CONTEST “HOW TO”

Contest Director – Shannon Brown

Requirements

• Longboard size must be 9’0 or larger

• Shortboard size must be under 7’0

• Princess’s must be able to catch waves unassisted

Heat Times

• Please arrive at the beach at least 45 minutes prior to your heat time. Check in for your heat at least 20 minutes prior at the Beach Marshal tent next to the judges tower. 

• Collect the appropriate jersey, designated by the official heat board

• There will be no heat time extension.

• Heat schedule will be followed to the minute. If a surfer is not present the heat will start without the absent surfer(s).

Heat Start & Finish

• The contest zone will be marked by large flags at the beach. 

• All heats are allotted a 5 minute paddle out. Surfers are to paddle out to the side area, which will be designated by the contest director prior to the start of the event. Surfers are to stay in this area until the heat ahead of them has finished.

• Heat start is designated in a single horn blast. Heat finish is designated by two horn blasts. 

• Round 1 heats will be 15 minutes. All subsequent heats will be extended to 20 minutes

• The judges stand will have a visual heat indicator. Green will mean the heat is underway. Yellow means the heat will have 5 or less minutes remaining. No indicator sign will represent the minute between heats. 

• At the end of the heat surfers must return to the beach in a prone position (on their stomach).

• The announcer will count down both the start and end of the heat from five with the horn sounding on zero. 

• A wave will only be scored if the surfer is to their feet after the sound of the horn to start the heat or before the horn to end the heat. 

Wave Tabulation

• The surfer’s top two waves will dictate their score. 

• Each judge will score each surfer’s wave ridden, to a maximum of 10 waves. 

• With 5 judges the top score and bottom score of every wave ridden will be thrown out with the remaining 3 scores being averaged to give the surfer’s score for the wave ridden. 

• The judge’s scores will then be passed on to the tabulator at the end of each. The tabulator will input the sum of each surfer’s top 2 waves ridden. 

Interference

• A surfer deemed to have inside position has unconditional right of way for the entire duration of the wave. 

• Interference will be called if during that ride a majority of judges feel that a competing surfer has hindered the scoring potential of the surfer deemed to have right of way. 

• Anyone who stands in front of another surfer with the right of way has the opportunity to kick out without being penalized if the scoring potential of the right of way surfer has not been hindered. 

• In a multiple peak situation where two surfers could be surfing towards one another, both waves will be scored if either ride is not hindered. If this situation occurs and it hinders the scoring potential of the first surfer to their feet the offending surfer will not be scored for their wave. 

Interference Penalty

• If any of the above mentioned scenarios occur the offending surfer will have their second best wave score halved. 

Judging Criteria Shortboard

• Judges analyze the following major elements when scoring waves.

• Commitment and degree of difficulty

• Speed, power and flow

• Commitment of major maneuvers

• Variety of maneuvers 

• Innovative and progressive maneuvers

Note: The emphasis of certain elements is contingent upon the location and the conditions on the day, as well as changes of conditions during the day. 

Note: The following scale may be used to describe a ride that is scores:

0-1.9 = Poor

2.0-3.9 = Fair

4.0-5.9 = Average

6.0-7.9 = Good

8.0-10 = Excellent

Judging Criteria Longboard

• Judges analyze the following major elements when scoring waves.

• Commitment and degree of difficulty

• Variety of Traditional & Modern Maneuvers

• Use of foot work on the board

• Speed, Power, Style & Flow

• Combination of major maneuvers 

Note: The emphasis of certain elements is contingent upon the location and the conditions on the day, as well as changes of conditions during the day. 

Note: The following scale may be used to describe a ride that is scores:

0-1.9 = Poor

2.0-3.9 = Fair

4.0-5.9 = Average

6.0-7.9 = Good

8.0-10 = Excellent