Education

Speed

20% of the score at RQS and COMP (Devo has no speed score). Your time is not compared to the other skiers. It is compared to a pace time set for that course.

How scoring works

The benchmark

Speed points = 48 − 32 × (your time ÷ pace time)

Ski exactly at pace time and you earn 16 points. Faster earns more, up to a cap of 20. Slower earns less. Pace time is the course length divided by a set pace speed, so a longer course allows a longer pace time.

Try it on a real course

Pick a 2025-26 course and a gender, then set a run time.

Gender
Gender

Pace times by course, 2025-26

Longer, steeper courses get a longer pace time. Women's pace time is longer than men's on the same course.

LevelCourseLengthPace (men)Pace (women)Fastest run
COMP Ambush Winter Park 228 m 23.5 s 27.8 s 23.93 s
COMP The Dark Side Vail 220 m 22.7 s 26.8 s 23.28 s
COMP Thunderbowl Aspen 246 m 25.4 s 30.0 s 26.56 s
COMP Voodoo Steamboat 242 m 24.9 s 29.5 s 24.84 s
COMP Ore Deal Copper Mountain 208 m 21.4 s 25.4 s 23.09 s
COMP Telluride Telluride 196 m 20.2 s 23.9 s 19.61 s
RQS Thunderbowl Aspen 142 m 18.0 s 19.8 s 19.88 s
RQS Headwall Steamboat 150 m 19.0 s 20.8 s 15.66 s
RQS BooBoo Vail 179 m 22.6 s 24.8 s 19.78 s
RQS Ambush II Winter Park 170 m 21.5 s 23.6 s 18.66 s
RQS High Noon Arapahoe Basin 143 m 18.1 s 19.8 s 17.42 s

Questions parents ask

Why isn't the fastest skier automatically winning speed?

Speed points are capped at 20, and going well under pace time gains only a little more. A skier who is fast but skids to get there usually loses more in turns than they gain in speed.

Where does the pace time come from?

Course length divided by a set pace speed. Across 2025-26 that speed was about 9.7 m/s for COMP men and 8.2 for COMP women; a bit lower at RQS. The steeper, longer the course, the longer the pace time.

Is there speed at Devo?

No. Devo runs are scored on turns and one jump only. Speed starts at RQS.

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