RAF SKI AND SNOWBOARD CHAMPIONSHIPS
GUIDE FOR OIC AND TEAM CAPTAINS – 2013/14
EDITION
The role of OIC and/or Team Captain for the RAF Ski and Snowboard
Championships can be challenging. In this guide, the organisers
provide a few pointers which should help you in your work.
RESPONSIBILITY
1.
You are, in effect, the commander of your station’s personnel in resort. The extent of your
responsibilities means that you may have to forgo some skiing/boarding. However, there is no
reason why you cannot share the task. All the Service people with you are on duty and cannot
expect a free ride. Prioritise your workload and the impact on your whole group should be minimal
– but to do this you must know all of your Stn personnel and be able to contact them in resort! Be
warned!
2.
The Organising Committee will deal primarily with you and will decline to deal with
individuals, so that you can maintain control of what is going on, especially the financial aspects.
You therefore need to make yourself readily available, both to the Organisers and your personnel.
However, much of the information that people will undoubtedly be asking you for will be available
on the wall lists outside the Race Office (in the basement of the Glemmtalerhof Hotel). This can be
accessed 24/7 and not just within Race Office opening hours. The information available includes
timings and locations of all lessons and races during the Champs. People can always check the
wall lists themselves if they are unsure what they are entered for.
DURING THE YEAR
3.
Keep up to speed with matters via the RAFWSAA website (www.raf.mod.uk/rafwsaa)
Details that cannot be published on the internet will be posted on the Championships’ Airspace site
– read and action the appropriate areas of the Admin Order when it is issued (https://airspace.raf.mod.uk/sports/rafalpinechampionships). Keep the organisers aware of any
changes in incumbent or contact details so that we can get details direct to your desk when they
are published.
4.
As we completely update our database every year, please visit the website and send us
your current details asap. Please include civilian contact numbers and also mobile numbers where
possible so we can contact you in resort if we need to. Give people details of the Resort from the
information provided on our websites; any queries then feel free to contact the Saalbach
Hinterglemm tourist office directly. They all speak excellent English and are very friendly.
5.
Encourage all standards of skier/boarder to attend. The aim of the Championships is to
expose as many as possible people to the sport. It is not just intended for experts – in fact, the
more beginners, the better.
6.
Accommodation Package. Bookings for accommodation, lift passes, equipment hire and
transfers are arranged direct via the Saalbach-Hinterglemm Tourist Office website
(www.saalbach.com/raf). Inform the Admin Chairman of your details and you will receive logon
information; however, you need to co-ordinate your attendees and keep ‘on-top’ of changes to
ease arrival day re-arrangements.
1
7.
Training and Race Entries. Training and race entries are made through the WSAA. See
details and entry form on the RAF WSAA airspace website. You are responsible for ensuring all
personnel from your team register to participate in at least one race event or beginner lessons (as
applicable). However, registration and payment for both racing and training will be done this year
on an individual basis by competitors. Individuals are required to login to Airspace and register
their race and training requirements individually rather than a single submission from the OIC
which, in previous years, often required regular updates. OICs can download a list of the
individuals who have registered from their unit at any point. This will include an online bill and will
be automatically updated as personnel register. Note that the deadline for registration is 20 Dec
13; registrations received after this date will be charged the non-discounted fee (Discounted fee +
£20).
8.
The more you manage your team’s administration, the more the Tourist Office staff can
assist you and the smoother your task will be. If you leave it up to individuals to contact the Tourist
Office, you lose control of your Unit’s entries and will have a harder task in resort. As a minimum
you should have a copy of all applications that have been submitted by your Stn personnel and
know how to contact any of your personnel staying in resort.
9.
Look out for details of the Artificial Slope Championships and encourage people to attend.
This is an ideal precursor to the big day and is held at XScape, Castleford. The event is being held
on Fri 27 Sep 13 and entrance is £30 (£35 on the day) per individual for the whole day (free
skiing/riding available while not racing). More information can be found on the RAF WSAA
websites: www.raf.mod.uk/rafwsaa and https://airspace.raf.mod.uk/sports/rafalpinechampionships
CHAMPIONSHIPS REGULATIONS
10.
Training. All serving RAF personnel who are absolute beginners are entitled to one
subsidised ski or snowboard training course (ie one course only). Records are kept and personnel
will not be able to receive more than one beginners course. Other RAF personnel attending the
Championships are encouraged to participate in at least one training course which will be charged
at £60 per week of training.
11.
A description of training categories is detailed below. Please remember that almost all
personnel attending will be likely to not have skied in at least the last 12 months, some often not for
several years. If people downgrade their training category because they are worried about being a
little “rusty” then they risk being in a class of people who are a much lower standard. Be honest but not overly pessimistic!
ABILITY LEVELS
Ski A Absolute Beginner
Ski B Have completed a Beginners’ course prior to this year’s Championships, able to ski
snowplough or stem christies but pre-parallel.
Ski C Able to ski parallel but not confidently on red runs.
Ski D Able to ski parallel confidently on red runs.
Ski E Able to ski parallel confidently on red & black runs.
2
Board A Absolute Beginner – No previous snowboarding experience.
Board B Able to do basic slide turn on blue pistes. Familiar with the concept of pedalling
the snowboard with the feet to conduct a turn.
Board C Able to do basic (pedalled) turns on red pistes & standard turns (early edge
change) on blue pistes. Should have some switch riding experience.
Board D Able to perform carved turns on blue pistes/standard turns on red pistes.
Possessing some GS/slalom/PGS/SBX experience. Should be comfortable riding switch.
Board E Able to perform carved turns red pistes/standard turns on black pistes.
Possessing solid GS/slalom/PGS/SBX experience.
RACING
3
12.
All RAF personnel attending the Championships must race at least once at a level
appropriate to their skill in order to qualify for duty status. However, this is the minimum criterion;
as one of the main aims of the Championships is to improve the standard of racing in the Service,
personnel should be encouraged to make full use of the opportunity to participate in races
appropriate to their skill levels. For Beginners, participation in the Beginners Lessons will be
considered as fulfilling the preceding requirement.
13.
Personnel who are not beginners yet who fail to participate in a race will not be eligible to
claim Cross-Border Travel or CILOR for the duration of the Champs. Competition is a mandatory
part of attending the Champs (unless due to injury or similar) and represents the “sporting” part of
the sport! Non-participants will be identified and asked to speak to the Chairman, Air Cdre
Knighton regarding their absence.
14.
Races are organised at all skill levels (aligned to training categories). A description of the
available races appropriate to training categories is below. The Race Fee is set at a flat rate to
encourage individuals to participate in as many races as they choose (providing they meet the
entry standard criteria). Please encourage your personnel similarly.
15.
Records are kept of people’s performance (Seeding system) and people will not be able to
enter a race at a lower standard than their proven ability. We do this to prevent people from ‘pot
hunting’ or taking the easy option. Personnel who are unable to enter a race because one of the
appropriate standard is not held during their time in resort remain eligible for appropriate
allowances and subsidies and should confirm this status with the organising committee.
Race
Improvers’ Races
(Ski & Board)
Fiacaill Trophy
GS & SL (Ski &
Board)
Training
Class or
Standard
Compositio
n
Comments
Max B
2 x GS - 1
run
Racers of a higher training standard but with more than 1000 seed
points may be considered.
Max C
2 heats of 1
run
Individual race for B & C standard skiers and snowboarders, one
heat run each week
SL - 2 run
and
GS - 2 run
SL - 2 run
GS - 2 run
DH - 1 run
Inter-Station Cup
(Ski & Board)
Min D
Team combined race -, min 3 racers must finish each event (if held)
to count. No substitutions without prior Jury agreement.
Individual Alpine
Ski Races
Min D
Inter-Station
Snowboard GS
Min B
GS – 2 run
Team race – max 4 racers, min 3 racers. 3 must finish event to
count. No substitutions without prior Jury agreement.
Individual
Snowboard Events
Min C
Min C
Min C
Parallel GS
Snowboard
X
Slopestyle
No need to enter all events, but riders must complete all that are
held to be eligible for Overall Championship Trophy
No need to enter all events, but must complete all that are held to
be eligible for Overall Championship Trophy
16.
Rules. A copy of the Championships full rules can be obtained from our websites - It is
recommended that OICs have a copy for their own information during the Championships.
ALLOWANCES AND SUBSIDIES
17.
Early contact and discussions with PEd, Catering and Finance staffs on the variety of
financial assistance that can be provided to your participants is strongly recommended. Final
authority for the allowances below will be contained within the Admin Order for the event but at the
end of the day, the authority for CILOR, Travel and any additional grants (eg Race Fees) remain at
the discretion of the PEdO and Budget Manager of your particular Station. IF YOU DO NOT HAVE
THEIR AUTHORITY PRIOR TO YOUR DEPARTURE THEN YOU MAY NOT HAVE YOUR
FUNDING APPLICATION APPROVED ON YOUR RETURN.
4
18.
Cross Border Travel. Participants are entitled to claim up to £125 for their chosen method
of cross border travel, including air, road and rail. A further £50 may be claimed for the UK journey
to point of exit. All claims must be supported by receipts and are subject to Unit Cdr’s final
budgetary approval. Although most Units support the Cross Border Travel application, this is at the
discretion of the Budget manager. Whilst early warning and outlining likelihood of approx costs to
the budget will no doubt improve your case, remember that even though you have “authority” the
final say still remains with the Budget Manager. DSB(RAF) will only consider exceptional bids to
any of the above criteria prior to the Championships. Applications for such exceptions are to be
made to DSB(RAF) via the Championships’ Admin Chairman.
19.
Sports Lottery. Participants who book through the Saalbach-Hinterglemm web page and
provide up to 5 valid RAF Sports Lottery numbers on their booking form will be credited 30 Euros
per Lottery Number against the cost of their Lift Pass. Personnel need to hold or have applied for
all tickets they are claiming on by 28 Oct 13. To apply for extra Lottery tickets or query the number
you already hold, you should contact Miss Emma Milford, Lottery Manager on 95237 7131.
20.
CILOR. DSB(RAF) authorises the issue of CILOR, iaw JSP456 Chapter 7, to personnel
attending the Championships. CILOR application paperwork for all eligible personnel must be
submitted to Stn Budget Staff prior to deploying.
ORGANISATION
21.
Publicity. Ensure the SRO attached to the Admin Order is promulgated regularly with your
details. A colour poster to advertise the Championships can be downloaded from the
Saalbach.com website for printing and promulgation around your Unit; make use of your Station’s
intranet site to publicise the event. Arrange a meeting to get all the interested people together.
This means that you can give them a comprehensive briefing on what they need to do and keep
them updated.
22.
Bulletins. Bulletins providing information about racing and training will be produced by the
Championships Organising Committee around the middle of the year. They are issued via the
internet and intranet sites. You need to have a very good working knowledge of the Bulletins as
they provide the vast majority of the information you need to register people for races and training
courses.
23.
Competitor’s Declaration. Skiing and Snowboard racing does carry some risk. The
organisers are appropriately qualified and experienced to organise the races and will make every
effort to minimise risk. However, participants also have to be aware of their responsibilities for their
own safety. We require every participant to complete and sign a Competitor’s Declaration. The
Declaration is downloadable from the RAFWSAA website. The Declaration Form was revised in
2011. Declaration Forms signed for and since the 2011 Championships remain valid; everyone
else will be required to sign again.
RACE ENTRY
24.
Each participant must complete an Entry Form indicating what race and training is required.
Entry Forms received by the Organisers after the deadline (20 Dec 13) will attract a
surcharge of £20 above the relevant discounted fees.
25.
Encourage entrants to be honest about their skiing ability. We will not allow people to enter
a race at a lower standard than their proven ability. On the other hand, and subject to safety
concerns, people who progress rapidly during the Championships will be allowed to enter races at
a higher standard than their initially declared ability.
26.
Everyone, irrespective of standard, has to pay a registration fee in order to become a
member of the Association. This is an important requirement for our 3rd Party Liability. This
includes civilian personnel who race or take training through RAFWSAA arrangements. To ease
5
the administration, this is billed through a small surcharge (€10) added to each competitor’s Resort
accommodation package cost.
RACE ENTRIES, AMENDMENTS AND WITHDRAWALS
27.
Detailed rules for each race are in the Championships Rules and the Race Bulletins.
Amendments to entries and additional entries may be made up to 1300 hours on the day preceding
the race to which they refer. Withdrawals from races and substitutions, where allowed, may not be
made after the commencement of the Draw for the relevant race. The schedule of draws is
published in the Race Programme. Participants whose first race or training registration is made in
resort will be charged at the non-discounted fee unless there are extenuating circumstances.
28.
Entry Fee refunds will be given for racers legitimately withdrawn from their first and all
subsequent races. Thereafter, given the flat rate race entry fees, refunds will not be given.
Refunds will not be allowed for racers who Do Not Start (ie just do not bother to turn up) unless it is
for a certified medical reason.
IN RESORT
29.
If you are not going to be in resort, ensure that your representative is fully briefed and has
all the paperwork. On arrival, you will be required to provide a nominal roll of all your personnel
(See Admin Order for details). We need this information to ensure that we know who is in resort
and where they are; this is essential in the event that we need to contact someone urgently.
30.
You must provide the Race Office with details of any person that sustains an injury. Under
the 2005 Compensation Scheme, an assessment has to be made of whether the individual is
considered to be on duty when the injury is sustained. Consequently, there has to be a detailed
recording system to ensure that the individual’s potential entitlements are not jeopardised and to
determine whether they were considered to be “on duty” at the time of injury and this must be
supported by an accident report. Personnel (or their representative) who are injured during
the Championships MUST report to the Committee Office to record an accident report as
soon as possible after the accident. Failure to do so will mean that any subsequent claim to
the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme will not be supported.
31.
You need to know where all your people are accommodated. These details are available
from the Saalbach-Hinterglemm Tourist Office representatives in resort. You need to ensure that
your people tell you (and that you tell the Tourist Office representatives) if they move
accommodation. People may find that there are spare beds in their accommodation. These beds
may be allocated to personnel arriving at a later time and date. They should not be occupied
without first consulting the Tourist Office representatives.
32.
There is a Team Captains’ Meeting every evening at 1800 in the Race Office beginning on
the first Sunday in Resort. See the Race Programme for details.
YOU NEED TO ATTEND OR BE REPRESENTED AT EACH MEETING - A ROLL CALL IS
TAKEN
BILL PAYMENT
33.
It is inevitable that race and training requirements will be changed in resort, generating
revised billing. We try not to take amendments from anyone other than the Team Captain.
However, if we do take an amendment in your absence, we will require the individual to pay at the
time the amendment is made. You will be provided with an overall invoice by the middle of the
second week. Please check the details of this carefully as discrepancies are far easier to solve
whilst still in resort.
34.
Team Captains are expected to settle Bills before leaving the resort. We accept sterling
cheques and euros and sterling cash within reason. For security, you are advised not to bring
large amounts of cash with you to settle bills.
6
QUESTIONS
35.
If you have any queries, refer in the first instance to the Admin Order, SaalbachHinterglemm Tourist Office Brochure, Rules and the Race Bulletin(s). If these sources of
information do not resolve your query, please contact [email protected] for race or
administrative issues, or the Tourist Office representative [email protected] for
accommodation or resort based queries.
7