Slalom - 2018

WEAVING PATTERNS DOWN THE MOUNTAIN!

The coverage of the recent Winter Olympic Games roused my interest again for the main Alpine event we have neglected in the past - the Slalom.

The fastest and most technical of the Alpine racing events it almost always produces a Finish List in which the top contenders are separated by mere tenths or even hundredeths of a second even after two runs. A single mistake can be enough to lose a race with individual runs taking only around 45 to 55 seconds so little time to make up for a poor line through some of the gates, or excessive 'edging' in one of the turns.

From a spectator's point of view the 'drama' comes from the split times both shortly after the start and at various points down the course. Whilst no replay simulation can recreate the 'visuals' of a slalom we can at least build the design around the vital balance between Control and Speed and the frequent comparison checks at the 'splits'.

We have kept the design simple and quick to play, with runs taking no more time than the 45-55 seconds of the real-life counterparts. You will find Ratings for the top thirty Men and Women of the 2017/8 World Cup season, plus twenty ATG Men and twenty Women for those who prefer to replay those. Plus solo rules that take the decisions away from the user,three skiing Modes,and a way of Rating your own season or individual event from readily available information. Plenty for everyone really.

Terry Goodchild 22/3/18