Guide into ESSKIA

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The ideal team consists of either 4 boys or 4 girls but 3 is acceptable. This is because in our race events the team score is made up of the total time that 3 skiers take to complete a run. If you have 4 skiers then the slowest time is not counted or perhaps one skier has skied out of the course or fallen. This will not matter as only 3 scores are needed. It is possible to enter a mixed team of 2 boys and 2 girls but only one per school. This is mainly to help small schools, especially primary schools and those who are starting to get a team up and running. Each team should have a team manager - either a teacher or a parent - who is in charge on race day.

Category 1 - Pupils in Years 3 - 6

Category 2 - Pupils in Years 7 and 8

Category 3 - Pupils in Years 9 and 10

Category 4 - Pupils in Year 11 and above

Skiers must be in the correct year for their DOB or the team will move to a higher category. When a team is made up of skiers from different age categories (categories 2-4), the team enters a race in the category of the oldest skier. For example a team made up of a girl in Year 7, two girls in Year 8 and one in Year 9 would ski as a Category 3 girls’ team

The races are run by an experienced group of volunteers and qualified coaches. To run a race we need race officials on the day and each school provides one race official per team entered. This person is given full instructions as to what they need to do on race day. It can be something as simple as collecting in the race bibs at the end of the race.

To enter an ESSKIA event a school must pay the annual affiliation fee.

In addition, there is a charge per entry, per team for each event. This covers the slope hire, awards and sometimes ski and boot hire as well, but this depends on the slope.

Yes, the Headteacher does not have to be involved at all in the organisation of the team, but has to sign the entry form to confirm that they know that your son/daughter is representing the school in a competitive capacity.

No, you need to be part of a school team with Primary Teams made up of a minimum of 2 skiers and Secondary teams with minimum of 3 skiers.

Skiers race through a course made up of red and blue slalom poles, also known as gates. The course is set by a qualified ski coach. Red and blue poles are placed at a set distance from each other and each skier has to pass the correct way round the poles alternating between red and blue. Each skier completes 2 runs.

ESSKIA uses as much data as possible, including performance at Area Qualifying Races, English Schools Championships and British Schools Championships. Additionally we look at performances in Snowsport England and Ski Academy organised races both in the UK and abroad. 

We do not use times recorded at our training events.