The top three or four sailors from each round go on to the next round, eventually working through to the final. Any relatively slalomy board can be used for competition at this level. Wave competition sees sailors pushing themselves and their kit to the maximum in the allotted time, to impress the panel of judges ashore. Contests are set at known surf locations where there is likely to be strong wind, and the stronger it blows the more spectacular the action, as the faster the sailors can go and the higher they can jump. The nature of competitive wave riding clearly differs from racing, and placing the riders in order of merit is a matter of judgment.
Heats are usually between five and ten minutes' duration.
The most common scoring format is that the best three jumps, rides and transitions count, but how much emphasis is placed on each category will depend on the conditions. To go really fast yet maintain control, the water must be as flat as possible. Speedsailing at top level is a very specialist discipline for a few hardy souls. Many national speedsailing authorities have video and computer timing facilities which can be lent or hired to clubs wishing to run their own event. As well as manouevring tricks such as 360s, duck tacks, etc, aerial moves such as 'flat water loops', 'willy skippers' and 'falcons' are essential parts of the short board freestylers' repertoire.