Beat-The-Hill Summer Race Series
The Beat-The-Hill Summer Series is a series of races running between May and September - open to all competent, independent skiers. The purpose of the series is to provide a pathway race series for those starting out on their ski racing journey, as well as a social event providing a suitable challenge for more established racers and ex-racers.
Each event will run as a team competition for local clubs, plus an individual race league competition with points awarded for each event, plus the chance to 'Beat-The-Hill' and achieve an individual certificate for a National Slalom Awards level.
Three Competitions in One
Each event will count towards a team league competition, an individual league competition, and individual Beat-The-Hill National Slalom Awards.
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Each event will take the following format:
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A Beat-The-Hill NSA course will be set (normally this will be a Forerunner version of the NSA).
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Warm-up runs but not through the course
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A short course inspection
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Each racer will make two timed runs down the same course
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Racers are split into groups of four based on performance from the timed runs
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A dual slalom course is set (no inspection)
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Racers compete in three rounds of duals within their group
The Team League
You don't need to be in a team to race. Individuals who are not in a team will be added to a non-club team just for fun.
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Clubs can enter teams of 5.
Must be at least one male and one female. Must be at least two age 11 or younger. Age groups for teams is based on NSA age categories on the day of the first event in the series.
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Scoring is based on the total individual points plus total duals points per team. These points accumulate through the series with prizes for the top teams at the end of the series.
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The individual racers in a team can change between each event.
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*For teams, the age in years on day of first event in the series
The Individual League
150 points for the fastest racer in the timed runs. 149 points for second place, 148 for third etc.
3 points for a duals win, 2 points for a draw, 1 point for a finish, 0 points for DNF/DSQ.
Add the points from the timed runs to the duals points to get an event score.
Accumulate points through the series.
Prizes for the series winners in various categories (TBD)
Beat-The-Hill National Slalom Awards (NSA)
Between one and three racers who have good national seed points will be used to set a base time for the NSA attainment levels. When you do your timed runs, if your time is close enough to the base time you will achieve one of the following prestigious levels in the Snowsport Wales National Slalom Awards:
Polar Bear
Pocket Rocket
Bronze
Silver
Gold
Platinum
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The target times per level take into account your NSA age category and gender.
Certificates are awarded for each new level achieved and badges can be purchased (subject to availability).
Format Details - Timed Runs
Each racer will make two timed runs down the same course:
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The course will normally be full gates, but may be a mixture of stubbies and full gates, or may be switched for stubbies for U12 and younger if there is time
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Note that if only stubbies have been used for U12 and younger, an equalizer of 1.5 seconds will be added to their best run 1 and 2 performance before they are seeded into groups for duals. This equalizer will not be applied when calculating team and individual league results.
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Best of 1st and 2nd runs count towards individual and team league results
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Both runs will count towards NSA Beat-The-Hill attainment levels
Bibs will be returned after run 2 and re-issued for duals.
Format Details - Head-To-Head Dual Slalom
Dual Slalom Races:
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Your fastest time from the individual runs will be used to place racers into groups of similar standard for dual slalom racing
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A dual slalom will be set [at pontypool this will be from the ridge]. These may be all full gates or a mix of full gates and stubbies. Both courses should be identical.
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All age categories will be mixed together
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There will be three rounds of duals. In each round, a racer will race a different racer in their group.
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The group with the slowest timed runs will go first.
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Round 1 - Racers 3rd fastest in group v 2nd, 1st v 4th
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Round 2 – 4th v 2nd, 3rd v 1st
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Round 3 – 4th v 3rd, 1st v 2nd
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How to Enter
Club entries should be made as a single entry from a SSW/SSE affiliated club by emailing a list of racers including name, gender, date of birth and SSW/SSE registration numbers for any registered racers.
All racers entered by a club must be current members of that club. Payment should be made by BACS at least 7 days before the event. Late entries will be accepted if there is space available.
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Individual entries can be made by associate members of Pontypool Ski Racing through the PSR website. To join PSR as an associate member costs £5 and lasts for 12 months. You must be a competent, independent skier. More details on becoming an Associate Member of PSR can be found here.
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PSR Race Team members should enter on the PSR website.
NSA Age Groups
NSA age categories are based on age in years.
For the Team and Individual League competitions, a racers's age in years on the day of the first event in the series will be used.
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For the Beat-The-Hill National Slalom Awards, a racer's age in years on the day of the individual event will be used.
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NSA Age categories are:
Age 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16 and over 16.
Event Dates
May 13th - 09:00 - 13:00
June 4th - 09:00 - 13:00
Sept 2nd - 09:00 - 13:00
Event Rules
General Rules
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Warm-up is outside of the course.
Other than the amendments listed in the event details, courses set will conform to FIS rules and BACR amendments (regulations 801 to 805)
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Racers must be ready at the start on time or they will forfeit their run. The event will aim to run as fluidly as possible and there is no time in the schedule to wait for racers to reach the start.
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Disqualification will be immediate and announced by the commentator.
Any protest to a DSQ must be immediate. In the event of a protest the Race Jury will decide the outcome. Provisional re-runs will only be granted under exceptional circumstances due to the nature of the event.
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Racers may put their skis on once they reach the start gate but in the interest of the health and safety of racers and race officials, all waxing/ski preparation must be completed before the racer approaches the start area. The racer must approach the gate when the preceding racer has departed and be ready to start when the racer on course approaches the finish.
Racers must leave the slope area as soon as they have finished their race run.
Only approved officials will be allowed in the race area.
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All ski poles must have bungs on them. This is to prevent injury but also to preserve the slope, especially the start area.
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All racers must wear helmets that conform to the appropriate standards (EN 1077, CEE 1077, US 2040, or other standards as defined in FIS Equipment rules) and marked as intended for Alpine skiing. Spoilers, visors or protruding edges are not permitted. Add-on items such as camera mounts stuck onto the surface of the helmet are not permitted.
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Photos and Video
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At ALL races there will be someone taking photos or video for the club / region / governing body, which may be used for the purposes listed below. Organisers and event attendees should comply with PSR's policy on Photo and Recorded Images. PSR has adopted Snowsport England's policy on Photo and Recorded Images. See:
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At PSR events an official photographer and videographer may be appointed, Videos and photographs may be taken by the official photographer and videographer for the following purposes:
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Publicity of the event by PSR, SSW and the slope
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Post-event performance analysis by competitors and coaches associated with the competitors
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Individual photos and videos as personal momentos or personal publicity
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Live-streaming of the event on the internet
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General video and photographs taken of the event but not focused on individual ski runs
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Live display of the event on screens at the venue
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FIS best practice is to video events (regulation 806.3) where the duties of the video controller are to observe the competitors’ passage through the course. Race runs
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You may request to opt out of purposes 1, 2, 3, and 4 on your race entry. It is, unfortunately, impractical to opt out of purposes 5, 6, or 7 as these are integral to the event. You may choose to not attend the event if you do not want to agree to these purposes. Any temporary recordings for purpose 7 where an opt out has been received for purposes 1, 2, or 3 will be deleted as soon as practical after the end of the event.
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All other people wishing to take photographs or videos (other than for their own children) need to obtain permission from the event organisers.