This is a change that I would definitely welcome in the UK snowboarding competition scene. I’ve always wondered why it takes so long after a competition has ended to tally up the scores and work out the finalists, if you’re using a clear marking scheme then surely it should just be a simple rearrangement of riders based on their score. The fact that so long is taken just makes riders/spectators query the results and wonder whether the judges are ensuring that the scores they submit match the pre-arranged placings or make sure that their “best bud” is through to the final. I hope that this is well received at the higher level competitions and that we see it happening in the UK as soon as the judges can get up to speed with it.
SNOWBOARDING LIVE SCORING SYSTEM
TO BE INTRODUCED AT THE BURTON NEW ZEALAND OPEN
Wanaka, New Zealand – August 5th, 2010: Following the successful launch of the
Snowboarding Live Scoring Systemâ„¢ at The Oakley Arctic Challenge slopestyle last winter,
major events on the Swatch TTR World Tour have agreed to work together to expand and
implement the system for all halfpipe, slopestyle and big air competitions for the upcoming
2010/11 season. The Live Scoring System is planned to be introduced across all 6Star TTR
events in an effort to break down barriers posed by the current Overall Impression system and to
improve the presentation and understanding of competitive freestyle snowboarding as a whole.
In a tight partnership between TTR, the World Snowboard Federation, the events, judges and
riders, the Live Scoring System was developed as a completely new way to judge snowboarding.
The current system in use, called Overall Impression, focuses on a rider’s run in its entirety and
provides little to no feedback to riders or spectators on how a score is generated. The new Live
Scoring System is more transparent and allows everyone to clearly see how judges give points by
scoring each trick individually in a rider’s run. Each trick score is added up to generate a total
trick score that is then combined with a total flow score (how well a rider links all tricks in the run)
to make up the final score for a rider’s run.
The Live Scoring system will be used for the first time in both halfpipe and slopestyle at the 2010
Burton New Zealand Open. If the system is well received among riders, media and fans, the goal
is to integrate the system in all 6Star TTR events throughout the upcoming 2010/11 season.
However, based on the overall feedback from riders, spectators and television viewers from the
2010 Arctic Challenge, the general consensus is the system will be a major leap forward for the
sport.
Leading the development of this new judging system are experienced head judges Dani Kiwi
Meier and Greg Johnson who have both been involved with snowboard judging systems for over
15 years. Meier and Johnson have been working with top riders on the new judging system,
especially Torstein Horgmo, Andreas Ygre Wiig and Terje Haakonsen, who have been key
players in the overall development. Snowboard VM 2012, a Norwegian organization that will
oversee the operation of the 2012 World Snowboarding Championships, has financially backed
the development of the Live Scoring System and is also the current owner of the new system.
Snowboard VM 2012 plans to make the new judging system available to all interested events
within the TTR ranking system.
The 5Star Burton New Zealand Open will take place August 10-14, 2010 at Cardrona Alpine
Resort. For a sneak peak at how the new Live Scoring System will work, the New Zealand Open
will be webcast live on August 13th and 14th in New Zealand time zones and on August 12th and
13th in North American time zones at GO211.com. Check opensnowboarding.com or
GO211.com for complete webcast details.