FIS and USSA Alpine Update Summer 2009
A pdf of this update can be found at the bottom of this page.
Schedule of upcoming meetings
July 17, 2009 - Center of Excellence Grand Opening, Park City
Sept. 10, 2009 - Alpine Rocky Club Symposium, Colorado
Sept. 22-26, 2009 - FIS Fall Meetings, Zurich
Sept. 25, 2009 - Central Coaches Committee, Wisconsin
Sept. 27, 2009 - Alpine Central Club Symposium, Wisconsin
Sept. 29-30, 2009 - Eastern Alpine Development Forum, Boston
Oct. 8, 2009 - Alpine Executive Committee, Teleconference
Oct. 10, 2009 - Central Alpine Meeting, Chicago
Oct. 13, 2009 - Western Region ACC Meeting, Teleconference
Oct. 16-17, 2009 - RMD ACC Fall Meeting, Colorado
Oct. 23-25, 2009 - Western FIS TD update, Whistler
Oct. 30 – Nov. 1, 2009 - Eastern FIS TD update, Lake Placid
May 11-12, 2010 - USSA National Club Symposium, Park City
May 12-16, 2010 - USSA Congress 2009, Park City
May 30 – June 6, 2010 - FIS Calendar Conference, Turkey
Staff Update
* Congratulations to Jesse Hunt who has retired from USSA after 14 very successful years as USST men's coach and as Alpine Director since 2002. We wish Jesse lots of luck in his new position with the Park City Ski Team.
* Shaun Goodwin has returned to the Eastern Region after a year with the women's D Team. Shaun will be the Eastern Program Manager and will be based in the Eastern Region office in Keene, NH.
* Jon Nolting will be joining the USSA Education department in early July and will be focused on developing new educational resources in the area of video and web streaming. Jon has been the Competition Director for Winter Park for many years and brings great experience as an athlete and coach to USSA.
Information Resources
* USSA Membership: ussa.org > click register now near the bottom of the page
* USSA Rules: ussa.org > sports > alpine > rules
* USSA Rankings: ussa.org > quick tools > athlete rankings
* USSA National Development System: ussa.org > sports > alpine > development
* USSA Clubs: ussa.org > members > clubs
* FIS: fisski.com
* USSA coaches and officials should look for the Alpine Competition Guides during the first week of October.
Membership
For an update of USSA membership procedures and fees go to http://ussa.org/magnoliaPublic/ussa/en/news/alpine/alpinememberinfo.html
Competition Guides
Competition guides will no longer be mailed to athletes. Guides will continue to be mailed to alpine coaches, officials and clubs. The USSA Directory will not be printed. The Competition Guides and Directory will be posted online to view and download.
Alpine Rules Updates
Following are some of the major decisions made during the 2009 USSA Congress in Park City and the 2009 FIS Calendar Conference in Dubrovnik, Croatia this spring.
Athletes, coaches and officials are urged to review the FIS precisions and the USSA Competition Guide as well as the respective websites for more detail.
Changes effecting both USSA and FIS
Equipment – A chart of current USSA and FIS equipment rules can be found by going to http://ussa.org/magnoliaPublic/ussa/en/sports/alpine/rules.html
Slalom – single pole and course setting
FIS has approved the use of single pole slalom for races below the World Cup and Continental Cup level. USSA will review this for application at USSA level races.
614.1.2.3 Numbering the gates
The gates must be numbered from top to bottom of the course and the numbers attached to the outside pole or where there is no outside pole the number will be attached to the turning pole. Start and finish are not counted.
661.4.1 A gate has been passed correctly when both the competitor’s ski tips and both feet have passed across the gate line. If a competitor loses a ski, without committing a fault, e.g. not by straddling a pole, then the tip of the remaining ski and both feet must have passed the gate line.
Where there is no outside pole both feet and ski tips must have passed the turning pole on the same side following the natural course of the slalom.
This rule is also valid when a competitor has to climb back up to a gate or by stepping up the racer must climb up to the level of the turning pole, horizontally to the fall line.
661.4.1.2 The gate line in Slalom is the imaginary shortest line between the turning pole and the outside pole or where the outside pole has been removed, it is the imaginary shortest line from the turning pole where the fault occurred to the turning pole immediately above.
801.2.1 A slalom gate consists of two poles (art. 680) or where there is no outside pole the gate will consist on a turning pole.
Super-G course setting - FIS has made the following changes to the course setting procedures and standards for super-G. USSA will review this for application at USSA level races.
603.7.2 The course setter sets the race course respecting the existing safety measures and course preparation. The course setter must take speed control into consideration.
1001.3.4 The Super-G has to be set as follows:
For FIS level events 7% of the vertical drop equals the minimum number of direction changes.
For OWG, WSC, WJC and COC level events 6% of the vertical drop equals the minimum number of direction changes.
The distance between the turning poles of two successive gates must be at least 25 m (exception: art. 1003.1.1). Children´s competitions: minimum 8%, maximum 10% direction changes of the vertical drop. Entry League (ENL) Men: minimum 7% of the vertical drop
USSA Alpine Congress Update
A full record of the meetings including minutes will be available at http://www.ussa.org/magnoliaPublic/ussa/en/about/governance/meetings/minutes.html
Alpine Course Homologation – All USSA DH and SG events must be conducted on USSA (or FIS) homologated courses. Homologation or registration of courses for USSA GS and SL events is required as follows:
* 2008-09: all championship events (as defined by USSA ACR)
* 2009-10: all scored events and all J3 events
* 2010-11: all sanctioned events (including Masters events)
* Key volunteers and staff are working on improved information on course approval procedures and requirements. This information is posted at http://ussa.org/magnoliaPublic/ussa/en/formembers/officials/education/homologations.html
Development – The USSA will only field teams of J3 competitors in the following FIS International Children's Competitions. USSA will field a team of three men and three women at Topolino and a team of nine men and nine women at the Whistler International Children's Races. The USSA Whistler Cup Team will no longer include J4 athletes.
FIS Update
Classification – The penalty formula for injury protection is being modified. Rules will be published in the new FIS Rules of the FIS Points.
USSA Alpine Junior Olympics
The current draft schedule for the 2009-10 USSA Alpine Junior Olympics can be found at http://ussa.org/magnoliaPublic/ussa/en/news/alpine/alpinejuniorolympics.html
NDS Projects
The current draft schedule for the 2009-10 Alpine NDS projects can be found at http://ussa.org/magnoliaPublic/ussa/en/news/alpine/ndsprojectplan0910.html
FIS NorAm Cup
The current draft schedule for the 2009-10 FIS Alpine NorAm Cup and major events can be found at http://ussa.org/magnoliaPublic/ussa/en/news/alpine/alpinemajorevents.html
Alpine Update Summer 2009