How do you qualify for Nationals????

[markchilcutt]

So my goal is to ski Nationals at least once preferably in the next 2 seasons. My question is how do we qualify?

Is it based on your current rankings?

Do you have to place or post a certain score the same yr in regionals?

I am currently a M3 skier with a ranking score of 96.67 and am placed 72nd in the nation. I would guess that my current rankings are not even close?

 

Thanks, MC

[The_MS]

http://www.usawaterski.org/rankings/View-StandingsHQ.asp?pvar=National

 

You are in level 8 and that would get you a ticket to compete

[markchilcutt]

@ms would i need to ski at regionals?

[MattP]

Level 7.

Top 5 qualify for Nationals

[webbdawg99]

@markchilcutt Yes, you must compete in Regionals. If your ranking average qualifies you for nationals, your placement doesn't matter. But you must compete if you don't have a medical waiver.

[Chef23]

@markchilcutt Men's 3 cut off was 3@35 off and you would need to ski Regionals. If you are level 8 and above on the rankings list you qualify.

[markchilcutt]

Thanks @MS @MattP @webbdawg99 @Chef23! Would my score at regionals matter or effect me going to Nationals? Say i skied like crap at Regionals

[MattP]

@markchilcutt

Only if you were not already level 8. If you were level 7 and trying to drop a score or trying to get in top 5 it could hurt.

[markchilcutt]

OK @MattP thanks any idea approx how many M3 skiers compete at Nationals?

[webbdawg99]

@markchilcutt There are 40 M3 skiers currently registered for this years slalom event. You would be seeded 32nd with your 96.67 score

[webbdawg99]

[Klundell]

@markchilcutt with nationals moving a little closer to us next season we should get a group from UT to make the trip.

[markchilcutt]

@Klundell agreed is it in Texas?

[Klundell]

Yes

[GOODESkier]

where is it next year?

[MISkier]

How are those guys with averages of 92.17, 84.67 and 79.33 qualifying? The only way those scores would make it is if they won their division in Regionals, correct?

[ForrestGump]

Once the cutoff overage is locked in you can qualify 3 ways:

 

1. surpass the cutoff average in a single score

2. Place top 5 at regionals

3. Be nationals qualified in overall

 

Next years nationals at San Marcos River Ranch will be fantastic. That site is killer. With a lot to do around the area.

[ntx]

@MISkier. There is a whole other side of this sport called 3 event skiing. You use a trick ski and jump skis for it. You should get off your slalom ski and try it sometime. It's really fun and a challange.

[MISkier]

@ntx, I'm probably too old to begin those now. If I had some exposure to it as a kid/teen, I might have been a part of it. We were lucky to have a 40HP outboard and I didn't ski anything over 85HP until I was 25. My first slalom experience was on a 1950s-era Cypress Gardens jump ski (don't know why we had those with no jump). No toe piece, just put your foot flat on the ski -which was also completely flat. I endured lack of good equipment and access to a course for a long, long time and only started tournament skiing 3 years ago - already in my mid-40s. I didn't see anyone trick ski live and in person until I pulled one of my ski partners about 4-5 years ago. I think slalom is about all I'm capable of now - it's too late. My question was not to detract from their qualifying for Nationals, just to question what rule was making that happen. I also have a lack of awareness and exposure to the rules.

[ntx]

@MIskier You are never too old to try and learn new things. That's what helps to keep us young. A pair of trick skis can be a eye opening experience in more ways than one.

[MISkier]

Possibly. I don't think I'd try jump. One of the guys in our club broke his hip/femur about 2 years ago (and he landed the jump). He's about 10 years younger than me. I think attempting the jump would receive the same reception from my wife as a new motorcycle. Those who do it regularly and successfully are a rare breed. That is probably why there is more slalom than trick and jump in general.

[MISkier]

And before anyone gets defensive about motorcycles, I think they are fine. I even had one in high school and college. They just aren't well received around here - something about "dying and having a family to raise alone".

[Wish]

Just a note. You do not have to attend your own regionals. With permission you can ski out of region (different region then your own) to qualify for nationals. Not that anyone would be crazy dumb enough to do that.

[KcSwerver]

@wish it may save money on two trips if the regionals will be held near to the nationals site. For instance Midwest regionals were in Minnesota, if I were to travel to Minnesota, back to kansas, then to Florida id be racking up some cash. If I were to go to regionals closer to nationals, I might be able to make it one trip.

[sunperch]

@KcSwerver Regionals and Nationals are usually at least 10 days apart for the Midwest, and for other regions, they were a week earlier. While a 3 week skiing vacation sounds great, most of us cannot swing it. The expenses are not as bad if both regionals and nationals are within driving distance from KS, like they will be next year (IL and TX).

[RichardDoane]

the difficult part of traveling to a Regionals/Nationals if you're doing 3 events, is packing all the gear, not too hard if by car/motorhome, but a hassle if Airfare is involved

 

@MISkier - you're never too old to learn a few simple tricks, and bang off the jump ramp, just get some good coaching, there's way more dangerous things out there than motorcycles

[Wish]

@KSwever. Couldn't find the sarcasm font. I was kidding because i did just that. My entire family is from MN. So instead of Hotels, Gas and food for southern reg (10hr drive from FL), I flew to MN (after perm was granted by both reg dir) and camped on site and skied the mid west. I'd do it again if it's ever up there. Had 20+ family and friends come out to watch. Was a blast. It's the second time I've done that

[Wish]

The down side is you can't place/stand on podium and get hardware. But I knew that going in. Didn't hit me till later that I actually took 3rd place. That woulda been nice to stand on that podiom. But I get why and completely understand and accept it.

[Than_Bogan]

Kinda veering off topic here, but when did they make it so OOR skiers couldn't place? I think perhaps I was supposed to be on the podium in 2011, since the 3rd place guy was officially from FL. Doesn't change anything, but would have been amusing.

[ForrestGump]

OOR cannot place. At least not in the SCR. Chet Railey skied OOR at our regionals and it was essentially a 1 round L tournament for him.

[LeonL]

I can't ever remember when an OOR skier could place. Should have been never, and probably was never. @Than_Bogan if you were pushed down in placement in 2011 by a FL skier you got screwed.

[Wish]

My understanding, and makes perfect sense, is why would you as someone from that region want someone from OOR taking hardware back to there's. In the midwest, everybody pretty much knows everybody and cheers for all of them. Me bumping a guy off the podium would not be cool. Especially me being from FL that can skies yr round. Could be that the region gets to decide IDK. I was told by the director both times that this would be the case. Totally cool with it. So a 1 round L for me but also a ticket to the big show that's basically in my backyard. On a side note, the 20+ folks that came out to see me were getting so much into it, there from 10am on, that they would cheer for anyone getting close to a PB. We were camped at the farthest northern point of the lake so lots of cheers and whooops for those completing a pass and settling into the water.

[eleeski]

@Than_Bogan Some kids from out of region by home address competed in our Regionals. Western Regionals can be tough - maybe they were skiing up for a bigger challenge. But they were students in the region and did the majority of their training in our region so it was required that they competed with us (what exactly is collegiate waterskiing's fourth event?).

 

A couple of foreign skiers living in the region also skied with us. But they were not allowed to place. It was just an L list score for them. Will immigration reform affect this?

 

Back to the original topic, how do you qualify for Nationals? Spend lots of money! A Nationals medal is even more expensive!

 

Eric

[alex38]

Is it level 7 or 8 for nationals?

[ForrestGump]

Level 8 for nationals

[alex38]

Oh yeah, and if I turn 45 in march 2014 will I be in M4 or M3 still?

[ForrestGump]

M3 still. It's skier age at the beginning of the year.

[MISkier]

I think you will be in M4 immediately following Nationals right now, if you are 44. It seems that my first tournament was after Nationals in 2009 and I turned 44 about a month later. I thought I was in M3 at the time, because I was 43. But, since Nationals was over, it was considered another ski year - one in which I would be 44 before the next Nationals. So, I was M4 for that first tournament.

 

I think that is right. Someone else may know better.

[Wish]

I thought it was how old you were after nationals. No?

[ForrestGump]

No, that's not right for him. M3 is through 44 years old. If you are 44 on December 31 2013, then you ski in M3 for 2014.

[MISkier]

Correction: My first tournament was after Nationals in 2010 and I was 44 and would turn 45 a month later. I was categorized as M4 at age 44 after Nationals with my 45th birthday a month later. @Alex38, I think you will be M4 after this week and for the 2014 ski year (in which you will turn 45).

 

My memory is about as good as my skiing.

[MISkier]

@ShaneH, did they change that? I am positive I was categorized as M4 immediately after Nationals and before I turned 45.

[ForrestGump]

@MISkier That's because you turned 45 before Dec 31st. Since you did, you were bumped to M4 after nationals. Had your birthday been on 1/1, then you'd have skied the next season as M3.

 

@Alex38 will still be M3 for 2014 since his birthday isn't until March.

[alex38]

And what am I missing on M3 qualifications, I am looking at a couple averages of skiers that don't have any score of 3@35 and did not place top 5 at regionals, what did I miss? Or not read?

[MISkier]

Ah, yes. It is all coming back to me now. The reason I remember the M4 categorization surprise was there were no M3 skiers at my first tournament. I thought I would win my division. Not so.

[ForrestGump]

@alex38 You didn't read. :)

[MISkier]

@alex38, I think it has to do with qualifying in overall, not slalom in particular. That was pointed out to me in detail, if you read a few posts back.

[alex38]

P

[Wish]

Wait so I turned 45 in Feb 2013. Daughter turned 14 in May. It does not sound right but are u @ShaneH saying I'm in Men 3 one more yr and daughters in G2 one more yr?

[alex38]

Not overall skiers either, what did I miss? Going back to read entire thread ugh.