Tahoe Freeride Tahoe Junior Freeride Series Handbook

Transcription

1 Tahoe Freeride Tahoe Junior Freeride Series Handbook Since 2007 Celebrating 10 Years

2 Page 2 of Tahoe Junior Freeride Series Handbook 2018 Updates Approved November 29, 2017 In cases where regulations are not addressed by the Tahoe Junior Freeride Series Rules, The IFSA Handbook will be consulted and interpreted by the competition jury as needed. About the Tahoe Junior Freeride Series The Tahoe Junior Freeride Series is a fun and challenging freeride competition series. The TJFS is for junior ski and snowboard athletes to gain experience and build on their skiing skills as a stepping stone to the IFSA North American Junior Freeride Series. The Tahoe Junior Freeride Series originated in 2007 as a friendly big mountain competition between Squaw Valley and Sugar Bowl ski teams. It has grown into a four stop regional series that boasts over 270 competitors. Each competition has a three day format with every competitor skiing/riding two runs over three days. There are no cuts after the first day. Competitors can earn points from TJFS comps toward national IFSA ranking. TJFS is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization. Tahoe Junior Freeride Series Mission The mission of the TJFS is to run a developmental junior freeride series that provides local competition experience for all levels of athletes. The TJFS is committed to providing a competitive environment that is friendly and supportive and builds a healthy community on and off the venue. This environment will teach athletes to strive to be the best they can be within their physical ability and feel good about their participation and membership in a healthy, supportive and competitive community. The TJFS will make decisions about the series that address the interests and needs of all athletes from the first time competitor to the world champion.

3 Page 3 of 11 SECTION 1 COMPETITION RULES AND REGULATIONS I REQUIREMENTS TO COMPETE IN TJFS 1. Current athlete on a participating TJFS team 2. Current IFSA Membership License (single event membership does not apply) 3. Current TJFS Membership License II COMPETITION REGISTRATION TJFS Membership Three (3) Requirements to be a Member 1. Current athlete on a participating TJFS team a. The TJFS is an invitational big mountain competition series. Athletes must be registered with a participating team in order to register for TJFS comps. b. Participating Ski teams : To be eligible for participation in the Tahoe Junior Freeride Series, a competitor must be on a team from the following list of TJFS approved participating teams. Teams must be affiliated with the IFSA. All teams from the Far West are welcome to compete. i. Ski teams: Alpine Big Mountain, Auburn Ski Club, Heavenly Ski and Snowboard Foundation, Homewood Teams, Kirkwood Freeride, Mammoth Mountain Ski Team, Mount Rose, Squaw Free, Squaw Valley Big Mountain Team, Sierra-at-Tahoe, Sugar Bowl Freeride, Yosemite Winter Club, ii. Snowboard teams: Squaw Valley Alpine Meadows Snowboard Team, Auburn Ski Club, Sugar Bowl Snowboard Team, Kirkwood, Mammoth, NorthStar 2. Current IFSA Membership License (single event membership does not apply) a. It is required to have an IFSA number to participate in the TJFS. b. Go to IFSA Website-Membership Page to become a member. 3. Current TJFS Membership License TJFS Membership Series Fee Registration opens on December 18, Your coach will give you a team access link to register for T JFS Membership. 2. Pay your TJFS Membership Fee prior to event registration. a. $95 Regular Membership (starts December 18, 2017). $5 of this fee is a processing fee. b. The membership fee covers bibs/stickers, the series T-shirt, production/operational costs, venue management and more. c. Step by Step Instructions for TJFS Membership Registration i. Access Code: Request the access code from your coach. ii. Gather the necessary documents for registration and have the

4 Page 4 of 11 iii. documents with you when you register: IFSA Membership number 2. Current Health Insurance information. Payment TJFS Registration Schedule 1. Schedule 2. Registration will open the Tuesday 3 weeks prior* to the first day of competition for each event unless unforeseen conflicts arise. Both parent and athlete should be present during registration. 3. Registration will close at midnight on the Wednesday before the first day of competition. 4. *In the season, the first regional event will open on the Tuesday 4 weeks prior to the first day of competition. This will avoid the Christmas holiday. 5. Refund and Cancellation Policy 1. Refunds will be issued up to Friday two weeks before the first day of competition. There is a $45 processing fee. After that date refunds will not be issued. 2. After the Friday two weeks before the first day of competition, there will be no refunds, unless due to injury. A doctor s note is required. 3. There is a $45 processing fee for all refunds including injury. 4. Due to event cancellation, refunds will be issued minus $45 processing fee. 5. In the instance of a rescheduled event, registration fee goes toward the rescheduled date. If you can t make the rescheduled date you will be issued a refund minus the $45 processing fee. The request must be made 7 days prior to the first day of

5 Page 5 of 11 competition for that event. 6. If your division is not able to compete you will be issued a refund minus $45 processing fee. 7. There will be no refunds to any athlete given the opportunity to take at least one run. 8. If the competition goes to a one day event due to weather or hazardous conditions as determined by the competition jury there are no refunds. 9. If a competitor chooses to compete only one day of the three day competition, the fee still stands at the three day price. 10. The TJFS Membership is non refundable. 6. Required Release of Liability Waivers (ROL) for TJFS Membership TJFS ROL 2. HEADS UP Concussion Awareness Document Athlete Contract a. The three membership (3) ROL Waivers will be completed at the time of membership registration b. Your registration will be complete once the Parent/Legal Guardian AND the Athlete have signed and submitted the waivers online. c. Coach signatures will not be accepted. 7. Required Release of Liability Waivers and Documents for TJFS Events a. Membership Waivers (see above) b. TJFS ROL c. IFSA ROL d. Host Mountain ROL e. Athlete Bio 1. Athlete Profiles are available to download on the TJFS website on the event page. There is a unique Athlete Profile for each event. 2. Athletes need to complete one profile per event and bring it to the registration check-in desk. III TJFS Coach Requirements A TJFS coach needs to fulfill the following four (4) requirements in order to access the venue at TJFS events. 1. Current IFSA Level 100 Coach Certification 2. Current IFSA Membership: Coaches must present their IFSA Coach Membership number to receive the complimentary tickets (when provided by the mountain). Not all mountains guarantee complimentary tickets.

6 Page 6 of HEADS UP Concussion Coach Training-On Line course with certificate 4. Signed Tahoe Junior Freeride Series / Tahoe Freeride Release of Liability Waiver TJFS ROL Once a coach has shown proof of completion of the four (4) required items, he/she will be issued a TJFS Coach Credential which must be worn on the venue and during the event at all times. Completion of the TJFS Coach Requirements allows: 1. Access to the venue for all TJFS Regional, IFSA National and/or FWQ events that are produced by TJFS/Tahoe Freeride. Coaches will not be allowed on the venue without a TJFS Coach Credential. 2. Eligibility for a complimentary coach ticket when coach tickets are provided by the mountain. Out of Region Coaches will comply to the IFSA Coach Requirements for IFSA National and FWQ events. IV COACH TICKETS ISSUED PER TEAM Two (2) complimentary coach tickets for 1-8 registered competitors. Three (3) complimentary coaches tickets for 9-16 registered competitors. Four (4) complimentary coaches tickets for registered competitors, and so on. V AGE GROUPS 1. The Division is based on the athlete's age as of January 1, a Division: January 1, December 31, 2005 b Division: January 1, December 31, Athletes who are 19 YOA are not allowed to compete in the TJFS unless approved by the TJFS and they are in high school. 3. Competitors who turn 15 after December 31, 2017 have the choice to compete in either age group, but once they compete in the older age group, they must stay with that older division for the remainder of the season. VI COMPETITION VENUE 1. Competition venue will be established and marked by the Technical Director and ski resort. 2. In the event of bad weather and/or unsafe conditions, the host mountain and/or the Competition Jury can cancel the event at anytime. Calls should be placed as early as possible to head coaches who will contact their skiers.

7 Page 7 of 11 VII COMPETITION JURY Each competition must have a jury. The Competition Jury is composed of one [1] coach from each of the Founding Teams (Squaw Valley, Sugar Bowl, Squaw Free and Alpine Meadows), and a minimum of one (1) and maximum of (2) coaches from teams outside the TJFS board, the Technical Director and the Head Judge. Decisions are made by a simple majority vote. VIII COACHES MEETING At least one representative from each participating team must attend the coaches meetings. The coaches meeting is mandatory and is held prior to the morning inspection lift load and covers important inspection protocol and any newly implemented rules and/or closures regarding the competition venue. The coaches, jury and TD will meet each day. IX COMPETITION FORMAT 1. Competitors are judged in five categories on a scale of 1 10 for each category for a maximum score for each run of 50 points. This format follows the criteria used by the IFSA. The five judging categories are: 1. Line: Each competitor chooses his/her line or route down the course. Scores are determined by difficulty of line choice. Difficulty is determined by steepness of terrain, air, technical demand, snow and course conditions. Scores in other categories cannot be higher than 3 points over line score. 2. Control : Control is skiing within your ability with proper body position, turn shape and speed given the nature of the terrain. Loss of control will result in a reduction of points in more than one scoring category; point reductions will occur with falls and loss of control in turns, aerial maneuvers and/or jumps. 3. Fluidity : how well the skier/rider moves consistently down the hill towards a goal taking into consideration the nature of the terrain. 4. Technique: Good technique is exhibited when a rider displays consistent balance (in all planes; fore/aft, side to side, and rotational planes) while descending their line with a series of linked turns and jumps that blend well with the terrain. Technique can also include execution of aerial maneuvers. 5. Style and Energy : This category can reward skiing style, aerial creativity, energy, or anything that, in the eyes of the judges, makes a run stand out. (This encompasses the pace, energy and creativity with which a competitor attacks or descends his/her chosen line or route. Style focuses on freestyle execution

8 Page 8 of 11 of maneuvers) 2. Inverted aerials are not allowed in this series. All inverted jumps, including Flat Spins will result in a disqualification for the entire event. 3. Skiing outside of defined venue boundaries or skiing closed-off features or areas will result in a 0 score DID-NOT-FINISH for that run, although still eligible to continue on in the competition. 4. The 2018 Tahoe Junior Freeride Series will be composed of three THREE-DAY EVENTS and one 1 run event per each age division. For each three day event, all riders will have two runs in two days of competition in a combination of three days, unless otherwise determined by Competition Jury and/or host ski area. For the oneday, 1-run event, the competitor(s) will get only 1 run. Equal IFSA/TJFS place points will be awarded to both 1 and 2 run events. The highest cumulative score wins in the 2 run events. 5. Unless safety is of concern by the Jury, the division start order will run as follows: younger girls, younger boys, snowboarders (both age groups), followed by older girls and older boys. 6. Start order within a division will be random draw on day one, unless otherwise determined by the host ski area and competition jury. On day two the order will be reversed within the division. The athlete that went first in a division on day one will go second on day The event winners will be the skiers with highest cumulative score for the competition runs (i.e. both runs count). 8. In the event of a tie, highest two-day average line score wins. If the competitors are still tied, continue to move through the judged categories in the following order: Control, Technique, Fluidity, Style and Energy. 9. In the event of extreme weather or adverse/dangerous conditions and/or in an effort to ensure a 2-run event and proper Place Point assignment for the top finishers, either the Host Ski Area or the Competition Jury reserves the right to CUT the field, by any percentage, OR to limit the event to ONE day for any or all age groups due to unforeseen limiting factors. X PLACE POINTS AND CHAMPIONSHIPS 1. Place Points will be awarded for each event throughout the competition series to determine the overall season champions. 2. Place Points will follow the IFSA regional points allocations. See the IFSA Series Document for the points table. 3. Season Overall Champions will be the top three boys and girls from each category with the highest total place points accumulated from final results at three of the four events scheduled for this year, unless schedule changes dictate otherwise. 4. In the event of a cancellation, the format will change to the best 2 finishes out of three events.

9 Page 9 of In the event of a tie for overall champion the tie will be broken by the category score in the following order: Line, Control, Technique, Fluidity, Style and Energy. XI INSPECTION 1. Athletes may only physically inspect the venue on the days they are competing. 2. A minimum of 45 minutes of inspection time will be provided to athletes on the day they compete. 3. Athletes are given a minimum of 2 inspection laps on the venue before their competition run. 4. Competitors are allowed to inspect the course by slowly sliding the course. 5. Freeriding is not permitted on the venue during inspection. 6. Linked turns are not permitted while inspecting the course. 7. Jumping off features is not permitted during inspection. 8. Inspection infractions will result in disqualification for the entire event. 9. The TD/Host Mountain/Competition Jury determines the rules of inspection and may for safety reasons and/or prevailing conditions determine that linked turns are permitted, or that certain sections may have further limited inspection and/or zero access. 10. Any course official, competition juror or the TD have the authority to revoke privileges at any time due to unsportsmanlike conduct on and off the hill. XII TERRAIN ENHANCEMENT 1. Terrain Enhancement is not allowed. Athlete terrain enhancement during inspection or on the day of the event is grounds for disqualification. 2. If a venue has limited features and/or the conditions dictate, the TD/Host Mountain/Competition Jury may enhance the venue to create a more challenging and/or safe venue. 3. Athlete participation in shovel/tool manipulated terrain is not permitted. 4. Any level of enhancement will be clearly posted and/or communicated to all athletes and coaches in the morning meetings by the TD/Host Mountain/Competition Jury prior to inspection. The levels of enhancement are as follows: a. None : No alteration of terrain (Most common) b. Soft : Under direct supervision, athletes may make minor alterations, to the terrain with equipment on their feet (i.e. sidestepping an in-run or landing) so long as it does not interfere with another athlete s potential line AND has been cleared by the host/jury/td prior to execution. No shovels. c. Official Venue Enhancement : TD/Host Mountain/Competition Jury venue enhancement as stated in item 2: If a venue has limited features and/or the conditions dictate, only the TD/Host Mountain/Competition Jury may enhance the venue to create a more challenging and/or safe venue.

10 Page 10 of 11 XIII START TIMES Start times for the first run is normally 11:00am. Start times are subject to change. The actual start time will be determined at the morning coaches meeting. XIV JUDGES The TJFS will work in conjunction with host areas to provide at least three qualified judges. XV DISQUALIFICATIONS 1. Competitors who do not cross the finish line with both skis will be disqualified. The skis don t have to be on the foot/feet of the athlete and can be carried across the finish line within the allotted time in order to receive a score. Poles, goggles, helmet cams, etc. may be left behind on venue without penalty. 2. A competitor may finish with one or no ski poles and still receive a score. 3. A competitor must finish under the time limit which will be established by the Competition Jury; a time posted over the time limit shall be considered a DNF ( Did Not Finish ), the competitor may not continue on the course and will receive a ZERO score for that run. 4. A competitor will receive a DNF if he/she accepts outside help (ski retrieval,medical response) in any form during his/her run. 5. Inverted aerials will result in immediate disqualification from the event. No second run will be allowed. 6. Any violations of the TJFS code of conduct as found in the 2017 TJFS Athlete Contract will not be tolerated and could result in disqualification from the competition. 7. All DNF s and DQ s must be posted immediately following completion of the run. DNF s are on a per run basis and will result in single run score of -0- points, but an athlete is eligible to compete in their second run. DQ s result in disqualifications for the entire event, and will not receive scores. 8. In the unlikely event of a total disregard for the rules and/or spirit of fair competition by a competitor, the Competition Jury reserves the Right to disqualify or deny entry to future runs and/or future events for said offender. XVI RESULTS Posting of official results requires the following steps. 1. At the completion of the competition, the scorekeepers will prepare unofficial results for review. 2. Judges review and then approve the results. 3. If needed, the TJFS jury will review and approve. 4. Scores are final when posted to the public. XVII PROTESTS

11 Page 11 of Protests against disqualifications and/or clerical errors must be made within 15 minutes after the posting of final results. Coaches can ask for verification of clerical accuracy only. 2. After judges review of the official results, the results will be final. 3. No protests against actual scoring are allowed. XVIII AWARDS 1. Medals and/or trophies will be awarded to the Top 3 Finishers within each age group and discipline. Awards will be purchased and presented by the hosting area/team. Categories are female ski, male ski, female ski, male ski, female snowboard, male snowboard, male snowboard 2. IFSA Snowboard points will be awarded for the appropriate IFSA division. 3. TJFS snowboard awards will be based on Girls Snowboard, Boys Snowboard and Boys Snowboard. 4. TJFS Event awards will be provided by the event host. 5. Overall Championship Awards will be provided by the TJFS Membership Series Fee Funds XIX COMPETITION POSTPONEMENT and CANCELLATION If an event is cancelled, overall champions will be determined by best 2 of 3 finishes rather than the original 3 of 4 best finishes.