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THE DOWNHILL RACE

Saturday, 30 January

6am: course set up
8am: registration
8am-10am: skate clinic / free rides
10am-12pm: grom race
12pm-1pm: lunch
1pm-3pm: open qualifying
3pm-530pm: rookie race
6pm-8pm: Riders meeting

Sunday, 31 January

6am: course set up / registration open
6am-8am: practice / free rides
8am: registration close
8am-10am: qualifying
10am-11am: repercharge
11am-12pm: lunch
12pm-5pm: open
530pm: awarding

Map of the Highlands Chase course:

highlands cahse map

RACERS - READ the following CAREFULLY :

Course Description

The Highlands Chase will be conducted on a 1.25 km stretch of newly-paved two-lane asphalt road. It is a fast course (we expect speeds upwards of 75 kph) but with only mild sweepers and suitable for beginners, but still challenging for the more experienced racers. We will conduct the beginners race on a shortened course if appropriate. A video of the course will be released on 15 January 2010.

Safety

Two air barriers will be put into place at the sweeper area - there MAY be no other bailing as most of the course is straight and the gutter sloped rather than angled. Safety netting and cordons will be used for crowd protection and control. An ambulance and trained medical personnel will be onsite during the race.

Insurance

There is NO racer insurance for this race, only Third Party Liability coverage for spectators, therefore you are liable for your own medical cost in the case of injury, this includes any charges for ambulance transportation. As this is an extreme sports event the organizers will be under NO obligations to the competitors in the case of injury, disability or death.

Waivers

Please make sure you have proof of identity (photo ID) during registration.
Above 18 - Waivers must be signed at registration otherwise the racer will be denied entrance to the competition
Below 18 - Waivers must be signed by parent or legal guardian (downloadable at the GGAsia website) and the original signed waiver and a photocopy of a picture ID of the parent or legal guardian must be presented at registration. In the case that the waiver is signed by a legal guardian, additional documents may be required - NO EXCEPTIONS.

Equipment

All racing equipment must pass technical inspection prior to the racer being granted access to the course. Full face helmets, slide gloves, knee and elbow pads, and "no skin showing" will be the mandatory minimum requirement. However, we seriously recommend proper racing leathers as we will be reaching speeds where most fabrics will disintegrate on impact.

Also, please make sure that your helmet is the right size and fits snugly. We reserve the right to disallow helmets that are ill-fitting, shows obvious signs of damage, or may somehow present a danger to the rider or others due to modification.

All Rules will be strictly implemented so please read and understand the following section. Waivers will be available for download one week before the race. Minors (below 18 years of age) MUST have their Waivers signed by their parents or guardians.

I. INTRODUCTION

These rules are intended to govern Downhill Longboard Races held by the Organizers (the “Event”). It is the express responsibility of the competitors to read, understand and abide by these rules and regulations.

I.A.	LIABILITY WAIVER: All riders shall sign a liability waiver before being allowed to participate in the event.

	The entrant and/or rider, in signing the entry form for the event, elects to use the track at their own risk, and thereby releases and forever discharges the organizers, together with their heirs, assigns, officers, representatives, agents, employees, and participants from all liability from injury to person, property, employees and/or reputation, that may be received by said entrant and/or rider, and from all claims of said injuries to parties listed above growing out of it, or resulting from the event contemplated under the entry form, or caused by any construction or condition of the course over which the event is held.

I.B.	RIDING ABILITY: All riders shall demonstrate their riding ability to the satisfaction of the officials during a mandatory practice period before being allowed to compete.

I.C.	PREGNANT WOMEN: Pregnant women are not allowed to compete. This restriction applies to practice, tests, qualifying and competition.

I.D.	APPEARANCE: All members competing in the event shall maintain a clean and neat appearance.

I.E.	OFFICIAL ENTRY: The rider, not the chassis is the official entry in the event and there shall be no substitution of the rider. The entrant must be present at the pre-race technical inspection with all equipment necessary to substantiate legal entry. This includes all protective equipment. All equipment must be presented to and must pass pre-race technical inspection. At no point, will any rider or racing equipment be allowed to run down the hill that has not passed pre-race technical inspection.

I.F.	EVENT ELIGIBILITY: The Organizers reserve the right to set eligibility requirements for entrants to the event

I.G.	MINIMUM AGE REQUIREMENTS: The minimum age to compete in the event is 14 years old. A waiver must be signed by a parent or guardian if the rider is below 18 years old.

II. OFFICIALS

Officials in their assigned duties must be familiar with all rules and regulations, which apply to those duties.

II.A.	OFFICIAL POWERS: The designated officials of the event shall have the power of rule enforcement and race supervision, as found in the Competition Regulations, during the entirety of any event. Officials may reserve the right to prevent any entrant from participating in the event.

II.B.	CHIEF STEWARD: The Chief Steward shall be that official having complete charge of the riders while on the track. The Chief Steward shall disqualify any rider who, in their opinion or that of their observers, is in violation of the rules, whose conduct is causing danger to other riders or whose equipment is or has become unsafe to operate. The Chief Steward is also in charge of the Race and Corner Marshals. The Chief Steward or their designated representatives shall uphold all rules and regulations pertaining to participant riding habits.

II.C.	RACE STEWARD: The Chief Steward may designate Race Stewards to judge rule violations, infractions and rider race conduct. If consensus cannot be reached by the stewards on a particular issue or incident, the Chief Steward will make the final decision.

II.D.	STARTER: The Starter shall be that Official having complete control of the start area. The Starter shall follow instructions from the Chief Steward. The Starter’s verbal commands are to be obeyed without exception. The Starter shall conduct a meeting for all riders prior to the start of the event to explain the flags, their use, and rules of the road. Prior to giving the verbal start commands the Starter will check all competitors helmet straps for secure retention. If any violations occur the Starter will report them to the Chief Steward. The Paddle Line Judge is under the command of the Starter.

II.E.	PUSH LINE JUDGE: If a paddle line is established, a marshall will be appointed to judge compliance to the Push Line rule as well as false starts.

II.F.	CHIEF SCORER: The Chief Scorer shall be that Official in charge of the timing and scoring. The responsibility is to keep the Chief Steward informed of positions, bracketing, etc.

II.G.	CORNER MARSHAL: Multiple Corner Marshals shall be strategically located down the course to report any rules infractions, etc to the Chief Steward. They will also use the designated flags when necessary to signal riders of accidents, debris, or other hazards.

II.H.	FINISH STEWARD: The Finish Steward shall be that Official having charge of the finish. The responsibility is to accept any protests that may arise, gather information from the respective athletes regarding the protest and report this information to the Chief Steward.

II.I.	TECHNICAL INSPECTOR: The Technical Inspector shall be that Official having charge of technical inspections. The inspector shall designate an area where equipment and riders will be checked for legality on weight, bumpers, wheels, number panels, chassis, protective equipment, etc. Entrants are responsible to the Technical Inspector while in the Technical Inspection Area and are subject to disqualification if they leave without his approval.

III. SAFETY

Safety is one of the prime considerations of the Organizers. Methods of operation, race vehicle construction, track facilities, and competition practices are under constant review to protect the athletes and to raise the safety standards of the sport.

III.A.	INSURANCE: Any athlete who enters the event shall receive spectator bodily injury liability and property damage liability as specified in the current policy. Insurance coverage may vary based on the underwriter’s policy. All participants must sign a release waiver. This includes all Riders, Workers and Officials. There are no exceptions.

III.B.	ACCIDENTS: Equipment involved in accidents may be required to undergo a technical inspection before being allowed to continue.

III.C.	EMERGENCY MEDICAL: A Physician, Paramedic, or Qualified Medical Attendant and first aid kit, shall be present during the entire racing event.

III.D.	PROTECTIVE BARRIERS: No person, race official or others shall be permitted on the racing surface at any time during a green flag race condition. Two hay bales (or equivalent protection) or better shall be situated at the corners for the protection of the Corner Marshal’s.

IV. DOWNHILL SKATEBOARD PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT

IV.A.	EQUIPMENT: There will be no borrowing of equipment from other racers. NO EXCEPTIONS! All riders are expected to be equipped with their own skateboard and protective equipment. Equipment presented at technical inspection will be tagged with the rider’s number. Only tagged equipment will be allowed to be used. Extra equipment may also be presented and tagged. However, if for any reason the inspected equipment becomes damaged, otherwise unusable, or presents a danger to the riders, the rider must immediately present alternative equipment for approval by the Technical Inspector prior to continuing with the race. Riding with unapproved/borrowed equipment will result in disqualification of the rider.

IV.B.	HELMETS: Hard shell is required. Helmets must be full-face design with a shatterproof shield or goggles. The helmet must be worn to the manufacturer’s recommendations. The helmet strap must be worn tight and secure as designed. NO EXCEPTIONS! Snap on chin guards are discouraged. No modifications allowed that may cause danger to the rider or to other competitors and are subject to technical inspection. Certified helmets designed for motorcycle or motor sports use are recommended.

IV.C.	LEATHERS: Leathers are highly recommended, but otherwise, the Organizers have a “no skin” policy, and it is the riders responsibility to wear appropriate attire that their whole body is sufficiently protected from abrasion. If the rider does not have leathers, spine protection devices, knee and elbow pads will be required.

IV.D.	SPEEDSUITS: Not allowed.

IV.E.	GLOVES: Racers must wear full fingered, heavy duty gloves. It is highly recommended that any gloves constructed of rubber, Kevlar knit, cotton, etc. must be worn over leather or leather Kevlar gloves. Wrist protectors are highly recommended.

IV.F.	FOOTWEAR: Shoes must be in good condition and be laced buckled or secured as designed. The ankles must be protected against abrasion injuries. High top shoes are recommended.

IV.G.	ELBOW AND KNEE PADS: Protective padding for the knees and elbows is mandatory.

V. DOWNHILL SKATEBOARD PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT

Competitors are required to race in an upright position and not supine or lying on one’s back.

V.A.	DECK: The deck must be structurally sound and not pose a safety hazard. It must not possess sharp edges, which could injure riders. It may be any shape within the size limits.

V.B.	WEIGHT: The complete board must not exceed twenty pounds (20.0lbs). This rule will be strictly enforced. A 0.5 kg allowance will be given for variances in the accuracy of scales.

V.C.	LENGTH: One hundred forty centimeters (140cm / 55”) maximum.

V.D.	WIDTH: Three hundred five millimeters (305mm / 12”) maximum.

V.E.	TRUCKS: The trucks must be lean steer activated. They may be commercially available or custom built. They must be no more than three hundred five millimeters (305mm / 12”) wide, as measured from the outside edge of the axles. The axles cannot protrude past the edge of the wheel.

V.F.	BEARINGS: Any standard bearing that fits into the hub of commercially available wheels.

V.G.	WHEELS: Wheels can be a maximum diameter of one hundred thirty millimeters (130mm / 5 1/8”). If a particular wheel proves to have a significant performance advantage and is not made commercially available* for a reasonable price, it could be specifically banned in the future.

V.H.	NUMBER AREA: The Chief Steward will assign numbers to the competitors as they register.

*Commercially available means the product must have been distributed to at least 24 people outside the company.

VI. RACING PROCEDURES

VI.A.	PRACTICE: Competitors are required to get a minimum of two (2) practice runs before making a qualifying attempt.

VI.B.	QUALIFYING: Every competitor is required to get two qualifying attempts. Their single fastest run will be used to qualify and seed the rider into the field. Only the fastest 27 riders will be allowed to compete in the bracket heats.

VI.C.	EVENTS FORMATS:

	Time Trial: A single rider negotiates the course for qualifying and seeding in the succeeding heats. Whenever racers are tied for ranking, the seeding times will determine the positions in the next race. Triple: In this format, the field competes in a single elimination, head to head, bracketed competition. Three riders compete against each other on a single course with the first two riders crossing the finish line advancing to the next round. Wild card rounds may be allowed where last placers in the elimination rounds will compete. Finals: The final three (3) contestants will race head-to-head in the final heat.

VI.D.	START BOX: A start box will be used.

VI.E.	PRESENCE ON STARTING LINE: All riders in the heat must present themselves at the starting line immediately after the preceding heat has departed. Riders must have all gear fastened and ready. Any riders who are not present or who has incomplete/unsecured gear upon initiation of the start procedure may be disqualified from the heat.

VI.F.	START PROCEDURE:

	START SEQUENCE: The official Starter, having verified with the Chief Steward that the course is clear for a bracket run, begins the *Start Sequence* as follows:

	Official Starter says, “Racers ready” Official Starter says, *“Racers set”* Once this command is given, riders must assume a set, final position. No movement will be permitted until the start horn or loud sound starts the race. Alternatively, an audible tone within five seconds or the starter saying, “GO” will mark the official start of the race.

VI.G.	FALSE STARTS: If any rider moves between the time that the “Racers set” command is given and the start signal is sounded, a “False start” will be called. The Starter will sound an air horn or loud sound and the Push Line Judge will raise a red flag. The offending rider is charged with a “False start warning” on the first offense. If the same rider is responsible for a second "False Start", then he/she will be disqualified. The remaining riders are repositioned and the starting procedure repeated.

VI.H.	PUSH LINE: A “push line” may be set some distance from the start, after which riders may no longer use their feet to propel themselves forward, except in the case of a rider remounting after a fall or crash during the race

VI.I.	Competitors will race to the finish line, at which time the heat is complete. A rider will have finished the heat once his head crosses the finish line – not the chassis nor any other part of the body.

	The Chief Steward or Race Stewards will resolve all ties either by photo finish or eyewitness account.

VI.J.	PASSING AND RIGHT OF WAY: It is the responsibility of the passing rider to ensure that they are completely clear of the passed rider before crossing the established racing line of said passed rider. Prior to passing, it is the responsibility of the following rider to control their speed so as not to come into contact with the leading rider.

VI.K.	BUMPING AND RACER CONTACT: While defensive (holding off) touching is preferable to the chassis or wheels coming into contact, any form of “mooch-bumping” where the touching rider holds back or impedes another rider, is not allowed. Trailing riders are responsible for controlling their speed to avoid contact with the lead rider. While contact from behind to maintain safe distance is acceptable, this should not result in sudden acceleration to the lead rider which could cause them to overshoot their intended line. Any form of unnecessary contact between riders will be scrutinized, and if found malicious, may result in disqualification and potential suspension from participation in future events.

VI.L.	SPEED CONTROL: Speed control through air-braking and foot-braking, rather than sliding or pendy's, is preferred for the safety of the riders except in the case of an emergency. Race stewards may impose further limitations on sliding at their option.

VI.M.	JUDGES, INFRACTIONS, and RULINGS: All penalties will be assessed and ruled upon by the Chief Steward immediately upon completion of the heat. Any competitor protest will be directed at the Chief Steward at the Finish Line also at that time. This is the only time a penalty may be issued or protest can be made. Once the competitors have left the finish area and competition continues, they will have missed their opportunity to protest.

VI. EVENT POSTPONEMENT OR CANCELLATION:

If weather conditions, acts of God, war and/or darkness cause the course to become unsafe during the running of an event. The race will be delayed until conditions become more favorable. If conditions do not become more favorable or if darkness occurs prior to the completion of an event, the Organizers reserve the right to postpone or cancel the race event

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