Crew Info
Gate Judges are race officials who play a key role on race day. A downhill course might have 40 to 50 gates and the count can go up for GS and slalom races. For senior races, a large number of Gate Judges are needed.
The function of the Gate Judge is critical to the successful staging of a ski race. In their official position Gate Judges ensure the correct or safe passage of the skier as they travel down the mountain through the race course. Gate Judges actively participate in both the technical and speed events and, depending on the event, we may manage as few as one gate or as many as two or three. In the course of their duties, Gate Judges must take into account several considerations:- Safety of the gate jusges themselves and that of the athletes
- Fairness to the competitors or athletes
- Team play and support of fellow gate judges
Before each race each gate judge is assigned a number of gates to judge and gate cards to fill out to indicate any athlete disqualifications during the race. Correct passage through the gates is the key to an athlete's disqualification. Correct or safe passage is defined when both an athlete's ski tips and boots travel through an imaginary line between the poles. When this is not the case the athlete is disqualified. When the disqualification is not 100% certain then benefit of the doubt is awarded to the athlete.
At the conclusion of each race, when all of the athletes have completed their runs and the course is closed, the gate judge cards are gathered and presented to the Jury for review of disqualifications.
