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2009 Sierra Avalanche Ski-Orienteering Championships

Five Days, Five Venues in the Lake Tahoe Area

Date: Jan. 25 - Feb. 1, 2009
Location: Lake Tahoe Area
Event Director: - 650.793.8764
Course Setters: Brenda Giese, Bob Baylor, Chuck Lyda, Matthias Kohler
Type: Ski-O; 5 Ski-O events in 8 days in the Lake Tahoe area -- Register by JANUARY 16 for discounts

Related Event Information

Registration Information Registered Participants Last Year's Event Bear Valley Ski-O, Mar.1,2009

Table of contents
1 Highlights
2 Schedule
3 Map Legend
4 Event Info
5 Registration
6 More Information
7 Results
Please note that fees and time limits apply, unless otherwise mentioned below. Events are typically not canceled due to bad weather.

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Photo gallery image (click to enlarge)

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Note: Preregistration discounts have ended, but we would still appreciate it if you would register before the events.

Note: If you are sending a minor to the event at Northstar Cross Country (Jan. 29) or Auburn Ski Club Training Center (Feb. 1), a waiver must be signed by a parent or court-appointed legal guardian of the minor. If you are not attending with the minor, you can get the Northstar form here and the Auburn form here (http://www.auburnskiclub.org/index2.php?option=com_docman&task=doc_view&gid=10&Itemid=75). Sign the form, and send it to the event with your minor.


Highlights

Schedule

Map Legend

Click on the pin icons in the map to get location names and driving directions.
Day 1: Royal Gorge XC Center (Score-O)
Day 2: Tahoe Donner XC Center
Day 3: Northstar Cross Country
Day 4: Tahoe XC/Burton Creek
Day 5: Auburn Ski Club (Motala)

Event Info

This year, we return to the week-long format, and we're adding an event at Northstar Cross Country. To make sure that everything runs well, we're adding volunteers and focusing on courses instead of things like T-shirts (sorry). We're also doing whatever we can to find affordable housing in the area to keep your expenses down. For your off days, we're even organizing casual ski trips to various inexpensive trail systems around Lake Tahoe. This week of skiing is a great training and touring opportunity not to be missed.

With five events in the championship series, we maintain the same scoring system as used previously. You qualify for the championships as soon as you complete one course. At each event, the winner of each class gets 100 points and everyone else in the class gets points that represent the percentage of the winner's time to their time (if you take twice as long as the winner, you get 50 points). For each championship class, we add the scores of each participant to see who has the highest score. If you are the only person in your class, you can win by going to just one event. If there are more people in your class, it pays to go to more events.

Credits are available for those who volunteer and for those who cannot attend all of the events. If you volunteer at an event all day long (so that you cannot race), you get to count your highest score for the event you volunteered at (volunteer twice, you get to use your two highest scores). If you are absent, you get an absence credit equal to 90 percent of your average competition score. An absence credit can help if you have to miss a couple of days for work, but your competition scores had better be really good to win the championships. Nobody can claim more credits than events competed in the championships.

Update 31-Jan-2009: As stated above, an absence credit is given only when you are absent from the event. Switching to another class does not mean that you are entitled to an absence credit for another class. You get one score a day—it can be for your first course, a volunteer credit, or an absence credit.

Customized medals are awarded to the first, second, and third place finishers for each fully competitive championship class. Ribbons are awarded to the first, second, and third place finishers for each less competitive class. The fully competitive classes are F-16, M-16, F-20, M-20, F-21+, Amazon, M-21+, F40+, M40+, F55+, M55+, F65+, and M65+. The less competitive classes are M-red, F-green, M-green, F-orange, M-orange, F-white, and M-white.

Registration

Use the registration form (PDF 46KB)¹ to submit your registration. The mailing address is on the form.

Preregister early (postmarked by December 15) for the maximum discounts. Preregister by January 16 (postmark) for discounts (compared to event-day registration). Any registrations postmarked after January 16th are considered event-day registrations (no discounts).

Everyone is welcome, but please preregister so we know how may maps to print. There will be a few extra copies, and we typically can print maps at the event, but our capabilities for this are limited and require waiting. If you cannot preregister, but intend to come, please tell the events and class for your probable competitions (you might not get a discount but we should have a map printed for you).

A list of registered participants is available here.

More Information

Starts are always on a first-come first-served basis. The first person on site with completed registration gets to start early with the best snow (well, typically the best). Late comers start later, when the snow might not be as nice for racing.

To keep up-to-date on issues, check back here from time to time. Also, include your E-mail address on the event email distribution list (http://groups.google.com/group/sierra-ski-orienteering) (which is great for finding inexpensive/shared rental accommodations and carpools). You can post a message to the group with this address:

People who wish to volunteer at all the events (in addition to competing) can qualify for the very inexpensive, but comfortable, volunteers cabin.

Results

Results for the individual days can be reached with the following links:

Results for the Championships might (or might not) be available here.


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¹ PDF files can be viewed with the free Adobe Acrobat Reader (http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readstep2.html) program.