The Tournament Forum took place last weekend before the Tournament Ball. A number of issues were discussed including the 2019 Calendar and the plan after the successful event at Gosfield to hold a second Combined National Championships next year at Hazelwoods Ski World.
The main announcement however was that for 2019 and the foreseeable future the British Ski League is to be suspended.
The future of the League has been a discussion point for the last couple of years and the reality is that in recent years there have been virtually no League events held and it has become a virtual league with results being drawn primarily from Rankings List events. This reflects a much reduced competitor base compared to the years when there where upwards of 50 League events on the Calendar and the fact that few non Commercial clubs hold Calendar competitions any more.
We are seeing a growth in Interclub and Backyard events that are attracting skiers of all abilities but are not homologated to a standard where the results can be used for The League or British Standings List. For next season we plan to publish a ladder for all these events as long as they meet the basic standard as set out in the British Additional Rules.
The Handicap League will also continue and we will give this more exposure and publicity. And of course the British Standings List will continue.
The suspension of the League has not been an easy decision and has only been reached after a great deal of discussion at the Tournament Committee and TouTech.