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DAY ONE:
We would all get just ONE practice run, then directly into the first round of competition. The environment was overwhelming! More exposure than I had felt in my entire life.
We were taking off on a rock covered, very steep (40+) degrees, scattered with rocks and obstacles. The close proximity of the gates, made the first half of the course very challenging.
Competitors were forced to ski with there wings above their heads just to make the tight turns possible. The top of the course was the steepest, with the gates placed in positions forcing quick "slalom" like turns, so you can only imagine the difficulty.
The fastest run was in the low 40's (seconds). Penalties were assigned according to the event rules( see speedflyingpro.com )
By the end of day one, I stood in 10th place. A little disappointed with my performance, I received 5 sec penalty.... But was happy with my position in relation to the rest of the US competitors, first. Also, my first Speed Riding competition.
Note on the SPIRE:
There were many "nay sayers" saying that this years course would make it difficult for skydiving type wings, including the SPIRE. With out a practice day it was difficult for me to debate the issue. But my confidence in the SPIRE was extremely high, due to the fact that I had been testing in for the past 3 months.
4 of the top 10 pilots were flying PD SPIRES for the SLALOM event !!!
DAY TWO:
I'm very comfortable in the mountains, in places with high exposure. But this was extraordinary ! The traverse to the launch point for the Big Mountain part of the event (see web site for more details, speedflyingpro.com) was very intimidating. It was only about 500 yards , but it felt like a mile! 75% of the time you were on a razor sharp peak, with a lanyard and a carabiner in case you fell ( and believe me you didn't want to fall!). The altitude was very noticeable , making some of the simplest of tasks difficult, and overall physical performance sub par.
Once at the launch point, we had to "side slide" down a 60% slope to a traverse , where the line up for competitors was. The overall "intimidation" factor was definitely much higher than the first day of slalom.
The numerous possibilities of descending the mountain, and the uncertainty of what kind of strategy to use seemed a little overwhelming. At times it was more of a "just get down safely, don't worry about winning", situation.
Like the first day, we were allowed one practice ,or exploratory run. This did help, but would have been very helpful if we had more than, just one opportunity to "explore" the terrain. At the launch site, you could only see about one third of the entire run, and you couldn't even see the landing area. The average run , in time, was at least 2 min in length. Depending how each competitor approached their runs, had a lot to do with the duration of their run.
Spending more time "on the snow" and "traversing" the mountain , as well as the size of the competitors wing effected the time of their runs. Unfortunately, for the SPIRE, time was not a factor in the judging the Big Mountain portion on the event. Only a limitation of 3 min to finish the run without risking penalties in your score.
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Their judging for the event was interesting. The competitors were the judges. At the end of the day we all watched each other with a "score" sheet and gave each other scores which were tallied by the judges and the overall winner was decided by their score that day and points already earned in the slalom event. I would say that opinions differed amongst competitors regarding judging criteria. Which made the choosen judging format more interesting
The primary difference in opinions between the French, US and some other countries were the French valued "contact" with the snow. If the competitor was in contact with the snow nearly the entire run, they were scored the highest.
On the other side of the coin, the judging could have been more balanced. Rewarding the competitor equally for "engaging" the slope and their actual piloting skills. Meaning their ability to navigate the terrain. Considering proximity flying, commitment to "lines" through rocks and cu-oars, etc. Basically mixing it up, so that there is weight given equally to both styles of speed riding. One, engaging the terrain, staying on the snow. The other high speed piloting in close proximity to the mountain and choice of line or route.
This sport is still evolving, so I think in time, that all areas of the world will come to a closer agreement on judging criteria. Regardless of opinions, the event was a huge success. I've been to many events over the years and this was DEFINITELY one of the safest, well organized and enjoyable events I've ever been to.
The organizers did an incredible job with the logistics. Rarely were we ever behind schedule. We had plenty of "ground crew" helping. For example, I lost one ski during the first practice run on the slalom day, and it was brought down to me within minutes allowing me to continue on without holding up the show.
Overall, the competition was a huge success! I would have very little to say in regards to improving the over all flow and organization of the comp. The only possible discrepancies were opinions on the judging, but my attitude is "when in Rome" , so next year I will make it easy on the judges, now that I know what they want to see.
Sincerely,
Kevin Love
