During 2019 we gained heaps of customers and clients. So many that we reckon we can field a pretty definitive list of the best in the mapping world in our annual Mapping Hall of Fame this year. Know of a body of people bolder, more imaginative, newer, further travelling, charitable, environmentally aware, bloggier or fitter? Then line them up for the definitive Mapping Hall of Fame, 2020!
Best for map-brains Fell Running Guide:
A growing community of orienteers and runners with maps have cottoned-on to the Fell Running Guide weekly challenge. Every Thursday Dave challenges your mapping skills with an on-line photo/ map-based challenge. Let your grey cells do the running next week! Dave’s community, on Twitter alone, has expanded 6-fold since he started dispensing his navigation tips last summer. I’ve yet to get one right!
Best map retailer
Ilonne Bongers, the owner of Dutch retailer Bas Buiten, took to SplashMaps immediately. In fact, you can see her committing to the products even as she filmed our ISPO stand in the summer. Since then she’s briefed us on bespoke designs, scales and areas of her native Holland. Her personality comes across in all the social media… even if you don’t speak Dutch! Certainly, the most enthusiastic retailer and well-deserving of the title!
Boldest map challenge
When I met Jordan Wylie he was planning “Rowing Dangerously” at the Destinations show in London’s Olympia. I didn’t know how inspiring I’d find this person, but now I’m reading his books, mirroring his running style and marvelling at the risks he takes while funding schools for the innocent victims of conflict. Here’s how he beat pirates and sharks in the most dangerous strait in the world to raise money for Yemen’s children.
Celebrity Map follower
In November familiar faces from the UK’s most popular shows set-off to raise money for Child Cancer victims. Dr Adam George (Love Island) and Georgia Toffolo (I’m a Celebrity, get me out of here winner), took-on a 400-mile cycle tour of India for charity. Rattling along unmade roads, the only way to navigate just had to be a SplashMap!
Fittest SplashMapper
This award goes jointly to Isabelle and Carina Bircher. Between them, the Austrian sisters not only promoted our maps and leggings to a much wider audience than our 6m x 6m stand at ISPO would allow, but they won a lot of the physical competitions too! Longest plank, best splits… the mind boggles. They became such a feature that the organisers invited them to demonstrate Paddle-board Yoga!
Most Environmentally aware
Normally won by one of our retailers that regularly take our recycled “SplashTex” fabric, this year’s honour goes to Chris Flemming, a regular visitor to our cosponsored @Geomob events, an @OpenStreetMap volunteer and an environmentally aware wrap artist! He assures me he retrieves the maps just as soon as the gifts are unwrapped!
Furthest Travelled
‘As seen from the Sidecar’ was 2019’s project that led 2 adventurers to throw themselves entirely at the mercy of strangers. Opting for the most inappropriate mode of transport for circumnavigation (a scooter and sidecar), they set-off to see the world. Not only did they make it all the way around, they discovered so much upon the way!
Did we miss something?
Do you know someone who deserves a place in the 2019 Mapping Hall of Fame? Have plans for how you could make it into the 2020 version? Get in touch. Even if all these examples are from SplashMaps, their partners and customers, we maintain an unbiased philosophy, so would love to hear from you!
