Ajalugu

History

From the History of O-club ILVES

Orienteering club ILVES was established on October 3, 1978 in Tartu, Estonia by the initiative of Arvo Kivikas, being the first specialized orienteering club in Estonia. There was a special idea for calling to life that kind of club - to organize a unic o-competition in the world: a multiday o-relay called ILVESTEADE, and to prepare the maps on a new level of quality.

There were 23 foundation members: Reet Arold, Toomas Ellervee, Leho Haldna, Milvi Haldna, Ain-Kaarel Kaasik, Kalle Kalm, Ilmar Kask, Arvo Kivikas, Riina Kivikas, Lembitu Kuuse, Virve Kuuse, Inga Murutar, Tõnu Oja, Madis Oras, Kai Pani, Margus Roll, Epp Taba, Pille Taba, Helgi Tikk, Hillar Toomiste, Sirje Tross, Uno Valgerist, Avo Veermäe. About a half of them are still active orienteeriers. During 25 years about 150 orienteering maps have been made, and tens of competitions organized.

The results of athletes have always been important for the club. At that time when the club was founded there were 5 men in Estonian team. Many of club members won medals from the Estonian Championships, most of them Arvo Kivikas - 52 (largest number among Estonian men), Ira Saar - 38, Ede Ümarik - 30, Raivo Rõõm - 20, Ilona Vanaveski - 18, Tiit Tali - 18, Kaie Kivila - 15. Nowadays are in top and belong to Estonian team: Elo Saue who has 21 medals from Estonian Championships and was winner of Estonian Ranking List in 1999; Armo Hiie (22 medals) and Mati Tiit, the new club members Alar Abram and Tarvo Klaasimäe; in Estonian junior team - Riho Taba and Eveli Saue. Unfortunately during the times of Soviet Union that was not possible for our top athletes to take part in World Champs but for several times Arvo Kivikas was in the golden Estonian team in the Champs of the USSR, his best result was gold in Socialist Countries' Cup. The top achievment is the gold medal of Ede Ümarik in 1988 World Students' Championship and silver 2 years later. Riho Taba has got bronze medal in the International Schools Orienteering Championship both individually and in relay in 2000.

Traditionally we have taken part in Jukola-viesti. Team of OC Ilves has been best in Estonian club-relay competition Jüriööjooks for nine years.

The first president of the club was Uno Valgerist, two years later Arvo Kivikas was elected and he succeeded in leading the club for 10 years. After him the presidents have been Avo Veermäe, Toomas Ellervee, Tiit Tali, Raivo Rõõm, Pille Taba, Martin Veermäe, Eero Kivikas, Kaari Kivikas, and now - Margus Sarap. There are 153 members in OC Ilves, 54 of them junior and young members. From 1997 the training of young orienteeriers has been more active; from 2002 Ilves-team for top orienteerers has been created by Armo Hiie.

ILVESTEADE

The first Ilvesteade took place in the next summer after the foundation of OC Ilves at Perajärve, Southern Estonia. In the first Ilvesteade 287 teams with 900 competitors took part. The participants were from the Baltic states and from all over the Soviet Union up to Vladivostok.

Ilvesteade has always been in the center of the actions of o-club Ilves: during the autumns over ten orienteeriers draw the maps for the next summer's event, in the springs the organizing activities were proceeded and in the summers the events were performed. During 25 years more than 150 o-maps of good quality have been produced in Southern part of Estonia. The most productive was year 1987 with 14 new o-maps.

The number of participants of Ilvesteade rose up quickly being the topmost in 1989 when 838 teams with 4000 competitors participated. In these years the first teams from the West could participate and the teams from the East were still coming to our competition. Actually the first competitors from outside the borders of the USSR - a team of Czechoslovakia - participated in the first competition day in 1982 but were eliminated by security officials. After five more years the orienteerers from outside of S.U. could come to our forests to take part in the orienteering competition. In 1988 President of IOF Heinz Tschudin participated in Ilvesteade. Teams from well-known Nordic clubs as Halden Ski-Club, Hakarspojkarna, Järfälla OK, Lynx, Ikaalisten Nouseva Voima have participated in Ilvesteade. After 1990 the number of Russian teams dicreased quickly due to the political and financial reasons.

From 1998 there has been organized special competition for mixed teams of the young orienteeriers - Youth Ilves, and from the year 2000 - Senior Ilves for veteran mixted teams. For the youngest orienteeriers there is Mini-Ilves on the marked distance. From 2001 the Sportident electronic punching system has been used in Ilvesteade.

There is the history of Ilvesteade in numbers. At the beginning teams consisted of 3 members, from 1985 there were teams of 4 and from 1993 on again teams of 3 members; from 1998 there are also participants of Youth Ilves accounted in number of participants (first two years in individual competition, from 2000 - relay), and from 2001 - added the participants of Senior Ilves.

Winners of ILVESTEADE

ILVES-3

Every spring from 1987 OC Ilves performs the international 3-day individual competition called Ilves-3. It is one of the biggest individual o-competitions in Estonia. That offers opportunities for both beginners and top-ranking athletes and permits an enjoyable experience of orienteering.

From 1998 the second day of the competition has been the IOF World Ranking Event. The Sportident electronic punching system has been used in Ilves-3.

Winners of ILVES-3 in main groups

1985 was the first year when OC Ilves organized a competition also in autumn season - that was called ILVES GP: an individual 1-day event with group starts. For some years it was organized together with Estonian Championship in long distance orienteering. Altogether Ilves GP took place for 7 years.

The members of OC Ilves have been involved in organizing of great events as the World Cup in 1998 and World Junior Championship in 2003, as also Estonian Championship. Some open public events have been organized for presenting o-sport more generally by the club members.

From 1989 on almost every Thursday during summer the training events have been organized by OC Ilves; the chief organizer is Tiina Oras. From year 2002 the Sportident electronic punching system has been used also in Thursday training competitions.