All eyes will be on the Bec des Rosses later this month for the Verbier Xtreme – the final stop for the Freeride World Tour. Thousands of people all around the world will watch the elite riders hurtling down the impressive face of the Bec via the live video stream, or if you’re fortunate enough, from a seat directly opposite on the Col des Gentianes. Every spectator will no doubt have an opinion on who took the best line with the biggest airs. But do you know the actual judging criteria for competitive freeriding?

FWT head judge and former pro-rider, Berti Denervaud started working on the tour back in 1997 and here he explains the key elements to the judging system.

“We needed to create a global judging system that would be suitable for all levels of competition, regardless of the country in which it takes place. Today, we have about 150 events worldwide…the system had to be something we could easily teach to everyone. We also wanted a universal ranking point system that could be used from one country to another.”

For the five main events on the World Tour, one Chief Judge oversees the scoring of three other judges with a fifth person controlling the video images – in case they need to go back and check something or see another angle. The view from binoculars can differ greatly from that on a screen and the judges need to be consistent in how they view each run. By using a short-hand language to record notes on each rider’s descent, the panel can easily look back and compare each run with each other. In the junior events, the judges have time to discuss the results, but with the live feed running during the bigger events, the judges must give their verdict in under 2 minutes. The pressure is on for the judges, not just the riders!

THE FIVE CRITERIA

Difficulty of line is pretty straightforward: it’s all about the path a competitor chooses to take down the mountain. What’s the danger factor like on his or her line? How does the rider link up the tricky sections along the way? How unique and imaginative is the route compared to the other riders’? Is it a cool line? Does it tickle people’s imagination? That’s what the judges have to determine here.

Fluidity is all about rewarding those athletes who can ride from start to finish with no hesitation, no stopping and no confusion. Did the rider have to embark on a long traverse to hit their feature? Did they get lost on the way down or hesitate before dropping the big cliff? A nice steady flow is what the judges are looking for.

Control is key in big-mountain riding. The judges can be ruthless with those who don’t show enough of it during their competition run. Did the athlete fall? Did they have to recover numerous times, or did they have a solid ride from start to finish? This is often where inexperience shows.

Air and Style Jumps are a major element in what makes freeride competitions so exciting. Style and aggression play a huge part in the way the judges allocate points. How big was the jump? How did the rider enter the jump? What happened in the air? How well did he or she stomp the landing?

Technique is an important criterion for judging the junior and first levels of competition, but less so for the pros as each rider has their own style. However, slip-ups or blatant errors are penalised. For example, it’s possible to lose points by side-slipping down a section where other competitors were carving turns.

The five judging criteria and the ‘overall impression’ will determine the final score. In evaluating the run, judges use a points system of a hundred increments from 0 to 100.

“To be a judge, it is important to have memory, logic, and to be able to keep your concentration for three or four hours, in order to be able to mark the last rider in the same way as the first riders of the morning,” explains Berti.

Judges are willing to talk to any competitors who question their score at the end of the event. The short-hand notes can then be used to explain where the rider lost points or where mistakes occurred. Equally, riders who are surprised by a good mark can see where they did well.

So, there you have it! You can now watch the Xtreme later this month with much more knowledge on how to be an expert armchair judge.

www.freerideworldtour.com

All eyes will be on the Bec des Rosses later this month for the Verbier Xtreme – the final stop for the Freeride World Tour. Thousands of people all around the world will watch the elite riders hurtling down the impressive face of the Bec via the live video stream, or if you’re fortunate enough, from a seat directly opposite on the Col des Gentianes. Every spectator will no doubt have an opinion on who took the best line with the biggest airs. But do you know the actual judging criteria for competitive freeriding?

FWT head judge and former pro-rider, Berti Denervaud started working on the tour back in 1997 and here he explains the key elements to the judging system.

“We needed to create a global judging system that would be suitable for all levels of competition, regardless of the country in which it takes place. Today, we have about 150 events worldwide…the system had to be something we could easily teach to everyone. We also wanted a universal ranking point system that could be used from one country to another.”

For the five main events on the World Tour, one Chief Judge oversees the scoring of three other judges with a fifth person controlling the video images – in case they need to go back and check something or see another angle. The view from binoculars can differ greatly from that on a screen and the judges need to be consistent in how they view each run. By using a short-hand language to record notes on each rider’s descent, the panel can easily look back and compare each run with each other. In the junior events, the judges have time to discuss the results, but with the live feed running during the bigger events, the judges must give their verdict in under 2 minutes. The pressure is on for the judges, not just the riders!

THE FIVE CRITERIA

Difficulty of line is pretty straightforward: it’s all about the path a competitor chooses to take down the mountain. What’s the danger factor like on his or her line? How does the rider link up the tricky sections along the way? How unique and imaginative is the route compared to the other riders’? Is it a cool line? Does it tickle people’s imagination? That’s what the judges have to determine here.

Fluidity is all about rewarding those athletes who can ride from start to finish with no hesitation, no stopping and no confusion. Did the rider have to embark on a long traverse to hit their feature? Did they get lost on the way down or hesitate before dropping the big cliff? A nice steady flow is what the judges are looking for.

Control is key in big-mountain riding. The judges can be ruthless with those who don’t show enough of it during their competition run. Did the athlete fall? Did they have to recover numerous times, or did they have a solid ride from start to finish? This is often where inexperience shows.

Air and Style Jumps are a major element in what makes freeride competitions so exciting. Style and aggression play a huge part in the way the judges allocate points. How big was the jump? How did the rider enter the jump? What happened in the air? How well did he or she stomp the landing?

Technique is an important criterion for judging the junior and first levels of competition, but less so for the pros as each rider has their own style. However, slip-ups or blatant errors are penalised. For example, it’s possible to lose points by side-slipping down a section where other competitors were carving turns.

The five judging criteria and the ‘overall impression’ will determine the final score. In evaluating the run, judges use a points system of a hundred increments from 0 to 100.

“To be a judge, it is important to have memory, logic, and to be able to keep your concentration for three or four hours, in order to be able to mark the last rider in the same way as the first riders of the morning,” explains Berti.

Judges are willing to talk to any competitors who question their score at the end of the event. The short-hand notes can then be used to explain where the rider lost points or where mistakes occurred. Equally, riders who are surprised by a good mark can see where they did well.

So, there you have it! You can now watch the Xtreme later this month with much more knowledge on how to be an expert armchair judge.

www.freerideworldtour.com