What to expect on an Interschools event day

Published Tue 01 Jul 2025

What to expect on an Interschools event day

To ensure you have an enjoyable and successful experience at Interschools, we’ve created a comprehensive guide outlining everything you need to know. This guide is designed to help participants, families, and supporters feel prepared, confident, and ready to make the most of your time at the upcoming Regional Championships.

Course Inspection

Please review the competition schedule carefully and take note of your course inspection time and event start time.

Plan to arrive at the course 5 to 10 minutes before your scheduled course inspection. You must wear your event bib and helmet during the inspection. The bib should be worn over your jacket so it is clearly visible to course officials.

Course inspections may be completed with a team manager or coach. Only competitors registered for the specific event are permitted to inspect the course at the scheduled time, even if the course is shared between events. Team managers and coaches must also follow inspection guidelines.

Course inspection for timed events allows you to familiarise yourself with the layout, gate placements, terrain features, and snow conditions. This is not a training run—it should be done at a controlled pace, using techniques such as side slipping or snow ploughing. An attempt to race the course during inspection may result in a disqualification.

After completing your course inspection, return promptly to the top of the course, especially if you are one of the earlier starters.

For Moguls and Slopestyle, competitors will participate in training runs instead of a course inspection. Training runs are not conducted in start list order. Instead, athletes take their runs as they arrive at the top and join the line. Each competitor will have the opportunity for at least two training runs.

Competition Running Order

Each course will have a designated running order that determines when competitors take their turn. Some events may include combined divisions and/or genders, while others will feature only a single division and gender. Refer to the competition schedule to see which divisions and genders are grouped together, as this will help you understand the running order.

Typically, younger divisions compete first, and within each division, female competitors run before males. The start list will outline the order of competitors within each division and gender.

All participants will complete a first run, followed by a second run in the same order as the first.

At Perisher, Alpine and Snowboard Giant Slalom (GS) events may take place on a dual course setup—two courses set side by side. In most cases, female competitors race on one course while male competitors race simultaneously on the adjacent course.

Before You Start: What to Expect at the Start Area

Before your event begins, course officials will ask competitors to line up in bib number order. Make sure you allow plenty of time to prepare and be ready when called. You must also follow all clothing and equipment requirements as outline below.

If you arrive out of order or are not ready in time for you start, you will be moved to the end of your division and gender, so it’s important not to be late.

Interschools course officials will be on hand to help organise competitors in the correct order. When it's your turn, the race starter will call you into the gate and give the starting command—usually: “Racer ready… 3, 2, 1, Go!”

To get the best start, place your poles over the start wand. If your event uses a Ski Cross or Snowboard Cross start gate, you may push out using your hands.

Once you cross the finish line, slow down safely and exit the finish area promptly. Then make your way straight back to the top of the course to prepare for your second run.

In moguls and slopestyle, there is no timing—your performance is scored by judges. The start referee will give you the signal to begin once the judges are ready.

For more details on how these events are judged, refer to the competition guides.

Moguls Competition Guide

Slopestyle Competition Guide

Course Rules

Read our Important Course Rules

How long do events take?

All going well, once a competition starts, it can take 1-2.5 hours for everyone to complete 2 runs.

Course Times and Results

The time it takes you to complete the course is calculated from you leaving the start wand to crossing the finish line. In most cases, there is live timing where you can see the provisional competitor times. You can download the Snowracer App or visit the Snowracer website to view live timing.

Please note that live timing displays provisional times and results. Interschools will publish official results on the Interschools website. Results are published before the afternoon awards presentations, in most cases.

Awards Presentations

An Awards Presentation is held each event day. Presentation times and location are published on the competition schedule. Interschools awards the top 3 teams and individuals in each event.