> Steve Pyatt
Steve Pyatt
Profiled June 2020
Steve Pyatt was course planner for the first of the 2020 rogaines before Covid-19 changed life for most of us. He says: "I was due to start a new job as Race Officer with the Royal NZ Yacht Squadron on 6th April (running the Youth America’s Cup and the Super Yacht regatta during the Cup itself) but that job evaporated in the lockdown so Defence kept me on. Lucky really as they were so busy with the Covid response and a cyclone in the middle of it all so just as well the sailing job fell over."
Q. Number of years orienteering?
A. I started proper orienteering on maps as we know them now in 1979 but did some navigation events around controls on 1:50k Topo maps 1973-6.
Q. How were you introduced to orienteering?
A. It was compulsory in the British Army officer training!
Q. Key orienteering achievements to date?
A. Winning the North Island, Auckland and Club Champs age group with one good race. The events were all combined that year and I was lying 4th after the first two days and hoped to catch Michael Wood in 3rd but the top three all blew up e.g. leader Geoff Mead running off the map which he would never normally do! Oh and of course standing on the relay podium with Lisa Mead at the nationals.
Q. Current orienteering project or goal?
A. As I orienteer for fun and fitness, I have no results or performance goals. I am, however, just getting into the organisation of events so the success of the Hidden Valley Rogaine is my immediate goal, whenever it happens!
Q. Favourite map and why?
A. The Flugplatz Achmer/Halerfeld map in Germany (see attached). It was a WW2 Luftwaffe airfield that the RAF hammered so it comprises hundreds of ‘pits’ and ‘ponds’ (bomb craters), half dry, half wet. My favourite MTBO map is Chatto Creek as it’s like Dartmoor where I started and you can ride anywhere!
Q. Map you have yet to experience but aspire to orienteer on?
A. The Worlds Masters ones that I missed as I did sailing for the Games. I have managed some but missed others again since.
Q. Orienteering hero?
A. Marquita Gelderman, as she is not only incredibly skilled but keeps going and winning in younger categories. She has a consistency, reliability and ability to concentrate that I’d love to be able to emulate in both orienteering and my main competitive sport of sailing.
Q. Day job?
A. Defence mapping/geospatial and imagery on the policy and planning side.
Q. Other interests?
A. My main sport has always been sailing (IK National Champ and Olympic trialist 1992) but also windfoiling, kayaking, MTB, skiing, adventure racing and fishing.
That was a control on the Chatto Creek (model) map mentioned above, front door of the pub so my timed trial blew out! Flugplatz Achmer/Halerfeld map in Germany.
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