Welcome to the Jukola anniversary!
This Lahti-Hollola Jukola is already the 70th since the first Jukola. The traditional Jukola relay is a sign of a successful concept, of the importance of orienteering and of the dedication of the arrangers. Every orienteer’s ambition is to participate in Jukola and the basis of the Jukola relay has from the early start been in orienteering.
Jukola connects men, women, children, families as well as groups of friends. The multi-faceted event including the way different target groups are taken into account is one of the secrets of Jukola. Alongside the men’s relay, the women got their own competition in 1951 which changed into a relay in 1978. The first Venla relay took actually place in the Lahti region.
Sport’s events, like Jukola, aide families in spending their time together and in transferring a hobby from one generation to the next. Meetings between competitive and amateur orienteers are important and carry the sport a long way. The wellbeing, which orienteering offers is also beneficial for cities and municipalities.
Events and tourism gain ever more importance in the way people spend their time. In Lahti, this can especially be observed as mega-events and competition guests in our city. Part of the attraction of these sport’s events are the services and side-activities, which bring life to the city. A successful perception of the event as well as special services for competition visitors are most important, and to this challenge Lahti certainly does want to rise.
Jukola challenges us all to participate – the style is free. In Jukola, the influence and the impressiveness of the forest are experienced in a uniquely challenging kettle hole terrain, “suppamaasto”. Together with the Jukola-team, we are able to offer memorable moments to the competition guests. My warmest gratitude to the orienteering clubs arranging the competition: Lahden Suunnistajat -37 and Hollolan Urheilijat -46.
I wish the best success to all Jukola-people
Mika Mäkinen
Major, City of Lahti
70th Jukola – Modern with respect for traditions
This year our Jukola connects traditions with modern adjustments in a subtle manner, which fits very well into our anniversary. We have our 70th Jukola and work together with the Finnish Defense Forces, celebrating their 100th anniversary and the actual event takes place on an old exercise ground of the Finnish Defense Forces. The Finnish Defense Forces have been supporting Jukola since the very first events and the continued co-operation is a sign of the importance of this event as a mover of people. The Armoured Brigade, which has been assigned the support tasks for our Jukola, has done a magnificent job in supporting the Jukola event. They also bring an impressive amount of Finnish Army equipment to the competition area.
We are very happy to observe, that Jukola has kept its position both in the heart of competitive orienteers as well as leisure orienteers. The new fantastic record for participants, almost 20 000 competitors, is above all a sign of the excellent reputation of Jukola as a sports mega-event. The sport’s journalist’s expression “Sports festival” is quite descriptive. Jukola is a competitive sport’s event, where people come to watch the best orienteers in the world competing, they come to challenge their own skills and their friends’ and they come to meet old competitors. Jukola is a mixture of tradition, memories and community in a nice atmosphere.
We have built a compact and service minded competition centre, which we hope allows all competition guests to enjoy many aspects of the event. The services are produced by a large crowd of volunteers, more than 1 800 people. It has been fantastic to observe, that the old Finnish tradition of “talko” (engl. volunteer work for the community) is still living quite strong in our region. It has been great to observe, that we have been able to activate many people interested in citizen’s activities – to work for the greater good of the community. This group of volunteers wants to do their best in helping yourselves to perform at your best level and to reach your targets.
I also want to extend a great ”THANK YOU” to all land owners, to the local residents and to all our partners in making this event possible. It is a fantastic sign of the traditional way of common work and atmosphere.
I wish everybody a memorable Jukola weekend!
”Out from the alder forest ran the brothers, they ran over the rocky outcrop, from there through the tight juniper bushes, from there over the vicarage’s wide reed-rimmed ‘Neulaniemi’ meadows and finally over the shallow, booming glades, where they stood on the sandy road under the sloping ‘Sonnimäki’ moor. Up along the cobble-stoned slope they stepped and when they reached the ridge, they decided to build their camp at the feet of the pines on heather-covered ground. And soon enough the smoke from their fire rose up to the top of the trees.” Kivi, Aleksis, 2000, Seven brothers, 56, (unauthorized translation).
”Ulos lepistöstä kirmasivat veljekset, juoksivat yli kivisen, kallionkieluisen tienoon, siitä halki ahtaan katajiston, siitä yli pappilan avaran, kaislarantaisen Neulaniemen niitun, viimein poikki lakean, kumisevan ahon, ja seisoivat santaisella tiellä, Sonnimäen kaltevan nummen alla. Ylös pitkin mukulakivistä rinnettä he astuivat ja ehdittyänsä nummen harjulle, päättivät he rakentaa itsellensä leiriä honkien juurille, kanervaiselle maalle; ja pian suitsuili heidän tuleltansa savu ylös puitten latvoille.” Kivi, Aleksis 2000, Seitsemän veljestä, 56
Jorma Aherto
Competition manager of Lahti-Hollola Jukola