OCR World Championships - Ontario, Canada 2016

The 2016 OCR World Championships will be taking place at Blue Mountain Resort in Ontario, a little over 2 hours north of Toronto. The event will take place over the weekend of October 14-16, 2016.

We reached out to OCRWC to find out a little bit more about this selection choice.

1. Why Canada instead of say, Europe? What made this location the best choice for 2016?

Even early into the planning stages for year 2 of the the OCR World Championships, as we saw the response that athletes had to an independent world championship event for our sport, we felt very strongly that considerations for host locations outside the United States needed to be entertained. We evaluated many possible venues as the first move away from the first host of the OCRWC, King’s Domain in Cincinnati, OH, USA, and there were many strong candidates on a couple of different continents for different reasons. However, as a US-based company, we also needed to be realistic about our first move outside the United States and there were many strong factors to take into consideration. As a once a year event, we only get one chance to get it right, so we needed to make sure the venue was best suited for us to provide the best overall experience possible.

Ultimately, as we look at what Blue Mountain has to offer and what Toronto offers as a major international destination, it seems primed and ready for all of those athletes who are traveling a significant distance, and even for those athletes who won’t travel far, who will make this much more than weekend trip. All of that came into consideration for the selection of this specific venue for our first move away from where started.

We also knew that North America is still a large portion of the global obstacle racing community and was a very large portion of our base for our first 2 years, so it presents an ideal location for that base. But as we look at the US population who was participating there was still a large number that need to fly regardless. As the obstacle racing grows worldwide, as we saw just in the growth of the numbers of countries represented from year 1 to year 2, having a truly international destination city was key. The worldwide growth of our sport is undeniable, and we’re excited to be a continued part of that.

2. Do you anticipate the event moving to Europe in the future?

Several locations in the Europe are absolutely in consideration for the future. I don’t know that location is truly off the table, and Europe was already in the early discussions because of it’s historical and continued growth in the sport. Any location though will need to present the right economic and course conditions for presenting a race that occurs only once a year, with significant production value, that is readily accessible for athletes, spectators and staff. Even in the few years of our event, we’ve proven we won’t just do things to do them, but will do things because they are right for the sport and for the athletes. If a move for the OCR World Championships to Europe, or Asia, or Africa, or Australia, or South America, presents the opportunity for us to provide the best possible experience for athletes and continue to grow and evolve our sport to the level it deserves, then we’ll make that necessary move.

3. Do you anticipate it coming back to the states? If so, in how many years?

Again, no move is necessarily off the table, so coming back to the United States is a very likely and real possibility, but there is no definitive timeline for any move. We are only moving into year 3 of the OCR World Championships and for the first time in our sport will we be taking a world championship event outside the United States. There are many great locations to host an event in the United States, but there are many incredible locations to showcase worldwide, and under the right circumstances, who knows, this could continue to grow as the premier event to showcase all the OCR world has to offer, not only through it’s athletes, but also in the hosting of it’s World Championship in a wide-variety of countries through the years.

A video from OCRWC can be found here.

For those looking to attend, some information on travel can be found here.

Here is the press release from OCRWC in it’s entirety.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: NEW YORK CITY, NY NOV 3RD
“BLUE MOUNTAIN RESORT SELECTED AS SITE OF THE 2016 OBSTACLE COURSE RACING WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS”
Blue Mountain Resort, the largest mountain resort in Ontario, Canada has been selected to host the third independent Obstacle Course Racing World Championships (OCRWC) on October 15 & 16, 2016. The OCRWC, has previously enjoyed two successful years marked by rapid growth in the United States with both the 2014 and 2015 events being held in Cincinnati, Ohio USA. The event will be produced by Adventurey, LLC in partnership with Canadian-based event production company, 365 Sports.
“By partnering with 365 Sports to bring the OCRWC to our first international venue, Blue Mountain Resort located just outside Toronto, we will be able to further establish the OCRWC as a leader and innovator in the sport of Obstacle Course Racing,” said OCRWC CEO & Founder Adrian Bijanada. “Through this partnership, we will be able to focus on delivering an even further-enhanced athlete experience, while also pursuing other 2016 goals such as establishing deeper charitable partnerships, launching athlete development programs, and expanding our industry-first drug testing program.”
“We are both excited and honored to be hosting the OCR World Championships,” said Jesse Fulton, President of 365 Sports. Inc. “Athlete experience is and always will be our top priority and having a blank canvas to work with, alongside the flawless vistas and amenities that Blue Mountain Resort and village offer, will allow us to create an unparalleled experience worthy of a world championship.”
“We at Blue Mountain are looking forward to the opportunity to host the World Championships,” said Peter Sutcliffe, Director of Mountain Experience for Blue Mountain. “Obstacle Course Racing is such an incredible sport and our facilities will offer the chance for spectators to interact closely with athletes, a feat rarely available. Good luck to all the competitors and see you in October!”
About the Obstacle Course Racing World Championships
Created by Adventurey, LLC, the Obstacle Course Racing World Championships is the first and only independent championship event in Obstacle Course Racing and requires athletes to qualify for a limited number of spots through a network of qualifying events. Designed to celebrate the athletes within the sport, the 2015 competition drew nearly 2,000 athletes from over 25 countries to compete for cash prizes in individual Elite, Age Group, and Team competitions, making it one of the broadest and most diverse races in obstacle course racing history. For more information, visit www.ocrwc.com .
About 365 Sports, Inc.
Founded in 2010, 365 Sports Inc. specializes in brand management, field marketing, concept and development, and event production. 365 Sports’ mission is to provide fresh, fun and innovative athletic events to challenge all participants from seasoned athletes to beginners alike. 365 Sports is dedicated to inspiring a healthier and happier society through the combination of exercise and philanthropy. For more information, visit www.365sports.ca .

About Blue Mountain Resort
Blue Mountain, Ontario’s largest mountain resort is nestled on the shores of Georgian Bay, located 90 minutes north of Toronto. Blue Mountain has become the four-season destination of the North, visited by more than 1.5 million guests a year. Winter at the resort boasts 42 ski and snowboard trails enhanced by a world-class snowmaking system. Summer months offer the largest downhill mountain biking facility in Ontario, Monterra Golf course, Ridge Runner Mountain Coaster, Cascade Putting Course, Timber Challenge Ropes Course, Wind Rider Triple Zips and a private beach property among other seasonal attractions. Year-round the resort attracts visitors to more than 1,000 luxury accommodation units and 45 unique concept restaurants, bars and retail stores in our pedestrian Village. 53,000 square feet of state-of-the-art conference space caters year-round to corporate meeting groups. Blue Mountain is owned by Intrawest ULC.
Visit www.bluemountain.ca for more information. About Intrawest Resorts Holdings, Inc.
Intrawest is a North American mountain resort and adventure company, delivering distinctive vacation and travel experiences to its customers for over three decades. The Company wholly owns six four-season mountain resorts with approximately 8,000 skiable acres and over 1,130 acres of land available for real estate development. Intrawest’s mountain resorts are geographically diversified across most of North America’s major ski regions, including the Eastern United States, the Rocky Mountains, and Canada. The Company also operates an adventure travel business, the cornerstone of which is Canadian Mountain Holidays, a leading heli-skiing adventure company in North America. Additionally, the Company operates a comprehensive real estate business through which it manages, markets and sells vacation club properties; manages condominium hotel properties; and sells and markets residential real estate. Intrawest Resorts Holdings, Inc. common stock is traded on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: SNOW). For more information, visit www.intrawest.com .
About Blue Mountain Village
The Blue Mountain Village is located between Collingwood and Thornbury in the Town of The Blue Mountains, at the foot of the Niagara Escarpment along the shores of Georgian Bay. Pedestrian streets framed with turn of the century Ontario architecture are full of life and decoration. With a wide variety of family activities including the Mountain Roller Coaster, New high and low ropes courses, 18 hole putting course, climbing wall plus for shopping, dining and world class accommodations, the Village is an exciting four-season destination.
There’s ALWAYS something to do at BLUE. For full event information and calendar, please visit www.bluemountainvillage.ca .

Our 2015 Obstacle Racing World Championship Video

OCR World Championships 201522 countries. Bitter cold. Over 50 obstacles. Our full length video coverage of the OCR World Championships is finally here. Relive it all again.Music: “Becoming the Wolf” by Austin Poole Music

Posted by Obstacle Racing Media on Sunday, November 1, 2015

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Matt B. Davis

is the host of the Obstacle Racing Media Podcast and the author of "Down and Dirty-The Essential Training Guide for Obstacle Races and Mud Runs". He is also the only (known) #wafflehouseelite obstacle racer.