Hill Country Downhill — Rules
The short version of everything that governs a race weekend. Nothing here overrides what the Race Director says on the day.
Categories
Four courses: Cat 1/Pro, Cat 2, Cat 3, and Bobblehead (the kids' course, no chairlift needed).
You pick your own category — age and gender are the only guardrails. No experience minimum, no verification, no caps. Watch a course preview and go with your own comfort level.
You can move up mid-season if you want a bigger challenge, but your accumulated points wipe when you do — you start fresh in the new category.
Race weekend format
You must register online in advance — same-day registration on race day isn't available.
How racing works
- One category per weekend, one race run — no racing multiple categories the same weekend.
- Re-runs are only granted for external errors (a course/timing problem) — not for mechanicals or missed lines.
- If you're a no-show when it's your turn, the next rider starts immediately. Be present for your whole category's window.
- Ties are a non-issue — times are precise to 0.01s, so there's no tie-breaker needed.
- The finish counts however you cross it — ride it, walk it, or push it.
- No bike or gear inspections, and no formal course sweep before racing — tape, a short gap between riders, and course cameras keep things moving safely.
Season points
Points are awarded by finish position within your category at each event, and add up across the whole season.
| Place | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | 5th | 6th | 7th | 8th | 9th | 10th | 11th+ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Points | 25 | 20 | 16 | 13 | 11 | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 1 |
Finish 11th or lower and you still bank 1 point just for finishing — showing up and completing your run always counts for something.
- Miss a whole weekend and you get zero points for it — there's no dropping your lowest score.
- If a weekend is cancelled outright, it's dropped from the season entirely — no rain date.
- If seeding gets rained out, race day order just goes random instead.
Safety on course
There are no dedicated course marshals — cameras posted at the harder sections double as both safety coverage and race footage. If a crash blocks the course, racing pauses until it's clear; Spider Mountain's first aid/ambulance handles anything serious.
Awards & prizes
- Top 3 in every category get trophies; top 5 go up on the podium.
- One awards ceremony once results are finalized — Bobblehead racers are part of the same ceremony as everyone else, not a separate thing.
- Pro category: 100% of pro entry fees are paid out in cash to the top 3, split across those three places.
Scoring & results
Scoring rules are posted here on the site. There's no formal protest process — if something seems off about a result, talk to the Race Director directly.