Association Nendaz Freeride

Nendaz Freeride rules

I. General

The Nendaz Freeride is a competition which takes place off the marked-out slopes on the ski domain of Nendaz.The competition is open to experienced professional and non-professional riders in excellent physical condition. Riders must be 18 years old minimum and in perfect control of their ski, snowboard or télémark in unprepared snow and particularly difficult conditions.The competition is open to skiers, snowboarders and telemarkers, women and men. Except many inscriptions, the telemarkers are included in the ski category.

III. Criteria of acceptance

The competition is open to all riders over 18 years old.Please read our criteria of acceptance. 

IV. Security equipment

Each rider must at least wear :

• A number allocated by the staff
• A freeride or integral helmet
• A bip (ARVA) in working order
• A rucksack Airbag with one shovel and one probe
• A back protection (protection included in a backpack is not allowed)
• A cross-belt for the Nendaz Freeride (recommended for the qualification)
• Ski or snowboard in working order

A full equipment check will be made before each run. Any rider not correctly equipped will be disqualified. The Nendaz Freeride Team reserves the right to disqualify any rider without warning if it judges the rider unfit physically, morally, or psychologically to reach the arrival line. This is for his or her own security as well as that of other competitors and any other person likely to use the ski domain. 

IV. Insurance

Because of all the problems arising with riders badly insured, the new FWT rules require every FWQ organizers to sign a personal insurance for every rider. This insurance is made with the "l'Européenne d'assurance" company and covers the riders during the totality of their runs. The details of this insurance can be consulted here. Other than when participating in the official runs, the riders are not covered by this insurance.Injured riders must imperatively contact their own accident insurance of their own country in case of accident. If this insurance will not pay, the accident will be covered by the FWT insurance above.The organisation comitee is not responsible for an accident arising away from the official runs. The Nendaz Freeride Team holds a civil responsibility insurance.However, it will not be responsible for any unforeseen situation or for any other event caused by sudden and unexpected circumstances not within the competition.

V. Competition

Riders must comply with the timetable given on the morning of the competition. The pictures of the mountain sides will be published on the website one week before the contest.  Riders are warned that outside the competition, the mountain sides are not secured and that Télénendaz clearly recommends against any rides. Riders doing so should know that this is part of their own responsibility.The bib distribution will occures on the night before or during the Day 1. The riders must imperatively be personnaly present.
Information about the competition will be given during the riders' briefing on the first morning at the Plan du Fou. Every rider must be present and must comply with the instructions given by the Nendaz Freeride Team and the mountain guides. Once the brief is over, the riders are free to go down to the mountain sides to study the runs and choose their line. The first riders who want to go for their runs can do it half an hour after the end of the brief. There is no starting list, each rider decides when he wants to ride.During the qualification, riders must compete on 2 runs. If 70% of the riders did their two runs, the total of both runs count. If less than 70%, we take into consideration the best run.
Beachflags and banners from our sponsors indicate the starts of the runs. The riders introduce themselves to the starter by giving him his number. Before announcing the next run to the judges located at the bottom of the face, the starters will control that the riders have all the mandatory equipment. Riders who are not present during the morning briefing or who arrive late as well as those who do not conform with the obligatory controls and instructions of the organization will be disqualified without allowance or refund of their participation finance or any other potential cost.

VI. Judging

The riders are judged by an experienced jury composed of: senior competitors, experts or professors, mountain guides, local riders with a complete experience of the location, photographers or cameramen. They are all FWT certified judges.Each rider is judged on the base of the "overall impression". This unique mark is based on the 4 following criteria :

 
Click here to inform yourself about the new FWT judging system :http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PP4T7ZsErYs The results of the qualifications and the list of the riders selected for the final are published on the first day during the after-ski.No appeal is possible against the decisions of the organization.

VII. Renunciation of rights on the images

Riders will be filmed and photographed during the competition. By their signature, they acknowledge that they allow the organization to use those pictures or movies, therefore renouncing their rights on them.Those pictures and movies will remain the property of the organization to be freely used on its communication (website, posters, flyers, etc.) in time.

VIII. Expulsion clause of the organization's responsability

The riders must comply with the FIS (International Ski Federation) .The organization declines any responsibility in case of loss, damage or theft during the competition.
Riders who consume drugs or alcohol may be disqualified without warning by the organization. The same applies if the riders do not respect the present rules.The organization reserves the right to modify or cancel the competition in case of bad weather, inappropriate snow conditions or any other conditions likely to endanger the lives of the riders.

IX. Disclaimer 

Each rider must submit a signed disclaimer during the bib distribution. Any participant refusing to sign this document will be excluded from competition.