-8™ shoes, and other gear and produce their own line of o21e suits, club uniforms, and gaiters. Orienteer.com also offers map and compass instruction and group outings, including orienteering and team-building training, as corporate offsites.
	The best deal on SPORTident equipment!

The Street Scramble Experience

Street Scramble races can be enjoyed by anyone who (a) can travel under their own power for 90 minutes—walking, running, biking, or moving in a wheelchair; (b) can follow a street map; and (c) likes to explore.

(Strollers and power wheelchairs are OK for those who need them. If you can't read a map, you can be on a team with someone who can.)

When you arrive at a Street Scramble event, you will check in (some events don't sell out and allow onsite registration). Then, a half hour before the start time, you will receive a map with thirty-one checkpoint locations circled. Each circle has a number between 10 and 99. The point value of the checkpoint is equal to its number rounded down to the tens; for example, Checkpoint 35 is worth 30 points; Checkpoint 12 is worth 10 points. You will also receive a scorecard with a description of a feature to be found at each checkpoint, such as "Statue of woman" or "Public pier".

You (together with your team, if you have a team) will then plan which checkpoints you will try to visit, and in what order. You can visit as many or as few checkpoints as you want, and in any order. Your team will need to stay together at all times. You can change your plan as you go along, but it's very helpful to at least start with some kind of plan.

A few minutes before the start there will be a pre-Scramble-race briefing, at which the event director will review rules and safety. There will be a countdown to the start, after which you will head out to visit checkpoints. Again, your team must stay together at all times. Checkpoints are found at the precise centers of the circles on the map. When you arrive at a checkpoint location, look for the feature described on the scorecard.

At most locations, you will need to answer a simple multiple-choice question, found on your scorecard, to prove you were there. Example:

35   Statue of woman: What is the last word on the plaque next to the statue?
(a) Arts   (b) Commission   (c) Space

If you are not using the electronic scoring system, circle the correct answer on the scorecard and proceed to another checkpoint. Also write down the time of your checkpoint visit.

As an option, we will offer two electronic ways to record your checkpoint visits. One option will only be available at select checkpoints that are at locations of participating businesses, and only to those entrants who have a smartphone capable of recognizing QR codes, and the necessary phone app. Simply snap a picture of the code and get on your way!
If you don't have the hardware or the app, just answer the multiple-choice question.

The other electronic option is available at all checkpoints, and involves sending us, the organizers, a text message with your answer to the question on the scorecard. For example, suppose you are Team 191 and the correct answer to the question at Checkpoint 35 is (a), "Arts". You will send, to the phone number we provide at registration, a message with the text

35 A

—or—

35A

—or—

a35

and you will get back a confirmation message that says

Team 191 Checkpoint 35 Answer A at 10:31:23.

To participate in the 90 minute division, you must return to the event center within 90 minutes. To participate in the 3 hour option, return within 3 hours. You can decide which option you want while you're out there. Returning on time requires planning!

The map is usually an improved USGS topographic map; we also use information from other sources. The map will have only a few street names on it, so it will be important for you to keep track of where you are on the map. Because USGS updates its maps infrequently, the map may not be completely up to date and you will see streets and buildings on the map that no longer exist—an interesting window into the past.

It is perfectly fine to utilize other maps you may bring, or to look at a map on your smartphone. You can also use the phone's GPS; any GPS units, altimeters, and pedometers are all fair game—but please don't get so distracted by the gadgets as to lose track of vehicle traffic!

When you return, you will turn in your scorecard; if you used electronic scoring, your score will be ready and waiting for you. (In case your phone turns out to be less sweat-resistant than you thought, we can handle answers that are partially submitted electronically and partially handwritten.) It is important to be on time because you will lose points for each minute you are late. We will keep your scorecard, but you get to take your map home with you. If your answers are handwritten, we will tally your score while you enjoy refreshments, included in your entry fee. After refreshments, awards will be given out for those with the highest scores in different divisions and categories.

As a minimum, we will award the best men, women, and mixed teams in the following categories: Juniors (each team member must be 20 years of age or younger on 01 January 2011), Masters (40 or older), and Open.

If you have further questions, you may be able to find answers to them on the Equipment and Detailed Rules pages.

Entry and Registration

The first 50 teams to enter get technical-fabric T shirts with the Street Scramble design. That's right, a complimentary shirt for each and every team member! Please select the shirt size during the registration process. These shirts can be obtained at the event only if we do not sell out, or if there are cancellations. If you would rather not have another shirt—even as cool as this—we offer a discount.

Pre-registration is open. Team members may enter together (be entered by the same person), or separately. If you would like to go with a team, but don't know your teammates' names yet, you can enter yourself and other members can join the team at a later time.

As with all events by Get Lost!!, fees for teams, including families, are capped. Three, four, or five people enter at the team price; each team member gets a map. The fees are:

90 minute event	Individual	Team	Cal-ARA Team
Enter and pay on or before Monday 02 May	$25.00	$45.00	$40.50
Enter and pay on or before Thursday 19 May	$35.00	$65.00	$58.50
Enter and pay on or after Friday 20 May	$45.00	$85.00	$76.50
3 hour event	Individual	Team	Cal-ARA Team
Enter and pay on or before Monday 02 May	$25.00	$45.00	$40.50
Enter and pay on or before Thursday 19 May	$35.00	$65.00	$58.50
Enter and pay on or after Friday 20 May	$45.00	$85.00	$76.50

Discounts!!

On top of these prices, we offer the following discounts:

Bay Area OC member registering her/himself	–	$5.00
No shirt(s)	–	$5.00 individual,	$10.00 team
Family (at least one participant age 20 or under)	–	$10.00 per team
Scoring by text message	–	$3.00 per team
Use of safety vests	–	$2.00 per team

The BAOC discount only applies to individuals, not teams. That is, a registration for two people who are both BAOC members will cost less than the team price. A three-person team is always best off taking the team deal.

Examples:

• BAOC member going solo, early registration, no shirt, uses a cell phone and a safety vest: $10.00
• California ARA team of 4, standard registration including shirts, uses a cell phone and safety vests: $13.38 per person
• Family of 3, day-of-event registration, no shirts, uses a cell phone and safety vests: $20.00 per person

These discounts are taken and combined automatically by the registration system. Make sure to indicate the team association, individual participant's club membership, and the correct (or at least approximately correct) ages for the team members.

Go register!!

Event-Day Information

1. Parking

Free permits are available to Community Center patrons for nearby parking posted with signs saying "LNCC Permit Valid". These permits are valid only during Center operating hours and when attending activities at Louden Nelson. Please inquire at the front desk.

2. Safety

Safety is our first priority. All cyclists must wear a helmet and stop at all stop signs and red lights. The busiest street in Santa Cruz is Mission Street, aka Highway 1. A portion of Highway 1 is a freeway and is out of bounds, and shown so. Places where you can cross it are highlighted with red arrows.

We strongly encourage you to wear a Street Scramble safety vest to enhance your visibility.

A portion of Pogonip Park is known as Heroin Hill. Conditions may include syringes, hazardous chemicals, and armed men. Do not enter this area; the extent of it is shown on the map.

3. Cellphone scoring

We have not yet implemented QR codes at checkpoints or acknowledgment messages when you text in your answers. We will not be able to offer cellphone scoring to event-day registrants. The phone number to which you text your answers will be given at the pre-event briefing.

For all event-related questions and voice calls, please use Rex's number: +1 510 681 6181.

4. Pen-and-paper scoring

If you would prefer to mark your answers in pen or pencil on a paper score sheet, please also make sure to write down the time you visited each checkpoint. Your finish time will be taken when you hand in your score sheet.

5. Bikes

A mountain bike is strongly recommended at this event, since there are some single-track trrails. All checkpoints are immediately reachable by bike; however, cycling-legal routes between checkpoints may be considerably longer than those for runners and walkers.

6. Course notes

The optimum straight-line route to get all checkpoints is 33.5 km; actual distance to travel on bike is perhaps 52 km—we don't think anyone will clean out this one.

The course has 38 checkpoints worth 1000 total points. The late penalty is 10 points for each minute, or fraction thereof. Remember, you can switch from the 90 minute division to the 3 hour division at any time, even while you are on the course.

• The map is a much improved USGS topographic map. We used information from OpenStreetMap to add all important trails, and buildings that are larger than a certain size. We also tracked some trails in the field with GPS that are not in OpenStreetMap. The map does not show most street names.
• The rule of thumb is that you can't pass through most blocks shown in purple and pink, and you can go through areas shown in white and green. Sometimes there are exceptions; we didn't show some large parking lots. Entrances and access points are shown with red arrows that point to where you can enter a block.
• This having been said, we aren't allowed off trail in Pogonip Park. It's not prohibited to go off trail on USCS campus.
• The train tracks are mostly inactive. Sometimes it makes sense to follow them, and you can ride along on a mountain bike. However, going along the tracks that pass by Heroin Hill exposes you to the dangers mentioned above.
• We are using different symbols to show multipurpose trails, on which bikes are allowed, and foot-only trails. In the original USGS map symbols, roads bounded by dashed lines are firetrails; bikes are not allowed on these. Conversely, bikes are OK on all roads shown with solid lines, as well as on trails shown with the special symbol.
• One trail on campus is a bike-only trail (pedestrians are not allowed). Notes to this extent are posted at the two ends of this trail, but we didn't make a special symbol for it.
• Dogs are not allowed on most trails, on campus, or on the Municipal Wharf; we regret that this puts a number of checkpoints out of reach of dog walkers.

We look forward to seeing you on Saturday morning!!

Event staff:
Lani, Rex, and Vladimir

We maintain a discussion board for all our events on Attackpoint. Popular among map and adventure-sports athletes in the U.S., Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and other countries, the site is the one to go to for the latest navigation-sport news, schedules, discussion, and gossip.

Forum for the Santa Cruz Street Scramble.