Introduction
Making the transition from domestic competitive snow sports in Australia to the international level can be overwhelming and confusing with many different options depending on the individual athlete's level, goals and age.
Fastride Snowboard Camps are designed to provide clear options for athletes from Interschools to FIS age wishing to make this transition to international competitions with a focus on the Snowboard Cross (SBX) discipline. Fastride Snowboard Camps work with athletes from all domestic clubs in Australia to bridge the gap between domestic and international competition training opportunities with a typically pathway from domestic to international competitions consisting of the following for athletes starting with interschools and grom race experience in Australia.
Competition Pathway
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In addition to the Snow Australia Athlete Categorization Pathway which our programs follow and you can read about here....Fastride have put together the following guide to help athletes understand what options there are for each phase of their development for various international competitions
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United States of America Snowboard & Freeski Association (USASA) - with a comprehensive calendar of regional events culminating in nationals hosted in Copper, Colorado typically late March, early April, USASA’s offer a great opportunity for the first experience of international competitions. Competing in the regional event level offers the opportunity for athletes to qualify for nationals and really up level their international competition experience.
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FIS/FIS Junior/National Cups - For FIS age athletes with FIS junior events being the intermediate opportunity for athletes to experience their first FIS level competition (FIS Junior events for athletes aged 15-19 years). FIS and National Cup competitions are an optional intermediate level of competition between FIS junior and continental cups.
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Australia & New Zealand Continental Cup (ANC) - Often the first opportunity for many junior FIS age Australian athletes to compete in a field with domestic and international world cup and olympic athletes. Hosted in late August/early September in Mt Hotham, Australia.
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North America Continental Cup (NorAm) - For additional experience competing in North America/Canada before taking the step to competing in Europe, NorAms offer the chance to build on experience gained at competing in the ANCs with a larger field of international athletes typically from North America and Canada only.
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European Continental Cup (EC) - The highest continental cup level before World Cup, EC’s provide the opportunity to gain experience and compete with a much larger field of experienced international athletes with a range of events held throughout Europe from mid November to late March.