Gulf Coast Spring Challenge Rules

These are the official rules for the Gulf Coast Spring Challenge.

All rules are subject to revision without prior notice, subject to approval by the Rules Committee.

All forms, documents, correspondence, the Gulf Coast logo and materials used by the Gulf Coast Police Motorcycle Skills Championship are the property of the Gulf Coast Police Motorcycle Skills Championship, hereafter referred to as “Gulf Coast”.

No one may use any of the aforementioned materials without permission of the rules committee of the Gulf Coast Police Motorcycle Skills Championship. All rights reserved.

Rules Committee

Defined: The Rules Committee will be made up of 5 members of the Gulf Coast assigned by the President of the Gulf Coast board or his designee.

Disputes: Disputes will be handled in the following manner:

• Any dispute of scoring of a particular event must be addressed by the affected Competitor after completing the run in question.
• Only the Competitor may dispute scoring or a judges decision.
• Disputes will be brought to the Head Judge for a ruling over an event / course score.
• If the dispute is not resolved by the Head Judge, the Rules Committee will resolve the dispute.
• All decisions of the Rules Committee are final.

Conduct: Participants who display or engage in unprofessional or unsafe conduct as determined by the Head Judge or his designee may be ejected from the skills competition.

General Rules

• Eligibility: Competition is open to anyone who wishes to participate (civilian or law enforcement).
• Motorcycle must be at least 1000cc engine size or greater.
• Running Order: Each rider will be assigned a rider number after registration The rider will ride in numerical order for the speed run portion.
  • Challenge Ride will begin on Friday morning, and will conclude around lunch.  The rider does not have to run in number order.
  • Slow Ride will begin Saturday morning and will conclude 20 minutes after the last speed run has ran. The rider does not have to run in number order.
• Competitor Attire: Competitors must wear long pants and boots that support the ankles. All other clothing must not be of an offensive or sexual nature.
• Protective Gear: All competitors must wear a helmet that is properly fastened while on the course.
• Emergency Motorcycle Repairs: Prior to entering an event, a competitor will be allowed 15 minutes to repair a motorcycle malfunction. If the motorcycle is unserviceable, the competitor may continue in the competition provided that the competitor can locate a replacement motorcycle within 15 minutes.

Competitors Meeting: A meeting of all competitors riding in the Spring Challenge will be held prior to the start of the competition.

• Registration will open at 7am on Friday and will close after the conclusion of the riders meeting.  The riders numbers will be computer drawn once registration closes.  Any late entries will be added to the bottom of the draw.  Early (online) registration is highly encouraged.
• The scoring and the approved path of travel through the events will be reviewed.
• Competitors should understand course events prior to the end of the meeting.
• The meeting will be conducted by the Head Track Judge or a designee.
• The competitors meeting time will begin at 8am on Friday.
• It is the competitors responsibility to attend the meeting.
• After the competitors meeting, any disputes concerning information disseminated at the competitors meeting will not be considered.

Awards

• Speed Run: The winners of this event will be awarded in brackets with a 10 second split between each bracket.  There will be 4 brackets in total and the top three finishers in each bracket will be eligible for an award.  The rider with the fastest time (with penalties) will determine the start of the 1D (first bracket).
• Challenge Run: The top competitor with the fastest Challenge Run time (including penalties) will receive an award.
• Slow Ride: The top competitor with the best slow ride time will receive an award.
• Mr Rodeo Spring Challenge Award: This award will be awarded to the best overall rider in the competition.  Rider must complete in ALL events (Speed Runs, Challenge Ride, Slow Ride) to be eligible.  Points for each event will be awarded in order placed: 1^st place finisher will be awarded 1 point, 2^nd place finisher will be awarded 2 points, etc. The competitor with the lowest overall points after all events will be the recipient of this prestigious award.

Classes

• All competitors will compete in one class (open).

Speed Runs

• Goal: The objective is to complete the courses with the fastest time including penalties.
• Competitors are required to make 2 runs on each designated course and will keep the best time for final placement.  Both runs will be timed beginning when the competitor’s front tire breaks the electric eye and ending when the front tire breaks the electric eye when exiting the last exercise. A back-up stop watch will be used by the Head Track Judge in the event of a malfunction.
• Penalty Points: Penalty points for all rides will be assessed as follows:
  • Touch a cone = 1 penalty point (only if the cone has to be reset)
  • Knock a cone down = 3 penalty points
  • Put a foot down = 5 penalty points
  • Fail to complete an exercise = Disqualification
    • If a rider exits a pattern within itself, the rider must reenter at the point of the exit or before.  The rider can not advance the pattern.
• Final Score
  • Final score will consist of each competitors best time on each course. After completing both tracks, competitors times will be added together (including penalty points).
• Ties
  • In the event of a tie, the tie will be broken with the competitor with the fastest clean run. If neither competitor has a clean run, the tie will be broken with the rider who has the fastest time with penalty points added.

Slow Ride Competition

• Goal: The object of the individual slow ride is for the competitor to travel down a pre-determined space as slowly as possible. The greatest time will determine the winner.
• Penalties: The competitor’s time will stop at the occurrence of any of the following:
  • A competitor puts a foot down.
  • A competitor drops the motorcycle.
  • A competitor crosses a boundary line.
• Competitors will receive 1 free slow ride. Competitors will be allowed to purchase additional runs with a $10 donation per run until the course closes.
• The Slow Ride will begin Saturday morning and will conclude 20 minutes after the last speed run has ran.  The ride does not have to run in number order.
• Timing: The time starts when the competitor’s front axle crosses the start line. The time ends when the competitor’s rear axle crosses the end line.

Challenge Run

• Goal: The object of the Challenge Run is to complete the designated course in the shortest time including penalties. The lowest time will determine the winner.
• Penalty Points: Penalty points for all rides will be assessed as follows:
  • Touch a cone = 1 penalty point (only if the cone has to be reset)
  • Knock a cone down = 3 penalty points
  • Put a foot down = 5 penalty points
  • Fail to complete an exercise = Disqualification
    • If a rider exits a pattern within itself, the rider must reenter at the point of the exit or before.  The rider can not advance the pattern.
• The Challenge Run will be designated by the Track Judges. The Track Judges will determine what exercises will comprise the Challenge Run. The Challenge Run will not be revealed until set up by the Track Judges on the day of the event. One place will be awarded for this event.
• Competitors will only be allowed one run.
• The Challenge Run will begin on Friday morning and will conclude around lunch time.  The ride does not have to run in number order.

Glossary of Terms

• Competitors Meeting: A meeting of all competitors to review the rules, path of travel and scoring procedures.
• Course: A series of events which a competitor must complete. Includes the path of travel between exercises in the individual timed runs and Challenge Run.
• Cross Boundary Line: If the contact patch of the tire crosses a boundary line. Crossing is determined if a judge can see space between the tire and the boundary line.
• Exercise: A specific set of obstacles which make up a part of the course.
• Fail to Complete an Exercise: If a competitor starts an event and does not finish by exiting the event at the designated exit point or if the competitor does not follow the designated path of travel with that exercise.
• Foot Down: When a competitors foot comes in contact with the surface after having crossed the start line of any course.
• Judge: A person designated to score and/or time a competitor on a course.
• Knock Over a Cone: Whenever any part of the motorcycle or competitor hits any part of the cone which causes the cone to have to be replaced to its assigned position.
• Running Out of an Exercise: When the front and rear wheel of the motorcycle cross the imaginary line between the center points of the two adjacent cones where the motorcycle would not normally enter or exit an event. In events which use a visible boundary line, if the tire contact patch crosses the boundary line, the competitor has run out of the exercise. If the competitor runs out of an exercise, he/she must re-enter the exercise at or before the point of exit in order to complete the exercise. Failing to re-enter at the same location will result in a “Fail to Complete an Exercise”.
• Touch a Cone: If a judge has to reset back to original location.