Competition Rules / Règlement

REGISTRATION

The « Columbia Speed Flying Pro Les Arcs 2008 » is a competition by invitation. The contest is only open to athletes selected by the organizing team.
At entering for the contest, each rider will present us:
1/ A valid insurance
2/ A medical certificate that says you are fit for doing Speed riding/ Speed Flying/ paragliding.
3/ His equipment compliance: ARVA, harness, tether, dorsal protection (airback or Dainese type) and helmet.
4/ A disclaimer that says you know before to make this competition the technic and physic level required. And you assume the risk.

EQUIPMENT

• At any time, the organizer can inspect a competitor and forbid him to fly if it’s necessary for security reasons.
• Each paragliding must be piloted inside the flight domain defined by the manufacturer or by the control organization that has tested it. Developments dangerous for the other competitors or the public are prohibited.
• If the flight manual for the paragliding used by the competitor does not say explicitly that the wing can be used to make speed riding, the pilot must obtain authorization from the race director (RD) to participate at the test.
• The wings used by competitors should have a flat surface between 7 and 14 m2 (75 to 150 square feet).

GLIDER FOR REMPLACEMENT

Glider change during the competition is allowed.

ENCLOSED EQUIPMENTS

•  Safety helmets must be worn (helmet to ensure optimal protection for the face is highly recommended).
• The ballast is forbidden for speed riding.
• A dorsal protection is obligatory (air bag or an other system).
• For security reasons, ski suits which fit closely are prohibited (KL or descent type).
• Competitors must be equipped with skis. Other equipments are prohibited (snowboard, monoski …).
• An ARVA is obligatory.

ADVERTISING

Advertising is allowed on wings or competitors’ clothes, in respect of laws in force.

PRESENCE AND SECURITY

Each rider must comply with the program and attend the briefings planned by organization and do reconnaissance requested.
If a competitor decides not to take the start of a round, he must inform the organization.
If a competitor decides to leave the competition, it must inform the organizer who will remove from the registered competitors’ list.

INSURANCE

The organization proposes an accident individual insurance to you:
10 € TTC / person for 30 000 €, in case of death or permanent invalidity (relative deductible: 10%).
If you are interested, thanks to tell us by email before the event.

You can also present at registration your own third part and Individual Insurance for Speed Flying.

RIDERS COMMITTEE

Its main task is to see to respect for safety rules. The RD consults the board, although the final choice is its responsibility.

• Membership of the committee:

3 competitors elected from among the entered competitors.

COMPLAINTS

When the results are temporary, complaints for a round must be submitted to the race director within a period of ONE HALF HOUR after the billposting results. After the time allowed, the results are official.

COMPLAINTS PROCESSING

The Jury’s members (RD and riders committee) consult each other and deliver, as quickly as possible, a final decision.

EVOLUTION’S AREA

A presentation of the evolution’s area was made by the RD. This area is precisely defined.
An A4 visual will be provided to competitors.

AREA FOR INDUVIDUAL PRACTICING, OFF-RACES

Each rider is authorized to practice individually when he doesn’t have to do a round. This obligatory area for individual practicing is demarcated and presented by the RD.

RULES ACCEPTANCE, SANCTIONS

INFRINGEMENT PUNICHED BY A WARNING:

• Non-compliance with evolution’s areas throughout the event.
• Non-compliance with the round’s closing
• Non-compliance with the time allotted for Freeride’s round
• To fly over the public
• Unauthorized take off
• Loss of control of the sail
• Endangering judges on the race
• Dangerous landing
• Other infringements

PERSON AUTHORIZED TO GIVE SANCTIONS

The RD is responsible for the competitor’s general behaviour. He can give an official warning to a competitor for his attitude outside of the flight or its behaviour during the tests. Race’s penalties are awarded by the RD having received the opinion of the riders committee (jury).

SANCTIONS

When a sanction was given to a competitor, it appears on the results.
One warning = one time’s penalty for the slalom rounds and one point’s penalty for the Freeride’s rounds.
In case of repetitive warnings, the RD can take a decision from the relegating of the competitor for the round to the competitor expulsion of the competition.

PENALTIES

Time’s penalty for the slalom rounds:  5 seconds
Point’s penalty for the Freeride’s rounds: 5 points

ROUND’S VALIDATION

In the event of weather or air conditions modifying the equal treatment of competitors from the beginning to the end of the round, the riders committee and the RD can decide the cancellation or postponement of the round. In case of vote’s equality, the RD voice is predominant.
The postponement (round’s stop for a moment not limited then round’s re-opening) can be done in a day to the next to allow all competitors to do the race.
The refusal to take the race’s start by one or more competitors is not a cause for round’s cancellation in so far as the RD and the riders committee consider that conditions are here for a continuation of the round.
A round is validated when all the competitors were given the opportunity to take the start.

RESULTS

The final classification for the competition is made from adding the points scored by each competitor during each round validated.

ROUNDS

Several rounds can be run every day. The organizer can also offer different types of rounds in the race (slalom, parallel slalom; Freeride).

STARTING ORDER

During the selection or qualifying rounds and during the first official round, the order of takeoff is drawn lots.
During the next rounds, the departure is done in the reverse order of the previous ranking.

MODIFICATION OF STARTING ORDER

A competitor may seek to modify its order in particular in the following situations:
The competitor is appealed by the RD to be available for the media, to produce pictures, to participate in a riders committee… In this case the competitor is positioned so to be available.

SLALOM’S TASKS

Each competitor does individually the slalom’s course which it is given.
A ski recognition of the course was made by the RD with all the competitors.
The departure and arrival’s areas will be demarcated by vertical banners visible from each end of the course.
The competitor is sent for the departure by the starter according to the starting order defined at the beginning of the round.
The stopwatch’s outbreak is automatic at the competitor’s passing in the cell’s stopwatch.
The course will be made up of 5 to 8 gates placed between the starting line and arrival one.
A gate is made up of two posts spaced out at a distance of 5 to 20 meters. A "touch" area is demarcated upstream and downstream of the line joining the two posts.

The minimum length of the “touch” area is 10 meters (5 m upstream and 5 m downstream).

Posts’ form:

Gate’s form:

The gate is validated by the course’s judge when competitor's feet go through between the two posts of the gates and when his skis come into contact with the snow in the “touch” area.
The finish line’s crossing will be by a contact between skis and snow in the “touch” area.
The stopwatch will stop automatically at the time of the competitor’s crossing in the cell which will be located at the end of the “touch” area.

Diagram of the arrival’s area

The “touch” areas will be demarcated with painting; the line’s thickness is around 10 cm.
The thickness of the crossing line of the arrival’s cell is around 50 cm.
The competitors’ classification will be done according to the times done on the course.
The scoring will be detailed in marking’s chapter.
                                      

PARALLEL SLALOM’S TASKS

All competitors do a qualifying round on an individual slalom.
The top 8 are qualified for the final which takes place on a parallel slalom for two with direct elimination.
Each competitor alternately goes through in the two slaloms (blue and red).
The winner is the one who has the lowest time in addition to his two race’s time.
Two parallel slaloms are installed on the evolution’s area. For each slalom, there is a starting line and a finish line.
The two courses have the same number of gates and must have roughly the same difficulty.
There is a stopwatch for each course.
Competitors clash according to a system of classic “tournament” with quarter finals, half finals and finals. There will be a small final for third and fourth places.
A ski recognition of the course was made by the RD with all the competitors.
The scoring will be detailed in marking’s chapter.

FREERIDE TASKS

The briefing preceding the round
At the pre-race briefing, the RD gives a precise definition of the evolution’s area allowed.
He defines in safety’s terms the evolution’s possibilities in the areas.
The RD also reminds you of dangerous behaviour are penalized. According to the seriousness of the fault, sanctions range from loss of points (5) to the exclusion of the competition.
He presents judgment’s clauses and marking’s criterions.
The starting order will respect the reverse order of the previous rounds.

Logistics
The departure and arrival’s areas will be demarcated as in slalom’s tests
The evolution’s area will not be demarcated but defined very precisely at the briefing.
A video camera will film all the competitors’ evolution; and the round will be made judged by competitors on giant screen.

The round’s development
Competitors will make a reconnaissance flight in the evolution’s area, prior to the round.
1 person minimum is required to open the round.
At departure, the starter will call competitors and will be in contact with the cameraman to confirm the starting order.
In case of strong wind permitting the kiting (cf. soaring), the maximum length of the performance of each competitor will be set at 3 min. A sound signal will inform the competitor 60 seconds before the end of time.
If at the end of the allotted time the competitor has not returned to the arrival’s area, he will be penalized (5 points).

Recorded judgment by competitors
The judgment is done recorded by all competitors.
All of "runs" was filmed during the round. Runs will be showed on giant screen and judged by competitors. The marking must be individual and not consulted each other. The RD can sanction a breach of this rule.
The competitor chooses its evolution’s line according to its technical level.
The end of the course is official when the competitor makes a “touch” in the arrival’s area.
The placing will be done according to the marks awarded.
The scoring will be detailed in marking’s chapter.

MARKING AND PLACING

Scoring of the slalom’s rounds
Each round’s placing is established according to the time done by competitors, in accordance with the table below.

Time’s penalties may be attributed by the RD and they are added to the race time for the final time that allows the competitor’s placing.

Details of penalties
Penalties for "behaviour": 5 seconds per round on the RD decision assisted by the riders committee.
Penalties of race: 5 seconds for a crossing outside the gate (slalom)
 5 seconds for a “touch” unrealized (slalom)

When the competitor chooses trajectories that allow it to gain time by avoiding deliberately gates or “touch” areas (slalom), the CD may decide of his elimination from the round or attribute him penalty points within 30 seconds.

For parallel slalom rounds (two persons)
Competitors not qualified for the final are ranked according to the time done in the qualification’s slalom and in accordance with the table below:

Penalties are the same one as penalties for slalom’s rounds.

Scoring of the Freeride’s rounds

Round’s placing is established according to 3 marks based on 10 points attributed by the competitors. Competitors judge on sheets paper planned for this, in front of the giant screen which broadcasts the day’s runs.

• The Line :

Competitors attribute a mark on 10 points, according to difficulty and aesthetic of the evolution’s line chosen by the competitor.

• The Technic

It is in relationship with control: of the ski, the sail’s piloting and jumps done. A mark on 10 points is attributed.

• The Fluidity

Competitors attribute a mark on 10 points, according to harmony and fluidity of the flight and the ski.

The final mark of the round is attributed according to the following formula:
Only the third of intermediate’s marks will be retained for the awarding of the final mark.

Line mark + Technical mark + fluidity mark = Final mark

The final mark may be adjusted by possible penalties according to the scale below:
These penalties are attributed by the Jury (RD and riders committee):

• No control of the sail during the race: 1 to 3 pts depending on the piloting fault.
• Dangerous behaviour during the race: 5 pts to elimination of the round.
• Flight or ski outside the area: 5 pts to elimination of the round.
• Behaviour’s fault: 5 pts.

The final placing of the round is done in accordance with the table below:

FINAL PLACING OF THE COMPETITION

This final placing of the competition will be made by addition of points attributed on each round done, for each competitor.
         Results will be displayed in accordance with the following table:

Caption: Pts R1: points attributed for round n° 1
                 S/F: To specify if it’s a slalom (S) round or a Freeride (F) round.

COMPETITION’S JURY

FORMATION
The jury is made up of the race director and the riders comitee.

JURY’S FUNCTIONING
The jury intervenes for the awarding of penalties on speed riding’s rounds.
The jury also intervenes to investigate competitors’ official’s complaints. The jury gives a ruling on these complaints.
In case of equal votes, the RD one is predominant.

JUDGES’ ORGANIZATION
Gates’ judge
He checks crossing’s validity of the slalom’s gate or the « touch » area by the competitor.
He will be placed on the race so as to validate several gates or areas.


Starter
He takes care of the starting list at race’s start and checks starts’ validity.
He announces the name of the competitor who is at the start.

Arrival’s judge
He checks that the competitor validates his « touch » and crosses the arrival’s line.
He is assisted by a person for results’ captures.

The race director
He is appointed by the organizer for his perfect knowledge of the tests and rules.
He co-ordinates the action of all the judges and volunteers.

PRIZE MONEY

The first in final placing wins 5 000 €.
The second in final placing wins 2 500 €.
The third in final placing wins 1 500 €.
The fourth in final placing wins 500 €.
The fifth in final placing wins 500 €.

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