A Organisation of the World Championships
A1 Introduction
A2 Choosing the World Championships venue
A3 Individual World Championship Titles
A4 Team World Championship
A5 Requirements and Responsibilities of Competitors
B1 Kayak specification
B2 Safety
B3 Surfing and Judging criteria
B4 Published version of the Rules
Appendix: How to make a kayak safety gauge
A1 Introduction
A2 Choosing the World Championships venue
Proposals are invited for hosting the 2019 World Championships.
A3 Individual World Championship Titles
There are 10 Individual World Championship titles:
Men Long Boat
Women Long Boat
Junior Long Boat – age 18 or younger on 31st December (not 19 during this year)
Master Long Boat – age 40 or over on 1st January, and 50 or younger on 31st December
Grand Master Long Boat – age 50 or older on 1st January
Men Short Boat
Women Short Boat
Junior Short Boat – age 18 or younger on 31st December (not 19 during this year)
Master Short Boat – age 40 or over on 1st January, and 50 or younger on 31st December
Grand Master Short Boat – age 50 or older on 1st January
The age categories apply to this competition year
If there is no Grand Master class, a Master is defined as age 40 or older on January 1st.
A4 Team World Championship
4 x Men Long Boat
2 x Women Long Boat
1 x Junior Long Boat – age 18 or younger on 31st December (not 19 during this year)
1 x Master Long Boat – age 40 or over on 1st January
4 x Men Short Boat
2 x Women Short Boat
1 x Junior Short Boat – age 18 or younger on 31st December (not 19 during this year)
1 x Master Short Boat – age 40 or over on 1st January
The age categories apply to this competition year
Juniors must have different competitors for the long and short categories.
Masters must have different competitors for the long and short categories.
(Women can have the same competitors. Men can have the same competitors.)
In each Round, any competitor can only compete in a maximum of 2 categories.
Alternates / Reserves; and submitting Teams.
WSKA and the event organiser will determine the best way for the Team event to run when the number of entries is known. Guidelines are:
A5 Requirements and Responsibilities of Competitors
B1 Kayak specification
B2 Safety
B3 Surfing and Judging criteria
A surfer must execute the most radical controlled manoeuvres in the critical section of a wave with speed and power throughout. The surfer who executes such manoeuvres on the biggest and/or best waves shall be deemed the winner.
Judges expect to see changes of direction of the boat on the wave. Such manoeuvres would include bottom turns, re-entries, cutbacks, floaters, aerials, tube rides, top turns, late take-off’s, trimming and stalling, etc. How radical they are, followed by the amount of control and commitment put into each of them, will determine how high they will score. In particular, judges are looking for the bigger, more radical, manoeuvres, with top to bottom surfing (rail to rail) rather than top and bottom surfing (single rail).
A slash is a good stall manoeuvre but is not rail to rail surfing and will be scored accordingly.
Turns need to be fluid and not flicks for high scores.
A surfer must complete a manoeuvre for it to be scored. It will not score well if they lose control or are not able to continue on the wave.
Higher scores occur if the surfer stays in the critical section of the wave, the “pocket” closest to the curl. The degree of commitment and the risk involved in performing close to the curl is the reason that it scores higher.
Wave selection is a critical factor for a surfer in their heat. The waves selected will dictate the manoeuvres they are able to perform. There is less emphasis put on wave size in small to medium conditions due to the fact that the best waves may not necessarily be the biggest. However, in a contest with big wave conditions, a large part of the criteria would be the size. A surfer should be prepared to demonstrate the greatest commitment to the critical part of the wave. A surfer does not automatically score high because of wave size or quality. What the surfer does with the wave is the more important criteria.
Short Boats: More emphasis will be put on big, more dynamic, manoeuvres than on long rides
Long Boats: More emphasis is put on large carving type manoeuvres with longer rides.
Note that the longer the ride, the more potential time to score points, so the higher potential score, in both categories.
Judging in poor conditions
In poor surf conditions, judges concentrate on surfers who are utilizing the mini power-pockets on the wave with explosive moves that are normally timed to occur at each of these spots on the wave. Higher scores will occur if manoeuvres are being linked directly to another without paddling all the way to the next section.
Once a paddler has entered the white water (unless it is part of a manoeuvre), the wave will be deemed as over unless a proper shoulder is regained.
Interference
To determine interference, the judges first decide which surfer has the right of way as a situation arises. The judges then determine whether the surfer with the Right of Way has been possibly hindered in his scoring potential. The key word in these criteria is “possibly.” If the judge has to consider whether or not they have hindered the other surfer, then they have possibly hindered the scoring potential of the Right of Way surfer, so the interference must be called.
What Judges Consider
The Interference Rule is:
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 that ride, a majority of judges feel that a fellow competitor has possibly hindered the scoring potential of that surfer deemed to have the Right of Way for the wave.
Anyone who surfs in front of a surfer with the Right of Way has the chance to kick out of the wave without being called for interference, unless he/she hinders the scoring potential of the surfer with the Right of Way by any means including excessive hassling, hindering progress, or breaking down a section.
Paddling Interference
Paddling interference may be called if:
Note: If two or more paddlers collide there must have been either dangerous surfing or poor judgment from at least one of the paddlers involved. If one of the paddlers is not at fault for the collision, then both/all the paddlers must have an interference called against them. This is to enforce safety as a prime directive of the sport.
Snaking
The surfer who is farthest inside at the initial take off point is entitled to that wave for the duration of his ride. However, if a surfer takes off on the white water behind the first surfer, he will be penalized if the surfer taking off at the peak is forced to pull out and loses the wave. (Note, this does not prevent behind-the-peak take offs started in green water).
The Right of Way rule says that the surfer closest to the shoulder has the right of way. Judges expect that there will be jockeying for position on some waves. However, paddling in front of, around, or behind a competitor who is closest to the shoulder and is about to take off on a wave, in order to impede the competitor and take possession of a wave, is considered to be snaking, and will result in an interference call.
Clarification of a surfer taking off behind the white water:
If paddler 1 takes off behind the white water and then onto the green face but closer to the shoulder than paddler 2:
Clarification of paddlers heading in opposite directions then one paddler turning:
Paddler 1 heads right and paddler 2 left. Paddler 1 then turns 180’ to head left towards and behind paddler 2.
Assistance.
Competitors may have assistance emptying their kayaks and re-launching while the Heat is in progress. But if you are rescued by the rescue boat, ski or Lifeguard, this will be the end of your Heat. Points already gained will stand, but no more points can be earned in that Heat.
In all cases, Green (A) has Right of Way
In all cases, Green (A) has Right of Way
Sanctions / Punishments
The penalty for interference with 2 wave scoring is that the competitor loses half their lowest scoring wave from that Heat.
If a competitor commits 2 interferences or more in a single Heat, they will be disqualified from the Heat. This will be the end of their Heat, their scores will only be counted until the second interference.
If the judges, WSKA or contest organizers believe that a competitor is purposely trying to disrupt the competition, is constantly causing interferences, or is acting unsafely, unfairly or in an un-sportsmanlike manner, the competitor can be disqualified from the competition.
Protests
Competitors have a right to protest. Only clerical errors will be looked at. No protest will be heard against a judging decision. No video footage will be submitted. The protest committee will decide the result of the protest.
The protest committee will be appointed from the event organisers and WSKA, and displayed before the start of the event.
The cost of a protest will be set by WSKA and the event organiser at the start of the contest – a guide is £20, €30 or $30.
B4 Published version of the Rules
This 2017 version is re-formatted and short explanations added for clarity. The Rules are wholly based on the 2015 Rules written and developed by P Blenkinsop, in conjunction with WSKA, for the WSKA.
The only official version of the rules is this English version. This is to prevent any confusion or change of meaning by translation software.
John Watson for WSKA, May 2017
Appendix
The kayak safety gauge and how to make it
Must have rounded ends: All kayaks must have a minimum diameter of 50mm (allowing for 6mm protuberance) in the plan view at the front of the kayak.
The easiest way to make the kayak safety gauge: