While everybody has been enjoying their well earned Christmas and New Year holiday the IDF engine room has been running at full steam arranging events, aligning with national associations, buying infrastructure, writing handbooks, working on formats and generally immersing ourselves in what will be a great start to a new structure.
We are now at the stage where we are happy to announce and publish the 2013 draft rules for comment, feedback and consultation by IDF members. Most competitors see this as very boring stuff but the tech heads at the IDF have been busy bringing in some changes to streamline and improve the running of IDF events. For those not bothered to read the entire rule book here is an executive summary of the major changes we think most members will be interested in. For the full Rules and Regulations follow this link
Safety Gear changes
- Leather and synthetic race gloves now allowed
- Helmet rules more clearly defined
- Skateboard category no long required to present racing equipment ie. skateboard for technical inspection
While glove, helmet, and leathers will need to be in a decent state of repair and submitted for technical inspection the IDF will no longer check skateboards via technical inspection prior to a race. The elements of skateboard are as such super stock and very rarely abused. The equipment ie. wheels, trucks, deck are also changed frequently during a race. The responsibility of having the required specifications on skateboard equipment now lay with the competitor and failure to abide by the specification will result in an on track conduct penalty.
Luge equipment by nature is very custom made and will be required along with safety gear to be presented to a full pre-race technical inspection.
Skateboard equipment changes
- Bearing restriction removed
- Max wheel size reduced
- Max deck length reduced
- 4 wheels and 2 trucks now specified
- Experimental and prototype wheels and trucks now allowed
Classic Luge changes
- Maximum wheel restriction changed to 76mm
- 4 wheels and 2 trucks specified
- Experimental and prototype wheels and trucks now allowed
We see the difference between buttboard and street luge really is the deck, they are simply world's apart from street luge in the deck. Modern buttboard restricted wheel diameter for a range of reasons now seen as redundant. Whats makes a buttboard is the fact it is wood, its 125cm long, 12" wide, has 2 trucks and 4 wheels. By nature of those measurements you can only do so much, The IDF is not prepared to kill off 95% of the industry race wheel market to them and have them race in different wheels to everybody else.
Freeing it up to 76mm will bring all the race wheel manufacturers back into the game and give a good signal to the industry that buttboard is back in the normal wheel game. Almost every buttboard is custom made and not commercially available so we believe it is not wise to take the items that are in fact super stock and available everywhere in every country, that every kid can buy and ban it.
Category changes
- One Junior class defined by being under 18years at all times during racing season
- Minimum age restrictions removed
- All other age categories ie micro groms, masters now defined as exhibition categories and are not subject to IDF rankings
With the top riders getting younger each year the determination of a junior age has been lowered to 17 years and under. This has been done to strengthen the single junior category by removing the over age adults from this category and placing them in the opens where their skill level is more closely aligned. Event organizers can still hold other age categories but for the purpose of IDF rankings and to keep integrity in a true Junior World Cup Series there will only be one junior category reflected in the rankings.
The IDF is very aware and proactive in the development of our junior category but for the purpose of World Cup and WQS events we must maintain the strength of categories that have full numbers, with traveling competitors so that results and rankings give a true and honest reflection of the sport and so the integrity and consistency of categories and results is maintained across all events. We truly believe the development of very young riders belongs in the capable hands of national bodies as a stepping stone to the main junior World Cup events.
Operational changes
- Inclement weather determination protocol changed
- While nobody will be forced to race in inclement weather the final decision to open the track for racing will be determined by the Chief Steward and Event organizer on in consultation with the riders and will not longer be governed simply by a vote of riders
Race Formats
Approved IDF formats must be used with a list that will be significantly expanded to account for innovative race formats and local event preference (list will be available from the IDF website and is subject to change). The IDF will publish in due time a broad list of event formats to be used at IDF events. We will also publish a set of automated event trees for use be event organizers to make it easier for event organizers to submit accurate results.
Qualifying
- Minimum single timed run requirement for World Cup events
- 'Race to Qualify' and other non timed qualifying allowed for World Qualifying Series events
- In the absence of electronic timing an approved IDF format must be used
All World Cup events will require some form of timed qualifying but that has now been reduced to a single timed run. In the advent of using a single run an event must use an IDF approved format that allows for enough redundancy so as not to disadvantage a potential finalist rider. Generally using a single timed run will require an event to use a mixed qualifying format meaning the finalists will be determined by a combination of timed runs and round robin formats
World Qualifying Series events will be encouraged but not required to use timed qualifying in events. An IDF approved race-to-qualify format will be accepted.
Racing changes
Finish line in skateboard determined by front wheels touching the finish line
Sometimes the best way is the simplest way. For many years skateboard races have been adjudicated at the finish line by the first wheels across the line. It is done this way because its the easiest and clearest way to adjudicate a finish position. It does not require high speed cameras nor does it require a camera placed at a right angle to the line. What we want to bring back is the tuck competition to the line and remove the anomaly where a rider can lose while crossing the line first.
Protests
Protected race position and protest area defined
To remove some of the adversarial nature of protests a rider is now protesting against their finishing position rather than against the other rider. There are restrictions to this which make it very manageable and can be implemented very consistently across races. The protected rule works like this; For the purpose of protests a riders position in a heat is considered protected from the approach to the last corner or the last 400m of the race track whichever is nearer to the finish line. This means a rider maintains that position at the time of the incident.
It is easy to place somebody at the last corner or at the final 300m mark of the final straight to adjudicate on this. There is to be no recourse to video, there is no he said she said, when asked to it should be adjudicated on within 30secs by this person. This means the rider that protests retains their position and the penalized rider is either dropped a position or disqualified. It is to be made very clear that the rest of the track holds no advantage to protest. The rest of the track effectively becomes a no protest area. This does not mean a rider is free to do what they want it just means that only the chief steward or their delegate can initiate a penalty against a rider. It is not a protest from one rider against the other it is just a penalty initiated by the chief steward on advice against bad riding and will result in disqualification or conduct penalty with no improved position.
Events
- World Cup
- World Qualifying Series
- World Championships removed
The IDF will be overseeing 2 event levels the WCT and the WQS. National and Regional level events will no longer be administered by the IDF as these are best run by national bodies and will have no effect on World Tour points or World Rankings. All IDF events be that WC or WQS are now considered world level events and the world rankings will reflect that.
