|
Hosting a Ski Mountaineering Race - FAQ
The following FAQ is an
abbreviated version of the International Ski Mountaineering Council
(ISMC) guidelines for conducting a Ski Mountaineering race.
This information is suitable for planning and hosting local races
in
North America
that intend to conform to international race standards.
This information is intended for the most popular format of Ski
Mountaineering races – individual competitors, held in conjunction
with a ski resort, having both a racing and recreational division, as
well as male/female or other subdivisions and not being an ISMC
sanctioned event. This
format of race is intended to test the competitors uphill and downhill
skills on challenging terrain.
For the unabridged ISMC
version of how to conduct an official event, please visit the ISMC
section of the UIAA website at: http://www.uiaa.ch/?c=217
It should also be noted
that these race requirements are a form of homologation to ensure that
ISMC style races are basically the same no matter where they are held.
Just as Giant Slalom, Downhill and Slalom courses have a required
number of gates, vertical drop and general look & feel, so do these
Ski Mountaineering races. The
advantage of this is that as a growing sport, people are starting to
travel long distances to race, and need to have some idea of what to
expect. While beacon
searches, navigation skills and breaking trails are major aspects of ski
mountaineering, they are inappropriate for this genre of race and belong
more in the Adventure Racing arena.
The Top Three Most
Common Race Problems
Race Officials
Course Design &
Considerations
Logistics
Course Signage
Course Marking Flags
Alternative Routes
Starting Areas
Finish Area
Prerace Meetings
Equipment
Required
Equipment
Suggested Equipment
Requirements
The Race
Starting
Areas
Starting Sequence
Checkpoints
Finish Area
Rules of Conduct
The Environment
Disqualifications and Penalties
The
Top Three most Common Race Problems
1) The trail is not broken. This
creates an unfair competition. At
a minimum, the trail should be well broken and if possible, a parallel
passing trail should be established as well.
2)
The course is not well marked.
When in doubt, it is better to over mark the trail rather than
under mark it. Racers are
operating in a hypoxic state and need simple, clear markings.
In a ski area, be careful about using marking flags that are
similar to the ski area trail markers.
Do not rely on racers being familiar with the terrain as it may
be the first time they have come to the area or the weather may be poor.
3)
The racers are far faster than the event organizers anticipate.
This can lead to unmanned check stations, unmarked courses and
general confusion. The top
racers can cover roughly 100 vertical feet per minute, which is only
slightly less than old chairlift.
Race
Officials
Ski Mountaineering races would not be possible without a veritable army
of volunteers. To make the
most of this charitable work, it is important to be organized and have
people who can direct the effort, answer questions and resolve disputes.
Race
Director – General Organizer and coordinator of the race.
Technical Director - Course
Setter and course safety adviser.
Start/Finish Judge – In charge of timing.
Two Judges – People who can partake with the above to form a five
person jury in case of disputes.
Course
Design & Considerations
The course must be laid out such
that racers are not interfering with each other.
The itineraries should avoid having ascents and descents on the
same trail and allow all divisions to compete without interference.
5,000’ of ascent and 2,500’ of descent =
a 50% difference. Not
acceptable.5,000’ of ascent
and
5,750’ of descent = a 15% difference.
Acceptable.
-
The
total ascent should be between 4,725’ and 5,775’ (1600m +/- 10%)
for men and women in the racing category with a base time of 1.5 to
2 hours for the fastest racers.
-
The
recreational division will be roughly 60 - 75% of the racing
division’s total amount of ascent/descent.
-
If
both racing and recreation divisions are taking place on the same
course, they will be organized in a way that it is impossible for
them to interfere each other.
-
If
a booting section is included, it should be no longer than 500’
(+/- 10%) and competitors are required to carry their skis securely
attached to their backpacks.
Logistics
-
It
is advisable to plan passing areas before technical sequences and to
ensure specifically against “traffic jams”.
-
Attention
must be given to areas with little snow cover where the racers
safety may be at risk.
-
If
the removal of skis is necessary, a platform must be set up for this
activity with a sufficient number of controllers.
Course
signage
Course
marking flags
-
Surveyors
tape tied to trees, alpine racing gate panels, bamboo tomato stakes
with duct tape and ribbons, Nordic racing flags or roped/taped off
corridors are all efficient ways to mark a course.
-
Ideally,
the course should be marked every 50’.
-
If
the race is taking place in or near a ski area, avoid using markings
that are similar to the slope & safety markings, ie., bare
bamboo poles, polyester rope or trail marking signage.
-
The
ISMC regulations flag size is15 x 20 cm, rectangular or triangular.
Ascent
flagging
– preferably fluorescent green or blue
Descent
flagging - fluorescent red or yellow
-
In
normal weather conditions with adequate visibility, from each flag
the following two must be visible. Poor visibility may require
further flagging of the course on the morning of the race.
-
Danger
zones should be signed by rectangular yellow flags with a black
stripe across. Danger flags are 40 x 60 cm minimum
Alternative
Routes
Starting
Areas
-
The
race officials must organize a prerace safety equipment check area.
At a minimum, racers should have fully functioning avalanche
transceivers, shovels and any other equipment the organizers deem
appropriate (clothes, probes, helmets, etc.)
Finish
Area
Prerace
Meetings
Prior to each event, there should be a course and safety briefing.
Ideally, this will take place the night before the event.
This pre race meeting should cover:
-
Route
description through visual media (board or projector), indicating
change and danger areas, checkpoint and sequence points, route
technical peculiarities and provisioning points.
-
Weather
and snow forecast: snow quality and quantity, predicted temperature,
wind speed & direction and avalanche risk.
-
Competition
day program: transportation information, starting procedures (racers
briefing, avalanche transceiver control, warm-up area and
procedures, start sequence), procedure
to follow if a skier does not complete the competition,
information regarding emergency medical procedures,
cut-off times (if any), clothing
drop off and pickup sites and awards ceremony time and place.
-
The
same information must be posted in a public area immediately before,
during and after the briefing.
Equipment
Required equipment:
1)
A 457 kHz avalanche
transceiver which will be checked between 30 - 45 minutes before the
official time of the start. It must be worn under the clothing for the
full duration of the race and be in working order if/when checked at the
finish.
2)
Skins for ascending. No
snowshoes. Booting is only
allowed where specified.
3) An avalanche shovel with a minimum blade size 8” x 8” that has
not been modified once manufactured.
Suggested
Equipment Requirements:
-
Skis
with metal edges or a splitboard.
160cm minimum for men, 150cm for women
-
A
backpack of 20 litres minimal.
-
Helmets.
Must be worn properly.
-
Avalanche
probe or probe poles.
-
Safety
straps or brakes as required.
The
Race
Starting Areas
-
Racers
can leave leftovers at the start area and the organizer must provide
garbage bags to carry and bring them to the finish area.
-
In
mass start races, the fastest racers should have the most favourable
starting position to help avoid collisions.
-
Racers
should be organized according to racing divisions and/or categories.
Starting
Sequence
45 minutes before the start – equipment
& safety check
5 minutes before the start – general
warning & starting line assembly
2 minute warning
30 second warning
Starting gun/horn.
No final count down is given to avoid barging.
Checkpoints
-
Racers
must pass through the checkpoints where their numbers (and possibly
times) will be recorded.
-
Checkpoints
should not be ambiguous and must have a definitive crossing point.
-
Transition
areas should be spacious and ideally roped off from spectators.
-
After
a ski descent, transition zones should be located in areas where
racers can glide to a stop.
Finish
Area
Rules of Conduct
-
Any
competitor who is caught from behind must immediately yield the
trail to the overtaking competitor who says ‘’TRACE’’ or “TRACK.”
-
Any
competitor in difficulty may abandon the race at his/her own
initiative or be taken out of the race by decision of the Race
Director or by one of the organization’s doctors.
-
Abandoning
or being taken out of the race should take place at a checkpoint
except in extreme circumstances.
-
If
a racer abandons the race, it is their responsibility to inform a
gate judge or race official of this decision.
Once a racer has officially withdrawn, it is not possible to
rejoin the race and they must not interfere with other racers.
-
All
racers are obligated to come to the aid of a person in danger. The
Jury will take into account the time spent providing assistance.
-
No
external material assistance is permitted, with the one time
exception of an emergency gear swap for equipment that is broken
during the start. This
will only take place within the first two minutes of the race.
The Environment
In order to help protect the environment in which the races take place:
-
Encourage
minimal use of mechanical assistance (helicopter, snowmobile…)
-
Do
not encourage the public to travel to environmentally fragile areas
-
No
deforestation or harm to reforestation areas
-
Quick
collection of markers and flagging
-
Collection
of possible debris from spectators and racers
Disqualifications
and Penalties
At the Jury’s discretion, the following time penalties may be applied:
-
Missing
or abandoned equipment : 3
minutes
-
Receiving
external assistance: 5
minutes to disqualification.
-
Littering:
5 minutes to disqualification
-
Walking
without skis or skating on the parallel trail:
3 minutes to disqualification
-
Non
respect of the land marking: 5
minutes to disqualification
-
Poor
sportsmanship: 3 minutes
to disqualification
-
Serious
damage to the environment: disqualification
-
If
a competitor does not pass by a checkpoint:
disqualification
-
Failure
to observe the security regulations at a checkpoint:
disqualification
-
Any
action deemed dangerous or threatening the safety or proper running
of the race: disqualification.
|
|