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Alpine Officials

Becoming an Official  |  Checking Credentials  |  Maintaining Credentials  |  Advancement

Running an alpine ski race requires a number of volunteers to check in athletes, prepare and maintain the course, and judge and time the competition. The rules of alpine ski racing require that a sanctioned event have a number of credentialed officials. A typical race requires a Start and Finish Referee, Chief of Course, Chief of Race, Chief of Timing, Referee, Technical Delegate, and Race Administrator.

Alpine Officials are responsible for the safe conduct of the event and the accurate timing, judging, and scoring. They also play a key role in ensuring that the spirit of the sport and competition is maintained.

Serving as an Alpine Official is a fun and rewarding experience! The NHARA Alpine Officials Committee encourages parents to be involved in ski racing and serve as positive role models.

ALPINE OFFICIALS

Alpine Officials consist of the following specialty areas, reflecting different responsibilities, abilities, and experience.

  • Jury Advisor (JA , Start and Finish Referees)
  • Chief of Course (CC)
  • Chief of Race (CR)
  • Chief of Timing and Calculations (TC)
  • Referee (RF)
  • Technical Delegate (TD)
  • Race Administrator (RA)

The Competition Officials course discusses each of these specialties, their role, and how the officials work as a team to oversee the operations of an event.

BECOMING AN OFFICIAL

If you are new to alpine ski racing, spend a season helping run events with your club by fulfilling roles that do not require certification.  This will help you understand the flow of the event, learn about different roles, and find what interests you. For example, you can be the Starter where you'll work with the Start Referee and can learn a about the responsibilities of the team that manages the start area.

Most will start with a Jury Assistant certification, but whichever specialty area you start with, you will need to do the following

  1. Join/Renew USSA as an Alpine Official 
  2. Complete the Competition Official review and quiz
  3. Download and review the study guide for your specialty area
  4. Register for a clinic where the certification exam will be administered

Completion of the Alpine Official membership requires the completion of SafeSport and a background  check. The confirmation email received after registering contains details on how to complete these additional requirements.

HELPFUL LINKS

Last updated October 23, 2024