Capital Area Summer Series
Tournament Rules

Revision 6, Approved by the general membership: MAR2005

The Capital Area Summer Series is a fun way for members of the Capital Area Water Ski Club to compete against skiers of similar ability. At the end of each season skiers are eligible for awards based on their performance. The intent is to encourage skiers of all ages and abilities by leveling the field so everyone has a better chance to win.

The rules set forth herein shall define all aspects of the Capital Area Summer Series. Questions of interpretation or exceptions to these rules should be referred to the CAWSC Board of Directors.

Definitions

Capital Area Water Ski Club (CAWSC) - The Austin, Texas area water ski club that is the sponsor of the Capital Area Summer Series.

Capital Area Summer Series (CASS) - A seasonal series of water ski tournaments designated by the CAWSC Board of Directors.

Score - The results of any single round of an event representing the skier's best performance for that event in a tournament.

Event - One of the three traditional events of water skiing: Slalom, Trick or Jump.

Season - Each year the CASS season begins with the CAWSC sponsored CASS Kickoff Tournament and ends with the CAWSC sponsored CASS Finals Tournament.

Division - An ability based group of skiers for each event as defined herein.

Minimum Score Requirement (MSR) - The minimum number of scores a skier must accumulate to be eligible for an end-of-season award. The default is 4 but can be changed at the discretion of the Board of Directors. Example: the Board could lower the MSR for one event or all events if it felt that there were not enough applicable tournaments that season.

Tournaments

Tournaments sponsored by entities other than CAWSC may be designated as CASS tournaments.

American Water Ski Association (AWSA) rules apply to all Class C sanctioned tournaments and therefore to all Class C CASS skiers.

The sponsoring entity shall determine the extent to which AWSA rules apply to novice tournaments, novice divisions, or novice skiers within Class C tournaments unless otherwise specified within these CASS rules.

Divisions

Skiers are placed into divisions based on performance results for the current season. Slalom skiers are placed into the division that the skier has never completed. Trick and jump skiers are placed based on point scores.

Skiers may elect to compete in a higher performance division than their best performance but not in a lower division.

At any CASS tournament, if a skier accomplishes a score that is into the next division, the skier will be re-classified into that division for the next tournament and for the rest of the season.

Divisions will be "frozen" going into the tournament prior to CASS Finals for those skiers who have met the MSR in their current division. These skiers will not be bumped out of their division for the CASS Finals and the tournament before it.

All divisions will be "frozen" going into the CASS Finals tournament.

Slalom Divisions

A Beginner skier is defined as one who does not ski through the entrance gate on the opening pass.

Novice Females and Males:
Beginner (0 - 6 buoys at any speed.)
25 - 40 KPH (16 - 24 MPH)
43 - 46 KPH (26 - 28 MPH)
49 - 52 KPH (30 - 32 MPH)

Females and Males 12 and under and Females and Males 35* and up:

* For some divisions lower maximum speeds apply.

Males 13 - 34:

Novice Competition includes all divisions up to a skier's maximum speed. Once a skier completes a perfect pass at his or her maximum speed at 15 off, he or she will advance to Class C at the next tournament.

Trick Divisions

0 - 500 pts (Novice)
501 - 1000 pts
1001 - 1500 pts
1501 - 2000 pts
2001 - 2500 pts
2501 - 3000 pts
3001 - 3500 pts
3501 - 4000 pts
4001 - 4500 pts
4501 - 5000 pts
5001 - 5500 pts
5501 - 6000 pts & above

Jump Divisions

0 - 125 points (NOPS)
126 - 250 points
251 - 500 points
501 - 750 points
751 - 1000 points
1001 - 1250 points

Scoring

In addition to meeting AWSA's tournaments entry requirements, CASS skiers must also be current members of CAWSC before skiing in order to have their scores recorded.

Scores of CAWSC members participating in CASS tournaments will be recorded for each event in which they participate.

Scores in each event from the CASS Finals Tournament shall be entered twice if MSR-1 prior Scores have been accumulated. However, the CASS Finals Tournament shall be counted as a single tournament and only one score will count toward the MSR.

If a tie exists for an end-of-season award, two awards will be given.

For events that have timing tolerances for boat speed, wide tolerances are allowed for novice skiers.

Each skier's best scores by event up to the MSR will be totaled to determine placement within each event division for end-of-season awards. Awards will be given in each division where at least one skier has met the MSR.

Division Changes

If a (slalom or jump) skier in a maximum speed group changes divisions during the CASS season and has met the MSR prior to Nationals, the scores will count toward the skier's original division end-of-season award. If the skier then meets the MSR in the new division after Nationals, the scores will count toward the skier's new division end of season award. It is therefore possible for a skier to win awards in two divisions for the same event in one CASS season.

If a skier changing divisions has not met the MSR prior to Nationals, but skis enough tournaments after the nationals to satisfy the MSR, then the scores can be combined for a season total.

Slalom

All skiers, regardless of class, are required to ski through the exit gate to constitute a pass.

If the skier scores all six buoys, the boat will make a turn and re-enter the course at a speed of 3 KPH faster. Beginner skiers are required to use the entrance gates on a return pass after the completion of a pass, at the same speed, or may OPT-UP to the next speed.

Slalom skiers going up in maximum speed will have 6 points added to each score skied at the lower speed. Skiers going down in maximum speed will have 6 points subtracted from each higher speed scored.

Scoring will be an accumulation of consecutive buoys referred to as points. Scoring starts at 25 KPH (16 MPH) for every skier.

The minimum starting speed for any division is 25 KPH (16 MPH).

Novice slalom skiers shall be allowed one fall or one miss for each round in any CASS tournament.

Trick

Novice trick passes will be scored the same as Class C.

Jump

Jump scoring will be based on the NOPS scoring system. The NOPS score of the skier's best jump will be their CASS score for that tournament.

There is no Novice jump division, as it is not allowed per AWSA rules.