How to Race

Gordon Skiers is primarily a race club and therefore the coaches encourage all the athletes to participate in some form of racing during the season. The racing world can be slightly daunting to those who are newly entering it but also those that have been involved for many years. We hope to give you a good overview of what is involved in ski racing and how to go about getting involved.

In order for an athlete to participate in races they need to have completed a ‘competitor registration’ form with Snowsport Scotland, which can be found at www.snowsportscotland.org/registration. If you apply after 31st October you will get charged a premium rate. Once an athlete is registered you will be provided with a unique competitor number (BASS number), race entry forms and our membership form will ask for this as part of entry.

Most of the races, run in Scotland, are published in the Competitions Calendar on Snowsport Scotland website - www.snowsportscotland.org/competitions-calendar . As the events get closer you will find; entry forms and race bulletins get added to this page so keep checking back for information. The other place to look for race details is www.britski.org, here you will find entry details, rules, results and the seed point lists.

Entering the races becomes an easier process after the first few. Most events will be published on the Snowsport Scotland website with their entry forms attached, select the race you want to enter and fill in the relevant forms and complete payment through the methods highlighted on that specific entry form - some races have different methods. As a club, the Gordon Skiers will put out information about upcoming events with the relevant links attached.

Many English races and British races in Europe utilise booking through www.ersa.co.uk website.

Race Types;

• Slalom - Racers in Under 14 Category Upwards 
• Giant Slalom (GS) - Racers in Under 14 Category Upwards 
• Bairns Giant Slalom (GS) - Racers in U12 and younger 
• Combi Race - A combi race is a course which can include Slalom and GS gates but also may also include features such as jumps, rollers and berms.

Can my child race? 

Certain races are more manageable than others but all the athletes should be able to compete in at least 1 or 2 of the races throughout the year. Gordon Skiers Open event held at The Lecht is an ideal starting race, especially for those in the Bairns categories, it is the event which the club hosts and will be held on slopes that the racers train on.

Younger racers are also encouraged to enter the different races run throughout the year by the Scottish Schools Snowsport Association (SSSA). These cater for both primary and secondary school children as well as novice and experienced ski racers. The races are designed to be fun and get children involved.

Club Supported Races.

The cub tries to provide coach support to all the major events, it is slightly dependent on numbers to cover the costs involved. The usual supported races are;

• Gordon Skiers Open - All ages can enter 
• Glenshee Winter Games - All ages can enter 
• Cairngorm Open - U14/U16/U18/U21/Seniors and Masters 
• Scottish Childrens and Bairns Bucket - Bairns/U14/U16 
• Scottish Skier/Boarder Cross 
• Twin Peaks 
• Indoor Champs Weekend 
• Scottish Dry Mat Champs 
• Bairns and Lassie

 Race Days.

On a typical race day the racers coach will meet them at designated location at a set time. Bib collection is the first job of the day, this normally happens at about 8.30am for snow races, sometimes the coaches will have done this for all their racers, but check with them beforehand. Once the coach has got their group of racers they will then take them through the full race day of; warm ups, course inspections and race runs.