Intro

Most simply, timing a ski race is calculating the time between the moment a racer breaks the start wand and the moment they cross the finish line. It is calculated to the 1/100th of a second, and is used to rank competitors and determine a winner. Without timing there can’t be a race.

The goal of a ski race is to be safe, fair, fun and on time, and timing is a big part of that. Our priority is to get a legal time for every competitor, and to run the race in a fair, timely and legal manner. Equipment and methods need to conform to FIS and/or US Ski and Snowboard rules at all times. However, the job extends far beyond that. Preparation begins days or even weeks before an event. Repairing equipment and maintaining infrastructure is a year round project.

The pages in this section will describe some basic concepts behind timing a ski race.

• Time of Day (ToD) Timing
• Electronic Timing