CU Ski Team Will Debut New Dual Slalom Format Friday At Eldora
January 07, 2019 | Skiing, Neill Woelk
ELDORA — The University of Colorado ski team will make history this week when the Buffs introduce a new race format during their annual Colorado Invitational, held concurrently at Eldora and Steamboat Springs (Jan. 9-13).
For the first time ever in an NCAA competition, a dual slalom event will be contested. Dubbed the "Bob Beattie Derby" in honor of the late legendary Colorado coach, the event will see skiers get four runs in a side-by-side format down a 200-meter course.
The Dual Slalom will be contested on Friday night at 6 p.m. on Eldora's Chute run, viewable from the Indian Peaks lodge. To amp up excitement for the event, the lodge will be open and serving food and beverages. The CU Ski Team will hold an autograph session at 5 p.m. and CU's mascot Chip will be on hand. Eldora will close at 4 p.m. but the resort is offering entertainment between then and 6 p.m. There will be food and beverages available starting at 4 p.m.
The event is free, but if fans want to get a day of skiing in ahead of time, Eldora is also offering two deals. For $99, an all-day lift ticket and ticket to a BBQ will be available and for $79 a half-day ticket and BBQ dinner will be available. Those can be purchased starting at 10 a.m. for full day and 1 p.m. for half day at the Timbers Season Pass Office.
The event is a prelude to what CU coach Richard Rokos hopes will be the addition of the format to the NCAA Championships, along with the addition of sprints on the Nordic side. Currently, the NCAA meet consists of slalom and giant slalom on the alpine side and two classical and freestyle Nordic competitions.
"I think it will be exciting," Rokos said. "Throughout the whole training and practicing process, I realized this was the best development for junior skiers. It requires good body language and technique to accomplish it. The biggest problem with young skiers these days is they go too early to single gates. They cross block and they start rotating, and this format eliminates that."
Dual slaloms are contested throughout most of the competitive ski world, but the proposed NCAA format will have one significant difference — they will not be an "elimination" format. Instead, every racer will get four guaranteed runs, thereby making it possible to include each competitor in the team scoring format.
The skier with the fastest composite time of all four runs will then be the individual winner. Racers who don't finish or have an otherwise incomplete run will incur a two-second penalty and be able to remain in the competition.
"This race, if you don't finish your run, you get a two-second penalty but you can continue," Rokos said. "You can stay in the race and be part of it instead of sitting down and just watching."
The format should be especially exciting for fans, who will be able to watch every run from beginning to end in a "stadium" setting. The format will also provide non-stop action, as the short course will allow four racers to start in the span of roughly a minute.
"The whole thing is fun because it's two people skiing next to each other and it's a very quick turnaround," Rokos said. "There will always be something going on. Parents and fans love it because the kids are doing something they can see. It's much closer and you can observe top to bottom. You have a full view of the action and you are not missing a thing."
The format encourages good technique as well. Cross blocking — a slalom technique in which a skier takes such a tight line that he is able to simply block the slalom gate with his outside hand — will not be allowed.
"It is an appealing format," Rokos said. "It encourages good motion, good technique. You see who is getting ahead, who is taking the lead."
The Colorado Invitational begins Wednesday, Jan. 9, with the giant slalom event at Eldora, followed by another day of giant slalom on Thursday.
The first dual slalom will be contested Friday, Jan. 11, beginning at 6 p.m. under the Eldora lights, after the regular slalom is held during the day.
The action shifts to Steamboat on Saturday with the freestyle Nordic events at Howelsen Hill, followed by the classical Nordic competition on Sunday.
For the first time ever in an NCAA competition, a dual slalom event will be contested. Dubbed the "Bob Beattie Derby" in honor of the late legendary Colorado coach, the event will see skiers get four runs in a side-by-side format down a 200-meter course.
The Dual Slalom will be contested on Friday night at 6 p.m. on Eldora's Chute run, viewable from the Indian Peaks lodge. To amp up excitement for the event, the lodge will be open and serving food and beverages. The CU Ski Team will hold an autograph session at 5 p.m. and CU's mascot Chip will be on hand. Eldora will close at 4 p.m. but the resort is offering entertainment between then and 6 p.m. There will be food and beverages available starting at 4 p.m.
The event is free, but if fans want to get a day of skiing in ahead of time, Eldora is also offering two deals. For $99, an all-day lift ticket and ticket to a BBQ will be available and for $79 a half-day ticket and BBQ dinner will be available. Those can be purchased starting at 10 a.m. for full day and 1 p.m. for half day at the Timbers Season Pass Office.
The event is a prelude to what CU coach Richard Rokos hopes will be the addition of the format to the NCAA Championships, along with the addition of sprints on the Nordic side. Currently, the NCAA meet consists of slalom and giant slalom on the alpine side and two classical and freestyle Nordic competitions.
"I think it will be exciting," Rokos said. "Throughout the whole training and practicing process, I realized this was the best development for junior skiers. It requires good body language and technique to accomplish it. The biggest problem with young skiers these days is they go too early to single gates. They cross block and they start rotating, and this format eliminates that."
Dual slaloms are contested throughout most of the competitive ski world, but the proposed NCAA format will have one significant difference — they will not be an "elimination" format. Instead, every racer will get four guaranteed runs, thereby making it possible to include each competitor in the team scoring format.
The skier with the fastest composite time of all four runs will then be the individual winner. Racers who don't finish or have an otherwise incomplete run will incur a two-second penalty and be able to remain in the competition.
"This race, if you don't finish your run, you get a two-second penalty but you can continue," Rokos said. "You can stay in the race and be part of it instead of sitting down and just watching."
The format should be especially exciting for fans, who will be able to watch every run from beginning to end in a "stadium" setting. The format will also provide non-stop action, as the short course will allow four racers to start in the span of roughly a minute.
"The whole thing is fun because it's two people skiing next to each other and it's a very quick turnaround," Rokos said. "There will always be something going on. Parents and fans love it because the kids are doing something they can see. It's much closer and you can observe top to bottom. You have a full view of the action and you are not missing a thing."
The format encourages good technique as well. Cross blocking — a slalom technique in which a skier takes such a tight line that he is able to simply block the slalom gate with his outside hand — will not be allowed.
"It is an appealing format," Rokos said. "It encourages good motion, good technique. You see who is getting ahead, who is taking the lead."
The Colorado Invitational begins Wednesday, Jan. 9, with the giant slalom event at Eldora, followed by another day of giant slalom on Thursday.
The first dual slalom will be contested Friday, Jan. 11, beginning at 6 p.m. under the Eldora lights, after the regular slalom is held during the day.
The action shifts to Steamboat on Saturday with the freestyle Nordic events at Howelsen Hill, followed by the classical Nordic competition on Sunday.