publication of start lists

[Sven]

Firstly a massive thank you to all those people who organise and run events! Brilliant job!

Is there any way that , if only provisional, start lists can be up on the website in good time so if a paddler's entry or payment has gone astray in the post they can pick it up in good time to still be able to enter an event?

I think it used to be that start lists had to be up a couple of days after the 15 days before race day cut off? That seems to have been scrapped now?

Its just a bit uncomfortable not knowing whether your entry as been safely received or not

Once again thanks to all those who make racing possible !

[CeeBee]

I think this would be a good idea for the organiser to use chatter or the website to publish a list of entries (not a start list) in the lead up to the race. it would be good to see this 3 weeks before the race and then at the deadline. After this it will become a Start List.

This was certainly useful when Haggis Hunter did this for Grandtully. Maybe we ask for this as a motion for the AGM and add it the organisers package.

It shouldn't be onerous as most organisers enter all the entries onto a computer in batches as they arrive and so the list should be easy to publish.

[Canadian Paddler]

Yes it can be put to the ACM, just get your club to discuss it at a committee meeting, write it down and send it to the secretary supported by two full members.

Technically should be signed by two members, but in this day and age, two separate emails will suffice. OR write it down and just give it to me, I have been known to be at the odd slalom.

Might be a shock though when you see how FEW entries are submitted three weeks before the event, or even two weeks before for lower divisions.

[BaldockBabe]

Might be a shock though when you see how FEW entries are submitted three weeks before the event, or even two weeks before for lower divisions.

And a good thing I won't run events anymore as I never had time to do the start list as I went along. The best I managed was to put the date that the card was recieved on the envelope so that I knew what order everything arrived in!!!

[jke]

I pick up on the fact that when Haggis Hunter did Grandtully he built up a separate list. Is there any reason why you should not input to Simply Slalom or equivalent as they are received and print* the Start tab with a heading of Draft Start List or something? That way you don't have to input twice.

* ie. pdf linked to your website or here

[Sven]

thanks people

It doesnt have to be a start list just a list of entries received. personally I am surprised people leave it so late to enter - Im just always worried whether cheques etc have actually reached the organiser or not

I appreciate it is yet just another piece of unwelcome admin but the "simply slalom" suggestion sounds like it might have legs? and might ultimately save time in the long run.

Thanks again!

[Seedy Paddler]

Be careful what you wish for - ACM rulings tend to apply from top to bottom and what may be received and practical with committed Prem paddlers may not be practical with Div 4 and entries on the day. Don't think we have ever had a sensible start list in advance of a Seaton slalom certainly not recently (i.e. the past 10-20 years).

Also depends on what the enquiry is - I have had emails from e.g. smiths43@yahoo.com asking for confirmation that I had received the entry for their son? No names no details and surprisingly there are often multiple Smiths. can be even worse when someone uses a pseudo-name or nickname. Ensure you give the very basic details of name, class division, club, bib# and you may get a response.

CD

[Sven]

Well frankly that is just a bit daft and people should be aware that volunteer organisers do need at least a minimum of data for the enquirer to get the info they are asking for.

Is there any way entrants can make it easier for organisers to be able to tell them their entry has been received?

Personally I have never "bothered" an organiser to see if thet have received everything as I know they have a lot to do but not knowing if an entry - particularly for something like selection - has been received would lower the anxiety levels

[Nicky]

Producing a draft start list is a complete waste of time! Times chance dramatically and the few days before an event often represent the time when the majority of entries arrive.

In terms of producing a list of entries, this would take a fair amount of time and if done separately to start list, is a waste of time, but I do think it is a good idea. If simply slalom could have an entry list creator added, this should be something that would be easy to release, rather than having to guess how many more entries will be received to make a draft start list.

From the many events that I have organised, I only input data on 4 occasions which saves a massive amount of time. Once at the late entry deadline, a week before, the day before and finally on the day. I'd happily produce a list at each of those occasions if it involved pressing a button, but not if it involved typing a separate list...

[Haggis Hunter]

Having been the organiser for a prem/selection race for the last 3 years I have noticed a steady increase in the number of emails requesting confirmation of receipt of entry which is what led me to publish the list. Quite frankly there are many more important communications that need dealt with when organising a race and this really does clog the "in box".
However, I am also a Mum, and have been known in the past to send off a block of entries, then a few weeks later forget how far into the calendar I got prompting a very apologetic email to the very busy organiser to give me peace of mind Last year I tried sending a SAE postcard with each entry that all the organiser had to do was pop into a postbox when convenient, and I would know the entry had been received. This worked for some races but not others, probably because like me, many organisers won't even open an entry envelope until such time as they are about to do something with them and for most that will be 2 weeks before the race otherwise you end up spending so much time tinkering with the entries.

I was amazed how many late entries I received for the Tully prem. If paddlers want a start list published 2 weeks before a race then they will need to get their entries in on time. I always allow entries up to the week before and because we live in a rural location will give a couple of days grace for post but even so.

Producing the list wasn't anymore work. I don't use simply slalom as my excel start list is given to the fabulous timing team who use their programme so all I did was to copy and paste the list of names from my start list onto the forum (I couldn't work out how to put the start list on as a file without it being published on a website first and we don't do that on our club site). Compared to the effort of dealing with loads of unnecessary emails this was little extra work.

I will plan to do the same next year but the list won't be published until the 2 week deadline, entries are coming in too thick and fast for that to be practical, so if you want confirmation before then please send a SAE!
Hopefully an online entry system will solve these issues by pinging a receipt of entry email back... when it comes

[jjayes]

Just want to reiterate what Sven said. " a massive thank you to all those people who organise and run events! Brilliant job!"

For that matter, thanks to anybody who helps make the sport work. What a amazing sport slalom racing is!!!

[PeterC]

In the past when running races I have always tried to get a provisional start list up on the web site alongside the race information at two weeks before the race. This does not however stop requests for confirmation of entry. I am happy to eMail confirmation of entry to anyone that wants one and include information and start lists. This needs to go out to the judging team etc. but as noted is rarely anywhere close to the final start list.

Thanks for the thanks but sadly not all paddlers etc are as appreciative of what we do. I do not use simply slalom as I have built my own that is macro free as I normally have macros completely switched off for security reasons. Hopefully if we get on line entry up and running it will solve these issues, in the meantime I have no objection to motions at the ACM that make suggestions for improvement that we can try but would caution against 'requiring' organisers to do particular things without trying it to identify the consequences across the large variety of races we run.

[djberriman]

Much like the bib list download which now works at the press of a button in simply slalom it would be fairly easy to make a button in simply slalom to upload the current entry list to the canoe slalom web site. So all it would take is the push of a button as long as you are connected to the internet.

And for those who don't use SS you could so something similar.

[carealto]

It is the work of a moment to hide the start times produced by simply slalom if you just want to create an entry list. My concern is the need to email Nick with every revision of the list to get him to upload it. Some way for organisers to directly upload entry lists, start lists and results would be nice and would hopefully saye work all round.

[BaldockBabe]

Regardless of how easy it is or is not to produce the list. You cannot produce a list until you have put in the data. Not all organisers do that as they go along, many do it once the deadline has passed as it doesn't prolong the pain!