Tournament organizers - A CALL TO ACTION

[Horton]

In another thread we talked about things we all think would make a local events better. Some of you think it is about trophies, some of you think it is about handicaps and changes to the divisions, and some of you think it is other stuff. I think that all that matters is that we experiment.

 

Will you commit to do something different for your 2017 events?

[Razorskier1]

Should we run a tournament this year, I will endeavor to get our team to try something to make it fun/different.

[Than_Bogan]

My response is a slight stretch. I'm more like an Assistant Organizer. All the fun ideas and the driving force behind the tournament come from @MikeT. But anyhow "we" have been doing a handicapped portion for quite a few years now, and have done other creative things some years. In the last few years we split it to handicapped and "open" (lower case o) because we usually have a core of 10ish skiers around the same level who enjoy competing straight up for the top score.

[Horton]

Ok then lets hear what you guys are doing in 17.

 

I will put on a few Cash Prize events in 17. I am currently unsure about a few of the details but the rules will be unchanged.

 

I am also working on a format for a SkiWest tournament. I have to hatch the idea and then sell it to @charlieskiwest. I am thinking about seeding the whole event by ball count - no divisions and use handicap scoring to crown a winner. Ideas?

 

@rico ? @Colebrah ? @ripa38 ?

[LeonL]

My initial thoughts are to have a traditional 2 rounds and the third round being handicapped based on the first two rounds. I've got to do some thinking and pass it by club members for input.

[ntx]

We host three tournaments a year.

3RD S

2RD T

2RD J all in a single day.

 

We usually have 35 slalom skiers and always have a waiting list. If we change anything, we would go to 2 RD S in order to allow more skiers

[LeonL]

@ntx WOW! What a day! 105 slalom pulls, that's about 10 hours anyway you cut it. How many trick and jump pulls do you get on? Or do you do a pick and choose format and don't do 105 slalom?

[ntx]

@LeonL usually closer to 11/12 hours of slalom. Two lake site so trick and jump run with slalom. Not P&C but a lot of the three eventers opt out of the 3rd rd of slalom. Usually 30/40 rds of trick & jump. It is a full day for sure.

[LLUSA]

I'm not sure we can do much more: 2 NCWSA, 2 Record Slalom back to back, 3 event record, Southern Regionals all before September

[lpskier]

@LLUSA Classic under- achiever!

;-)

[jdarwin]

Do you have to change the format to make a tournament more compelling? I host 4 record tournaments per year (full w/ waiting lists). Not much I can do to change the format - I average 105 pulls per day. Therefore, I can't add any additional formats that would lengthen the day. I print t-shirts for all competitors and feed everyone. I'm sure there is more I can do (I'm a one-man show) but changing the format is difficult. Perhaps enhancing the experience within the established parameters is a possibility.

[Horton]

@LLUSA & @jdarwin

 

Your tournaments all well known and I am sure there is more demand than you have hours in the day. I am frankly trying to shame tournaments organizers to think outside the box but I understand that your events are already successful.

 

Perhaps you could find the joker in your group of local skiers and have him set up an unofficial (voluntary) $5 handicap pool during one of the slalom events. He makes up the rules and collects the cash. The point is to do something big or small to make the event more fun for the skiers. It does not have to mean that you personally have to work any harder.

 

A guy I ski with does it at local events and it adds some fun to the event. It is a small thing and the pot is usually not more than $200 but it creates some trash talk and everyone involved pays more attention to how everyone else is skiings.

 

The difference is the little things.

 

 

[LLUSA]

The idea of adding money does increase the interest no doubt, one year at the Southern Regionals we were betting on each skiers score about $20 in the pot and it did add to the event, I'll work on it

[klindy]

@LLUSA let's put teams of two skiers together and have a Calcutta at the southern regionals.

[klindy]

I'm with @Than_Bogan that I'm not a tournament organizer but rather an assistant (or an assistant to the assistant...). And I cannot take credit for for the ideas since I'm just a grunt worker at some level but the site I ski at has put on two weekends (4 tournaments) of record slalom typically with a handicap Pro Am format for one weekend. Also we hosted a Big Dawg last year along with the inaugural Queens Cup which was a huge success.

 

Anyway the formats are sort of a blend between the typical slalom tournament along with some interesting and/or innovative ideas to raise the bar. Again I'm just a grunt but the credit goes to folks who had the foresight to pull the trigger on their ideas.

[Horton]

Just to show you guys I am serious.... I am in negotiations with DB Skis to use their skis as trophies at future BallOfSpray cash events as well as some local Bakersfield events. Take a look at http://www.dbski.net/skis.html

 

 

[Horton]

@dbski Here are the photos... Thought I lost my mind

[Horton]

bump