2010 New England Prep School Alpine Skiing Class A Championships

co-hosts:   Northfield Mount Hermon School & Deerfield Academy

Berkshire East Ski Area, Charlemont, MA

February 10, 2010

Race Personnel

Officials:

Chief of Race:   Greg Leeds (NMH)

Scoring:     Marc Dancer (Deerfield)

TD:     Girls' races: John Gravenmeir

    Boys' races: Bob Brigham

Referees:   Girls: Steve Bell (Kents Hill)

    Boys: Mark Godomsky (Gould Academy)

Course setters:

GS boys:     Jim Schaefer (Berkshire East)

SL girls:     Greg Leeds (NMH)

GS girls:     Kurt Simard (Gould Academy)

SL boys:     Troy Watts (Holderness)

Personnel

Chiefs of Course:   Jim Meara, Jon/Jim Schaefer (Berkshire East race crew)

Course maintenance:   

1. Frank Mooney

2. Brian Rose (EBS)

3. J Dunn (NMH)

4. SL course: Ted Tirk (NMH)

5. SL course: JJ Tanguay (DA)

6. SL course: John Stobierski

7. SL course: Eli Tirk

8. GS course: Colin Dudunake (EBS)

9. GS course: Bill Lawless

10. GS course: Sam Philbrick

11. GS course: Phil Casale

7AM coursesetting helpers: All above plus:

NMH: Peltzer, Snow, Hynninen, Kurganzskyy, Taylor

DA: Alex B., Edward K., Malcolm, Chris, Andy

Head Gatejudge:

1. SL: John Stobierski

2. GS: J Dunn

Gatejudges:     

GS course:   

SL course:   

Reserve gatejudges: Maggie, Anna, Marina, Travers, Thomas, Casilda

Backup hand timers:   

1. GS start: Mary Franzoso   

2. GS finish: Cheryl Handsaker (am)/ Jim Block (pm)   

3. SL start: Vicky Jenkins

4. SL finish: Tamsen Schurman

Timers:    Gerry Seibert

Announcer: Meg Ramsey (AM) & Laura LeFebvre (PM)   

Results :   Marc Dancer

Starters:   

SL course: Jenn Mooney

GS course: Cheryl Lawless

Forerunners:

SL: Phil Casale, Kinsey Crowley

GS: Eli Tirk

Start Referees/Assistant starters:     

SL course: Jodi Tanguay

GS course: Kevin MacNabb

Scoreboard writers/results & timing assistants:

1. Pam Stobierski

2. Ruth MacNabb

3. Martha Tirk

4. Sue Philbrick (AM)

Registration:

1. Marc Dancer

2. Pam Stobierski, Ruth MacNabb

Bib Collectors:

1. Gary Partenheimer (NMH)

2. Sue Philbrick (NMH), Kinsey Crowley

Fencing setup on Tuesday Feb. 9, 3-5 pm:

Jon Schaefer & Bill Chaffee, Greg Leeds, Kevin MacNabb, Ted Tirk, J Dunn, Bill & Cheryl Lawless, Brian Rose & Colin Dudunake, Frank & Jenn Mooney + 8 NMH racers

Job Details:

•  Course maintenance: You'll be led by Jim Meara and Jon Schaefer from Berkshire East. Duties include setting the courses, setting any additional fencing as mandated by race jury, maintaining the course during the race (bring a wrench and drill if you have them). It's important to always have at least one or two of you at the top of each course so you can respond to any needs from there. Make sure there are extra gates spread throughout the course and at the top. Make sure the whole crew is at the top of the course towards the end of the morning race so you can send a few folks down to unwrench gates and have others available to assist the course setter, providing gates and wrenching them in. Most of the course crew will have radios issued by Jodi Tanguay of DA – you'll be on a different frequency than the race jury. We are heading up the lift at 7:00am for the first run set and need the whole crew there, ready to go then. Half the crew will assist Jon or Jim Schaefer in setting the GS, and half will assist Greg in setting the slalom. Need someone to set the finish fencing. Need one person on each course to put gate numbers on each turning pole (Greg will provide pre-numbered stickers).

•  Head gatejudge: assemble gatejudges at 8:30 outside timing building. Instruct them in their duties. Distribute clipboards, pencils, gatejudge cards, start lists. Emphasize that it is critical that they document any faults with a diagram, and that they write their name , their gate numbers, what race the card is for (boys or girls, GS or SL, run #1 or run #2) . DNFs do not need to be documented, only racers who finish a run but do not legally pass through every gate. They also need to know that they must give valid instructions to racers who need to hike to make a gate. They also need to re-tie the panels (GS course) if they come loose, and to clear any debris (lost skis, poles, etc.) from the race course immediately. It would be good if our TDs were present at the gatejudge meeting to add anything. Assign gatejudges to specific gates on the course. Knowing the gate count prior to the meeting is helpful so you know how many gates each person must cover. Put the most experienced folks at any tricky sections of the course. After the second run is finished, either collect the cards on your way down the mountain or instruct your gatejudges to meet you at the timing building to submit their cards. Collect the cards and put them in order, and hand to the referee or TD. Make sure you instruct your gatejudges where & when to meet you for the afternoon races (30 mins before start time). You may have a couple of new folks for the PM races, in which case you need to train them. Hot chocolate and lunch is available to all race volunteers at a table near the timing building.

•  Gatejudges : Read #2 above. Dress warmly! You will be stationary for a couple of hours at a time. Your work is critical to ensure a fair event. Please read the document from USSA regarding instructions for gatejudges. Also, for those who are gatejudges on the slalom course, please review the document "single pole slalom correct passage". If you have any questions, ask the head gatejudge, TD, referee, or chief of race. Show up to the meeting on time. If you have any disqualifications (faults, DSQs) to report, make sure the race officials know where to find you after you have turned in your gatejudge card in case there are questions about the details of a particular fault.

•  Reserve Gatejudges : Read #2 and #3 above. Show up at the morning meeting and be prepared to serve if needed. If not needed, check in with your coach to see if your help is needed elsewhere. Show up at the afternoon meeting and be prepared to take over for AM gatejudges.

•  Backup hand timers : Your job is to operate a handheld stopwatch (provided), and to record the exact time when each racer either opens the wand at the start (for the person at the start), or the moment the racer crosses the finish line (finish timer). This data is used in the event that the wired electronic timing fails. You will be given a clipboard with paper to write these times on (make sure you note the racer's bib as well as their time of start/finish). Dress warmly! Wear gloves you can write with while wearing. Gerry Seibert is the chief timer at Berkshire East and he can answer questions if you have them, regarding how to operate the stopwatches. It is critical that you press the "lap" time, not the "stop" button for each racer, so that the two watches are always in sync. Put duct tape over the stop button so you don't accidentally stop the clock. If for some reason you need to re-sync the watches, alert the race crew so that they can stop the race and re-sync the watches via radio.

•  Start Referees/Asst. Starters : You need to get the racers into the start in the right sequence and on-time. Loudly call out the numbers, and get them lined up several racers in advance. If a racer fails to show, call them several times and check with their coach. Issue a "last call". If a racer misses their start, they will probably have to run at the end. Consult with the race jury – it is their decision. Handle re-runs the same way. If a racer appears for a re-run, the jury must approve it before they can start. So, always consult with the race jury (TD, Referee, Chief of Race) before allowing any abnormal start. Remember that in the second run, we reverse the run order within each seed (all the #1s go first, but in reverse order). At the end of the first run, get the top seed racers ready for run #2. There will be minimal, if any, delay between the last #5 seed racers' first run and the top seed racers' second run. Monitor radio traffic so if there is a course hold you can immediately alert the starter (sometimes the timing crew is unaware of course problems).

•  Scoreboard writers & timing assistants : Record times as announced. Have a "runner" retrieve any missed times, and the timing crew might need an assistant to record data – check with Marc Dancer. Please bring a calculator, to calculate combined times and record those. Remind folks that the scoreboard times are UNOFFICIAL.

•  Announcer : With two races running simultaneously, you will be challenged to keep up with who's on course and times for finishers. The vital information to relay are the times moments after racers cross the finish line. Be sure to announce bib number, which course, and time. Repeat the time. If you have time, you can announce when a particular racer is on course also, but that might be too much. So, it would be like this:

"On the girls' course, time for bib #1, Cassie Cohen of Northfield Mount Hermon School, 45.54. 45.54."

"Now on course, #2, Beth Lawless of Deerfield Academy."

"On the boys' course, time for bib #67, Sam Jenkins of Vermont Academy, 55.66. 55.66"

"Now on course, #68, George Jones of Avon."

"Racer #88 Did Not Finish. #88 DNF." Etc.

•  Registration : Check in with Marc Dancer at 7:15am. Set up a table in the lodge. Each team collects an envelope with all of their bibs, tickets, and run orders. Collect their team entry fee (check); check to make sure it is for the correct amount ($63 per racer, so a team with 5 girls and 5 boys will pay $630). Get a supply of wickets for them. Put out a stack of race start orders. Remind folks that the girls race slalom first, and the boys race GS. Coaches meeting is at 8:15 at the timing building. Lift opens at 8:15 for inspection. Race starts at 9:30.

•  Bib Collectors : Set up a table in the area near the timing building. After the second run in the afternoon, collect each racer's bib as they exit the finish corral. Check off the number on your master list. There may be some racers who DNF (do not finish) in either the first or second run. Collect their bib as soon as you can. If you see them fall or pull out of the course, then collect their bib if they come down to the finish area. Keep track of the bibs and make sure we get the complete set back. As quickly as possible, determine any missing bibs and relay that information to the announcer or to athletes or coaches for that school. It is vital that we get every bib back before teams depart the mountain.

•  Forerunners : Be at the start 15 minutes before the race begins, ready to run. You must wear a helmet.

Bag lunches will be provided for all race workers, and we'll also have hot chocolate and brownies or cookies. There will be a table set up near the timing building.

Thank you all very much for your work in running this big event!