Irish Student Nationals

The 2012 Irish Students National will take place on the 3/4 March in Strandhill, Co Sligo hosted by the ISA and Sligo IT Surf Club.

Eligibility 
The event will be open to any student surf club representing a third level college, institute or university in the thirty-two counties of Ireland. All competitors must be currently registered as students and a valid student card must be shown at registration. Each club must be registered as an affiliate club of the Irish Surfing Association, (Affiliate club registration fee 2011 is €50 per club).

Categories 

The following individual categories will be included-

Men’s Surf (open to any male student riding any type of surfboard)

Women’s Surf (open to any female student riding any type of surfboard)

Men’s Bodyboard (open to any male student riding a Bodyboard*)

Women’s Bodyboard (open to any female student riding a Bodyboard*)

Men’s Longboard (open to any male student riding a Longboard*)

Women’s Longboard (open to any female student riding a Longboard*)

Novice Men’s Surf (open to any male student using any type of surfboard who has been surfing for less than one year)

Novice Women’s Surf (open to any female student using any type of surfboard who has been surfing for less than one year)

*Bodyboard Definition- Must be flexible and include some portion of soft exterior skin, shall not exceed 5ft, use of fins is optional

*Longboard Definition- Must be a minimum of 9ft, measured in a straight line (not over the rocker) from nose to tail, width dimensions to be a minimum of 47inches and Malibu shaped. Longboards will be measured by the beach Marshall at check in.

The team award will be based on points awarded from a university’s best performer in five out of the six main categories. The Novice category will not contribute to team points. See points table below.

Each college can enter as many students as they wish. Where a college has insufficient surfers to enter a full team, entry of a partial team or individual will be accepted.

Each competitor may only enter one category.

Rules 
The contest will be run under the event rules of the Irish Surfing Association. All competitors by entering agreed to abide by these rules.

Timing & Wave Count
Heats and finals will be best two waves with a 10 or 15 wave maximum and will be a minimum of 20 minutes and maximum of 30 minutes to be confirmed by the contest director in consultation with the Head Judge. Variation in heat times may be made in cases where there is insufficient time to complete the event.

Heat will normally be of four surfers with 50% progression. Variation may be made in cases where there is insufficient time to complete the event.
 
Heat will start on a green disc with one blast of hooter, with five minutes to go the disc will change to yellow. Heats will finish with two blasts of hooter and disc in the neutral position. A surfer may be penalised for riding a wave before or after their heat has started/ finished.

Competitors may be given a beach or water start to be confirmed by the contest director. Where a water start is allowed competitors must stay out of the contest area until the previous heat has finished.

At times errors may occur with respect to running of the contest. This includes but is not limited to – heat timing, interference, tabulation. Competitors have the right to protest the result of a heat. Protests must be in writing and must be submitted to the contest director within fifteen minutes of the heat result being posted.

In consultation with the head judge the Contest Director will rule on the incident and inform the competitor of the result.

Note- No protest will be considered against a judging/ scoring decision, that is irreversible matter regardless of proof submitted.

Judging
Criteria to be used in Judging- The surfer must perform radical controlled manoeuvres in the critical section of the wave with speed, power and flow. Innovative/ progressive surfing as well as the combination and variety of repertoire (of major manoeuvres) will also be taken into consideration when rewarding points for a surfer’s performance. The surfer who performs to the criteria above, exhibiting the maximum Degree of Difficulty and commitment on the waves shall maximise his/her scoring potential.

Interference
The surfer deemed to have the inside position for a wave has unconditional right of way for the entire duration of that ride. Interference will be called if during a ride a majority of judges fell that a fellow competitor has hindered the scoring potential of that surfer deemed to have right of way.

Anyone who stands up in front of a surfer with right of way has the chance to ride or kick out of the wave without being called interference, unless they hinder the scoring potential of the surfer with right of way by any means. This includes excessive hassling, leash pulling or breaking down a wave section.

A surfer taking off or riding should not be hindered by another surfer’s paddling.

If a majority of judges call an interference penalty were a surfer will lose 50% of their lowest scoring wave will be applied.

Seedings
Initial seeding will be based on the previous year’s team results. Heat progressions will be based on ISA heat progression tables.
  
Discipline
ISA Disciplinary Rules will apply.