Cross Country Ball a huge success in Jindabyne

The Cross Country Ball, held last Saturday night at the Jindabyne Brewery, was a huge success, with 110 guests coming together to celebrate Australian Cross Country Skiing, the National Team and the remarkable community behind the sport.

The evening brought together National Team athletes, aspiring young athletes, sponsors, local businesses, coaches, volunteers, mums, dads and supporters for a fantastic social occasion and, most importantly, a celebration of the people who make the Australian XC community so special. Importantly, the event also raised nearly $10k towards athlete expenses at the World Championships in 2027.

One of the highlights of the evening was hearing from Winter Olympian Rosie Fordham, who shared some wonderful stories about her life, training and racing overseas. A particular favourite was the story of her extraordinary adventure skiing the entire 135 mile (approximately 217 km) Denali Highway in Alaska in a single day, giving everyone in the room a glimpse into the endurance, determination and adventurous spirit behind one of Australia's leading Cross Country skiers.

A huge thank you goes to Karl and the team at Jindabyne Brewery, who generously agreed to host the event at short notice. Their flexibility, enthusiasm and incredible support enabled a wonderful community event, and Snow Australia is enormously grateful.

Also acknowledging the great support from Rasa and Shut The Gate Wines for their exceptionally generous sponsorship of the beautiful wines enjoyed throughout the evening as well as the evening's MC, Bentley, who did a fantastic job hosting the night.

Partners are so important in helping our athletes, events and programs grow and the local NSW XC community is proud to have the continued support of Wilderness Sports, Rhythm Snowsports, Swix and XTM.  

To every person who purchased a ticket, donated an auction item, placed a bid or gave generously on the night - thank you. Every contribution is sincerely appreciated, and the funds raised will make a meaningful difference to the National Team athletes as they prepare for their upcoming World Cup campaign and continue representing Australia on the international stage.

While fundraising was an important part of the evening, the success of the night was about so much more. It was about bringing the community together, with National Team athletes sharing a room with the next generation of young athletes who aspire to follow in their footsteps, alongside the parents, volunteers, businesses, sponsors and supporters who make their journeys possible.

Snow Australia hopes this is the beginning of an annual celebration that brings together its athletes, supporters, sponsors, volunteers and families, and continues to strengthen the incredible community behind Australian Cross Country Skiing.

It’s not too late to show support for Australia’s Cross Country skiers competing at World Championships in 2027 - Tax-deductable donations can be made via the Australian Sports Foundation, click here  XC Towards 2030 | Australian Sports Foundation