The best award for the wailing wall staff is a happy orienteere leaving the wall with a smile on their face. On the wailing wall smiling people from the left Kajsa Sten, Nina Haikonen, Esa Mononen, Alvar Sten (in front), Kari Laukkarinen and Satu Sintonen.
The wailing wall at the finish of the Jukola and Venla relays is far better than its reputation. Also today many Venla competitors left the wall with a smile on their face.
” We try to help the competitors as much as we possibly can. We check the lists for any missing Emit stamps. Most often the reason for the visit at the wailing wall is a flaw with the electronic Emit-card or stamping it in the wrong control point”, the head of the wailing wall Esa Mononen explains.”
“We have also experienced real crying here today. Two venla competitors when disqualification could not be avoided despite the attempts to help”, Mononen adds.
“Also the disqualified member of the Tampereen Pyrintö venla team came to the wall. HOwever, the error of taking the wrong map was such a major one that the disqualification was unavoidable.”
“We have served today over 50 orienteerers using all the languages we have promised to serve in: FInnish, Swedish, English and Russian.”
“Besides stamping at the wrong control point, disqualification can be caused by entering a banned area as indicated on the competition map”, Mononen added.
Besides Mononen, a dozen volunteers work on the wailing wall.
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