Judging Overview

Judging Categories

1. Line Choice: Each competitor chooses his/her line or route down the course. High scores are given for choosing difficult routes. Difficulty is determined by steepness, exposure, air, snow and course conditions.
2. Control: Competitors must remain in control at all times. Any loss of control will result in a lower score. Skillful recoveries will reduce penalties.
3. Fluidity: Constant direction towards a goal. This includes continuity, pace, and smooth transitions between sections of the course. Falling or stopping can have a negative impact in this category
4. Technique: Competitors are judged on style and turn quality relating to big mountain freeriding.
5. Style & Energy: This encompasses the pace, energy and creativity with which a competitor attacks or descends his/her chosen line or route. Style focuses on freestyle execution of maneuvers.

 Judging Format

1. Line choice score will be established by the head judge and concurred by the rest of the judging panel. Line choice is not relative to how it is ridden. Line Choice is the difficulty of the terrain. All other scores are directly related to Line Choice score.
2. Scores in the other categories control, fluidity, technique, and style & energy may only exceed the line score by 3 points.
3. Falling and unsuccessfully landing jumps, cliff drops, or airs of any kind will have a significant negative impact on the judging categories control, fluidity and technique.
4. Tricks, and freestyle maneuvers are awarded in style & energy, technique, fluidity and control categories. Juniors may only go 3 above line score in this category.
5. Control is the second category judged. If a competitor loses control in a no fall zone, determined by the head judge, scores in the remaining categories will not exceed the Control points by 2 points.
6. No fall zones are not allowed in junior events. If an area has enough consequence to be considered a no fall zone it should be closed to juniors.