Schedule
• Middle Schools - Tuesdays - January 4, 11, 18, & 25. February 1, 8, 15, & 22. Finals on Sunday, March 6.
• High Schools - Wednesdays - January 5, 12, 19, & 26. February 2, 9, 16, & 23. Finals on Sunday, February 27.
• Coaches’ Meeting at 5:30 PM
• Racing will start at 6:00 PM
• All racers are encouraged to ski and warm up before the race. Racers are welcome to arrive and ski as early as 1:00 PM

Cost
• $25 per student/ per night
• $150 package (includes all races and the finals if purchased at beginning of season)
• If a student has a season pass the cost is $60 for the season or $7.00 per/night
• Racers may ski/board from 1:00pm to 10:00pm on race days
• Rentals will be available at the group rate price of $9.00
• Snowboard rentals will be $25.00

Race Clinics
• There will be training gates Training and clinics
• Racers and Asheville Ski Club members will be conducting coaching
• Cost will be an additional $30 per/ clinic or $8.00 per/clinic with a season pass
• Dates and Times TBD

Eligibility:
All Junior and Senior High students are eligible to participate in the ski challenge. The following requirements must be met to enter a team in the program:
• All participating students must be currently enrolled in school, and be a student in good standing. Students who are under suspension or expulsion are not eligible to race for series credit. Any student who is not in good standing at his school on the date of the finals will not be eligible for final prizes.
• Each racer must be represented by a team/school
• All participants must have a release form signed by a parent or guardian
• Racers on one team do not have to attend the same school
• At least one adult sponsor per school/team
• Home school racers are welcome!!! Form your own team or join in with another.

Terms:
• Every school is allowed two teams of five racers on each for ski or snowboard. (Two teams of five skiers or snowboarders and one team of five, visa-versa.) No more than fifteen racers are allowed per school. If there is any school that has more than 15 racers, they will be allowed to take one run through the course if time permits.
• There will be a numerical start from the top of the race course. Racers will run in bib order, and failure to be present when the racer’s number is due to race will result in a DQ.
• If any racer is caught racing other than in the race, or skiing too fast, and is caught by the ski patrol or ski school, he/she will lose the privilege to race that night and possibly the next week.
• “Bi-sport” participation, an individual racer making two runs on skis and two runs on a snowboard, will be permitted at the coach/sponsor’s discretion for middle schools only.
• At the team coach/sponsor’s discretion, elementary school-aged racers may race with a middle school team,or a middle school-aged racer with a high school team.
• There will be a $5.00 per night additional charge for this.
• The racer will draw one bib in the normal rotation, and another bib after all other bibs have been distributed.
• The racer will make two runs wearing the second bib and using the alterrnate equipment after all other racers have made two runs.

Middle/High School
• Competes for points to determine school position weekly, and for overall series
• Each skier is allowed two runs through the course each night
• Racers are eligible for individual awards

Safety Requirement:
• Racers must wear an approved alpine helmet during competition and at any time on the course or participating in gate drills. Helmet strap must be fastened during racing.
• Goggles must be worn at all events to protect the racer’s eyes.
• Sunglasses may not be worn because they may shatter from a gate impact and harm the racers eyes.
• Prescription glasses may be worn, providing they are covered by goggles designed to be worn over glasses.
• Racers must have modern bindings, with a ski-retention device such as a ski brakes and snowboard leashes.
• There is a limit to the amount of lift a racer may have between his ski and the bottom of his foot: 53mm from top of ski to bottom surface of the boot, (FIS regulation). One riser plate and one spacer may be allowed with a normal pair of boots.
• All participants and their guardians must sign a release form prior to their participation in the program.
Skiing is an inherently dangerous sport; anyone who does not wish to accept this risk should not participate. Safety consciousness on all of our part helps to reduce the risk.

Tardiness
• Racers must be paid in full by the time bibs are handed out.
• The racer must be at the start before his bib number is called or he will receive a DNS and not be scored for that run. This rule will be strictly enforced, with very few exceptions, such as for lift stoppages.
• The starter will say “Ten Seconds”; this means the racer has ten seconds to get into the starting gate.
• The starter will give the interval count “Three, Two, One, Go!” and the racer must go. He can go up to ten seconds later after the three-second interval begins.
• A racer who desires to take only one timed run must inform Timing/Scoring personnel of this immediately after the first run. Failure to do so will result in disqualification of the run taken.

Course Etiquette
• Racers must inspect the course prior to the race; they may not turn through the gates however.
• Racers must wedge (“snowplow”) or side slip at a slow pace when inspecting the course, making sure to watch out for the race crew and other personnel who may be there.
• No turning around gates during pre-race inspection!!
• If a racer misses a turn/gate he is disqualified for that particular run and will receive a DQ and will not have a score for that run.
• Please avoid colliding with the photocell or the reflector at the finish line, as this will cause a long delay in the race.
• If a racer is injured, avoid congregating around him/her. The only people near the injured person should be a person with good knowledge of first aid or a ski patrol.
• If a racer losses a ski during the race, the racer is given a DQ (disqualified) or DNF (did not finish).
• If an official yells “Hold!” it means the starter must stop the race because there is a hazard on the course.
• Yelling “Gate Down!” means that a gate must be replaced by one of the Gate Keepers.

**PLEASE KNOW AND FOLLOW YOUR RESPONSIBILITY CODE**
Disciplinary Action
• The racers first offense will result in a verbal reprimand.
• Coaches/parents will be notified if action continues or is deemed necessary.
• Depending on the seriousness of action, reprimand could result in DQ for night up to area/ski pass pulled.

Course Setting
All courses will be set in conformity to USSA course setting requirements for Giant Slalom except:
• The course will be a “Modified GS” which means it will be simplified to consist of only turning poles, with panels, and inside poles, right on red and left on blue
• There will be no minimum number of gates
• Distance Between Gates: 12-20 meters
• Width Between Gates: 4-8 meters

Scoring:
• Starting orders will be determined at the December coaches meeting or at such other time the coaches agree upon.
• Each racer will perform two runs.
• The fastest time of the two runs will be scored. The fastest run of the night will receive a “1”, the second a “2”, and etc…
• Individual standings will be computed based on the racer’s rank within their class.
• Individual racer’s contribution to their team’s score will be computed as the ratio between their best time and that of the fastest racer in their class.
• If a racer DNF’s both runs, their individual score will be 2 points higher than the total number of racers in that discipline competing that night. Their contribution to their team score will be one point higher than the that of the slowest racer in their class.
• For overall team scoring, the top three fastest racers from each team will be added together for a “team score”.
• Throughout the season each team’s race scores will be combined for their overall standing at the final race.

Race Finals & Prize Eligibility
• Each racer can only miss two races
• Each racer must race either the first or the second race date
• A racer cannot miss the final race date
• Racers under suspension or expulsion from their school are not eligible to race in the finals.

Sponsor and Coaches Duties:
The school sponsor/coach is an integral member of the team that makes the whole program work. The sponsor/coaches responsibilities include:
• Organization of the team with the school:
• Team meetings
• School announcements
• School approval
• Describing race rules and regulations to participants
• Informing parents of race times, dates, etc
• Distribution of release forms
• Collection of race money – to be turned in as one collective per team to Race Director or assistant
• Organization of the race team at Cataloochee Ski Area
• Attendance
• Distribution of race bibs to racers
• Assist in conducting the race
• Gate keeping
• Record Keeping
• Taking down the race course that the end of the night
• Collections of Race Bibs at the end of 2nd run (at bottom of course -racer will DQ if their bib is not returned).

Each school will receive two (2) comp lift tickets each race for the coach/sponsor.

Canceled Races
The Races will be canceled only if Cataloochee Ski Area will not be open that night. The race staff will try to notify each coach by 1:00pm if a race needs to be canceled. Please call the resort at (800) 768-0285 if you have any doubt or your school has been canceled.

Make up races
If a race has been canceled, we will add additional runs to the next race or two. We will collect the time for the race missed. If the last race before finals is cancelled it will be deducted from the overall season.

Disqualifications – DQ’s
Disqualifications can be for a number of reasons and are at the discretion of the Race Referee. Reasons for disqualification included: skiing without bibs, late arrival for start of race, false name, false start, ski tips and boots fail to go between the gate poles, accepting outside help in a race (ie after a fall), unjustifiable requests for a re-run, failure to inform Timing/Scoring staff of intent to take only one timed run, shadowing course by inspecting when closed, skiing off designated course.

Re-runs
• When a racer is hindered while racing by the interference of an official, spectator, animal or any other obstruction (missing pole), and wants a re-run, he must immediately leave the race track, ski to the bottom within the course fences, find the Finish Referee and request a re-run.
• Do not finish the race and do not ski/board through the Finish Line.

Other Faults
• Racers may not obstruct or interfere with other racers or officials performing their duties
• Racers must respect the directions of officials (i.e. move back from the course)
• Racers must respect the rules for Course Inspection including wearing a helmet, bib in proper fashion, and not skiing through gates on the course.
• Racers must take steps to minimize blockage of the trail upon which the races are being conducted while awaiting their turn to race.

Responses to Racers
The only communication a gatekeeper may have with racers is when the racer is in doubt about correct gate passage and asks if the passage was okay.

Acceptable replies:
• BACK – if the gate has been missed, or
• GO – if the gate in question has been correctly passed

The gatekeeper must respond quickly, accurately, distinctly and loudly. Any reasonable doubt? – rule in favor of the racer and reply “GO”

Your Responsibility Code
Skiing/snowboarding can be enjoyed in many ways. At ski areas you may see people using alpine, snowboard, telemark, cross country or other specialized equipment, such as that used by disabled or other skiers/snowboarders. Regardless of how you decide to enjoy the slopes, always show courtesy to others and be aware that there are elements of risk in skiing/snowboarding that common sense and personal awareness can help reduce. Observe the code listed below and share with other skiers/snowboarders the responsibility for an overall great experience.

• Always stay in control, and be able to stop or avoid other people or objects.
• People ahead of you have the right of way. It is your responsibility to avoid them.
• You must not stop where you obstruct a trail, or are not visible from above.
• Whenever starting downhill or merging into a trail, look uphill and yield to others.
• Always use devices to help prevent runaway equipment.
• Observe all posted signs and warnings. Keep off closed trails and out of closed areas.
• Prior to using any lift, you must have the knowledge and ability to load, ride and unload safely.

Thanking you in advance for your cooperation,

Sincerely,

Paul Yeager - Race Director
Paul Yeager
890 Jonathan Creek Road
Waynesville NC 28785
828 926 2545 office
828 400 9442 cell
paul@mtnlist.com