PSC Recreational Racing Program Rules
The PSC has offered a recreational racing program for decades and we encourage our members to
participate. Recreational racing helps improve your skiing and adds another dimension of fun to our skiing.
Our program is based on the results that our members earn in
Nastar races at participating
resorts. We present a number of awards at the end of each season, with the competition based on a set of rules that
establish the eligibility criteria and define the various award categories. The program has evolved over the
years as we tailor it to our skiers. The rules for this-year's program appear below. The only noteworthy
change from last winter is the addition of a Special Race Validity Exception.
2011-2012 Rules
Eligibility: The program is open to every club member in good standing, i.e., your PSC membership dues must be paid-up through the current season.Registration: Simply register for racing with Nastar (more below on this), and be sure to enter Pentagon Ski Club in the space for Ski Club Team. Then, every time you race Nastar, your results will show up under your name and will be credited to the PSC.
Awards Eligibility: Everyone who races Nastar three or more times during the season will qualify for our awards. Your races will count whether they're run during a club trip or a trip made on your own.
Last Day to Race: All races must be completed by Saturday, March 31, 2012, to be counted for our awards.
Race Validity & Scoring: You earn a different handicap each day you race at any of the approximately 100 participating Nastar ski areas across the country. Your handicap is simply an expression of your fastest time from the several runs you may complete, expressed as a percentage above the par time established each day by an area's Nastar pacesetter. You will earn only one handicap per day, unless you're racing on different courses at the same resort (some resorts have had two different courses set up) or at different resorts, such as neighboring Snowmass and Aspen Highlands.
New - Special Race Validity Exception: Normally, only official Nastar races count towards PSC awards, i.e., races conducted at participating Nastar resorts where the results show up online at Nastar.com. An exception can be made to this requirement, in rare instances, at the discretion of the PSC Race Coordinator. The PSC usually participates in the Blue Ridge Ski Council's annual Western Carnival trip, which includes a race with all the participating ski clubs competing for individual and club awards. The Western Carnivals are most often held at resorts that participate in Nastar, but there have been and will be exceptions. In those instances the racing is organized to mimic Nastar to the extent possible: An accomplished racer from the resort's staff serves as a pacesetter; Nastar-like handicaps are computed from each racer's results; and medals are awarded using the current Nastar handicap chart. If the results are deemed equitable in the judgment of the PSC Race Coordinator, then the race can count towards the PSC's annual awards. The judgment will include an assessment whether the distribution of medals is in line with Nastar's goal that no more than 5% of the racers in each age group get platinum medals, 20% get gold or better, 40% get silver or better, and 70% get bronze or better.
Final Handicap and Medal Points: Your best (lowest) handicap will be dropped, and the awards will be based on the average of your best two remaining handicaps earned during the season. This is termed your Final Handicap. Handicap "discounts", as established by Nastar, will be allowed for participants competing on snowboards or on telemark skis (10 point adjustment) and for physically challenged skiers (anywhere from 5 points for a skier with an arm impairment to 100 points for a totally blind skier). As a final step in determining age-group and snowboard awards, your Final Handicap will be compared to that needed for a gold medal in your Nastar age and gender category (see the Nastar Handicap Charts). Medal Points are calculated by subtracting, from each racer's Final Handicap, the handicap they need to earn a gold. The competitor closest to gold (or "deepest into" gold, i.e., with the lowest Medal Points) will prevail in each age category and in the snowboard category.
Award Categories: We will recognize both men and women in the following categories:
- Fastest Racer: Awarded to the racers with the lowest
Final Handicap. One award to the fastest male and one to the fastest female.
- Fastest Riders: First through third place awards to
racers competing on snowboards. Until we have enough riders to provide a substantial level of age-group
competition, all male riders will compete as a group, and all female riders will compete as a group.
Rankings will be based on the handicapped Medal Points described above.
- Age Groups: First through third place awards in each of
the following age groups: 20 & under; 21-29, 30-39, 40-49, 50-59, 60-69, and 70+. Your age on December
31, 2008 will determine which category you're in for purposes of awards (this is the same as Nastar itself).
- Most Improved: Awarded to the racer with the best
percentage improvement in their handicap. Determined by dividing the difference between a racer's
Initial Handicap and Final Handicap, by their Initial Handicap. For skiers who've raced Nastar before, the
initial handicap used in determining improvement is their Final Handicap (or equivalent) from their most recent
previous-season Nastar experience. (Note: We may look not only at a racer's results from last winter, but also
at previous-year results. An accomplished racer who's back on-track after an off-year shouldn't necessarily
prevail over a truly improving racer.) For those without previous Nastar experience, the initial handicap
used in determining improvement will be the average of the first two handicaps earned during the present
season (after dropping the season-lowest handicap). Note that new racers will need to race at least four
times to calculate an improvement.
- Most Races: We'll recognize the skiers with the most Nastar
races to their credit. We'll have separate awards to recognize both an Eastern and Western racer, in
recognition that it's a lot tougher for our DC-area skiers to find a Nastar course than for those living
out West.
- Spirit of Racing: Unrelated to a skier's performance on the
racecourse, this award recognizes individuals who have contributed in some special manner to the racing
program. Any given year it may be awarded to one, several, or no racers.
- Participation: We traditionally recognize those who've
raced enough times to qualify for awards, but who have not won any of the other award categories.
Nastar Registration:
You can always wait and register for Nastar the first time you race, but there's a simple registration process at the Nastar website. You'll be given a registration number consisting of the first three letters of your last name plus a sequential number. You can then use your number to simplify the registration process each time you race (you won't have to fill out as much information on the form). Be sure to use the Ski Club Team feature to register as a member of the Pentagon Ski Club team. There's no need to register again if you registered and raced anytime in the past.Actually, according to the Nastar website:
"If you have raced NASTAR since 1997 there's no need to register again - we
know who you are! However, you should quickly verify that you're in our database
by searching for your last name in the field indicated at the top of the page."
You should also log into your record prior to the start of each season to verify that the personal information on file is complete and accurate. Together with a password you select, your registration number will also let you:
- Modify your personal information (change your name, address, e-mail, teams, etc.)
- Upload a photo that will become part of your personal results page
- Merge multiple records that belong to you
- Remove results that don't belong to you
If you aren't already registered at the time of your first race, the registration form you complete will get you into the system. As with the online registration, be sure to write Pentagon Ski Club in the space provided for a ski club team. You can check your results online and select a password after-the-fact.
Nastar Results Online:
Within 24 hours from the time you race, your time and handicap are supposed to be uploaded by the resort to Nastar.com, and you'll be able to check your results online. If you're already a registered Nastar racer, the data will be added to your previous race record. If you're a first-time racer, Nastar will create a race record for you. You'll be able to see how you stack up against other racers at participating resorts, in your state of residence, and nationally.Nastar Rankings:
Racers can receive a Resort, State and National ranking in their age and gender category, plus an overall national ranking (gender only; no age-groups). Ranking ties are broken by the number of days raced. You can also receive a participation ranking (all competitors ranked together).- Resort: You receive a ranking at each resort where you race after
completing just one Nastar race. The best handicap you earn at each resort during the season is used to determine your
Resort Ranking for that particular resort. If you have only one race all season, your Resort Ranking handicap is used
to determine whether you are placed in the Platinum, Gold, Silver or Bronze Division. The top three participants in
each age group as of a date (to be announced) in mid-February, 2010, will qualify, via the resort rankings, for the Nastar National Championships
(March 25-28, 2010 at Winter Park, Colorado).
- State: You receive a ranking in your state of residence after
completing two Nastar races. The two races must be completed on separate days. The best handicap earned on your second
best race day during the season is used to determine your State Ranking. If you have two to four race days, your State
Ranking handicap is used to determine whether you are placed in the Novice Division, Intermediate Division or Expert Division.
- National: You receive a National Ranking after you
complete five or more Nastar races. The five races must be completed on separate days. The lowest and highest handicaps
earned during your five best race days of the season are dropped and the remaining three handicaps are averaged together
to determine your National Ranking. If you have five or more race days, your National Ranking handicap is used to determine
whether you are placed in the Platinum, Gold, Silver or Bronze Division.
- Special: Physically challenged racers, telemarkers and snowboarders are
ranked based on their single best handicap of the season with only one race required to receive a ranking.
- Team Rankings: Team members score points for their team based on the best handicap they earn during the season. Only the top point gainers from each team (6 for Family/Friends, 15 for Resort Teams, 15 for Club Teams) will be used to score points for their team. The number of team points earned by these top point gainers are added together and divided by the number of top point gainers (6 or 15) to get the Team Score. Ties are broken by the total number of team points.
- Overall National Ranking: Similar to your National Ranking, you receive an Overall National Ranking after completing five Nastar races. The five races must be completed on separate days. The lowest and highest handicaps earned during the five best race days of the season are dropped and the remaining three handicaps are averaged together to determine your Overall National Ranking. Ties are broken by the total number of days raced. The Overall National Ranking is determined based on your National Ranking within the entire Nastar population in your gender category only regardless of your age category and division.
- Participation Rankings: You receive two Participation Rankings according to the number of days you race and the number of results you record during the season. The Days Raced and Number of Results rankings are determined based on your ranking within the entire Nastar population regardless of your age & gender category.