Ideas for setting tight courses would be helpful

[Glenn S]

Actual computer written diagrams of course layout and ideas on how to set them up would be very helpful to anyone just starting out.

What are the different elements of a course called? Just start by giving a list of all the elements that can be put into a course like; "Stinger", "Gilmourian Curve", etc. And maybe just a short discription of each.

Does anyone know of a place on the web where I could find information about setting up various slalom skateboard courses?

Maybe this site would be a good place to post such diagrams and teach those of us that don't know much about setting up courses, how to do so. If you can design good courses, but are unable to do the computer work to make them website friendly, maybe someone that is will offer to redo them for you using one of those Paint programs? If your able to do this please step forward and offer up your services please.

I have Microsoft Excel capability, if your able to use that Excel spreadsheet that Gareth Roe posted here under "Course Setting Equipment & Canned Courses". You could email me and I'll give you my Fax # to send hand written copies to.

SampleTight.xls

If not, post courses that you think are good and I'll transfer them to that Excel spreadsheet for those that can. Sorry I'm no expert with any Paint/Drawing programs.


Those of you that do know how to set up good courses, have set up alot for races, or just have a lot of experience, please step forward and educate.

[Tom Freer]

Right on!
Hey Gilmour please help.
Anything, tight slalom or a decent typical GS course would be great to have and print out to get practicing.
P-L-E-A-S-E!!!!

[John Gilmour]

So lets try to get some nomenclature to try and describe the difficulty level of the course.

I tried to do this for the first July 4th race.

Then I used single digits for simple loose courses

Double digits for looser courses that had technical features.

And triple digits for courses that required technical expertise, controlled braking or sliding, and were tight.

I'm not sure that this is the absolute right way to do this.

But it was at least a step it eh right direction.

What I am hoping is that we could have several good canned courses that could be set on hills in different areas. I could have the course be somewhat "Modular" so that if there was a steeper segment of the hill- you would set a particular "Module" and if there was a less steep section you would set another "module" Etc.

For hills with constant pitch I would make a course that ran well with constant pitch- and something for a hill with a run out etc.


This is not to set people...to be stuck with canned courses...but rather to help get people started in developing their own course setting skills.

A great course is like a killer ski trail- or a good race track- exciting at every turn.

[John Gilmour]

So that being said

teh first course a complete newbie would like to try is about 8.5 feet on center...merely straight cones.

Eventually tighten the spacing until about 6.5 feet- then start experimenting with offsets.

(such a course has no technical components- just straight cones.)

Your first attempt at offsets could be using one cone width of offset and adding an extra foot to the cone spacing (ie 7.5 feet between the cones with 1 cone width of offset)

This would have one technical component (ie even spaced offsets)