12.10- [RELEASE] USCSA Announces Snowboard and Freeski Nationals Qualification

Apr 18
4 min read

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Alec Tandara-Kuhns

December 10th 2018 - The U.S. Collegiate Ski and Snowboard Association (USCSA) is excited to announce the implementation of a qualification system for Snowboard and Freeski teams hoping to advance to the USCSA Collegiate National Championships.

In order to ensure Snowboard and Freeski events at the USCSA Collegiate National Championships are contested in the safest way while maintaining the integrity of the event, it has become necessary to implement a system that creates a cap on the number of teams and athletes participating. The new Snowboard and Freeski Subcommittee worked hard to come up with a system that fosters a high level of competition throughout the regular and postseason competitions, with the final rule also being reviewed and approved by the Rules Committee and Board of Directors. The total number of teams competing in each discipline will be 18, with 96 total athletes.

A berth redistribution system exists to ensure all available team and individual berths are filled. If a region is unable to fill all of their allocated berths, those berths can be transferred to different regions who have a surplus of teams and athletes that are able to attend the USCSA Collegiate National Championships.

"The new quota system for snowboard/freeski ushers in a new era for both the USCSA and the sports as a whole,” Said Doug Grayson, USCSA Vice President of Sport. “Working within this system provides a safer, more qualified national championships in line with the way these sports have continued to grow and mature".

The full text of the qualification system can be found below and at our website, www.uscsa.com.

The USCSA is the sports federation for collegiate team ski racing and snowboarding in America. The USCSA believes that student-athletes of all levels and abilities should have access to quality and exciting venues of competition. USCSA athletes agree that our team orientation fosters a collaborative approach across their collegiate athletic and academic careers, and often this mentality proves indispensable in

their adult lives and careers. The organization includes 170 colleges from coast to coast, fielding 5,000 male and female, alpine, freestyle, cross-country, snowboarding and nordic ski jumping athletes in over 300 events annually.

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For more information or to schedule an interview, please contact atandkuhns@uscsa.com

8.2.5. USCSA National Championship Freeski Quota Determination: The Freeski Quotas are comprised of two components. The first being membership based and the second performance based. The number of female and male quota spots assigned to a region is the same for each sex.

8.2.5.1. Number of Freeski Competitors: The total number of Competitors in each Snowboard Competition at USCSA National Championships shall not exceed ninety-six (96).

8.2.5.2 The total number of teams participating in Snowboard Events at Nationals shall be eighteen (18).

8.2.5.2.1 Team Membership Berths: Seventeen (17) Team Spots will be determined based on population. Each Team Shall consist of 5 members, maximum. A denominator shall be determined each January to identify how many teams from each region shall be allotted to Nationals; (Sim to 8.2.3.1.). If an outcome of 17 cannot be achieved using the identified method, the SB & FS Committee shall provide a result as close to 17 as possible but not less than 17.

8.2.5.2.2. Team Invitational Berth: One (1) Team Invitational Berth shall be permitted, determined by the VP of Snowboard in conjunction with the SB & FS Committee and National Championships Committee.

8.2.5.3. Outstanding Individual Berths: There shall be six (6) spots for outstanding individuals, one (1) per Region for each of the 6 regions. The outstanding individual shall be the highest ranked Snowboard Athlete from a Region based on Regional Qualifier Competition results not on a qualifying team.

8.2.5.4. Additional Details Regarding Team Quotas: A Team may send more than five (5) athletes to the Championships at their determination, however, no more than five (5) can be entered into any single event (Ref: 7.4.1, 7.5.1).

8.2.5.4.1. Regional Qualification: Each Team must participate in a Regional Qualifying Event per existing USCSA Rules (Ref: 8.1) and be listed in the Regional Qualifying Event Results. Each Athlete must be eligible for Regional Championship Participation per existing USCSA Rules (Ref 2.4, including 2.4.1.3).

8.2.5.4.2. A Team may send less than five (5) athletes at their determination.

8.2.5.4.3. Should a Team send less than five (5) athletes, the remaining spots can be offered to the next qualifying team so long as the total number of athletes does not exceed the Region’s Quota number of Teams x 5 (Note: all additional athletes filling team spots are considered Team Qualifications.)

8.2.5.4.4. Reallocation of Berths: The SB&FS Committee (with the National Championships Committee when less than 7 days until the Championships) can reallocate unused spots across the USCSA either a) in response to petition or b) when prudent based on best available attendance information.

8.2.5.4.5. Each Region shall, at minimum, have one (1) team berth allocation.