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It isn't often that you witness the birth of a new sport or game. I'm not referring
to some variation on a theme, like snowboarding on your hands, or to one
of the prepackaged amusements that erupt like a volcano of marketing froth
during the holiday seasons, but a real game-one that catches the imagination
and quickly develops a cadre of devoted followers without dollar one spent on
promotion.
That is how I think of geocaching, enabled by cutting-edge technology and
started on one man's whim. From its beginning as an insider's activity involving
dozens of people who participated in an electronic newsgroup about CPS
technology, geocaching has sprung forth to intrigue and interest people in so
many countries that it would seem easier to name those who haven't yet been
touched by it.
Almost anyone can find some appeal in geocaching: for the gadget hound,
electronics; for puzzle fans, mental challenges; for outdoor enthusiasts, hiking,
boating, climbing, and diving; and for parents, a chance to get kids away from
video screens and have them burn off some energy. People of all ages playI've
heard of toddlers out with their parents and retired couples enjoying a
mutual interest.
Winter, summer, sun, rain, day, night-almost any time and place can be
right for geocaching. Hidden containers are waiting to be found in Antarctica
and, probably, just around the corner from you. So, certainly, read about geocaching,
but then get on your feet, out the door, and start looking: the game
is on. |