Geoff Greentree honoured with Service to Snowsports Award 2025

Geoff Greentree has been recognised with the Service to Snowsports Award as part of the 2025 Snow Australia Community Sport Awards, acknowledging more than a decade of tireless service to alpine skiing in Australia.

After 11 winters as Club Administrator with the Thredbo Ski Racing Club (TSRC), Greentree retired in September 2025, leaving behind a legacy as the administrative backbone of ski racing in Thredbo. Widely admired for his dedication, kindness and calm leadership, he played a vital behind-the-scenes role supporting athletes, parents and coaches while ensuring events and programs ran smoothly, even through challenging conditions and cancellations.

“It is a great honour to be recognised with this award,” Greentree said.

“I have always been involved in snowsports because I love it and the people I work with are the best. Hopefully, this award also recognises the teams that I have worked with over the years - TSRC Head Coaches, coaches, parents and board, the Interschools Committee and staff, the race departments at Thredbo and Perisher, and the teachers, parents and students at SMGS. Without their work, my contributions would be insignificant.”

Throughout his time at TSRC, Greentree found the greatest satisfaction in watching young athletes grow both on and off the snow.

“Seeing kids progress and learn throughout their journey at TSRC, both their skiing and life skills, has been the most rewarding part,” he said.

“Meeting ex-members who speak about how their time at TSRC taught them resilience, work ethic, preparation and timeliness is incredibly special, and I’ve also loved making friends with coaches from all over the world.”

Known for his calm presence on race days, Greentree credits that approach to a desire to ease pressure for those around him.

“The calmness is what’s visible, I’m like a duck on a pond, calm and serene on top, paddling furiously under the water,” he said.

“It’s no good adding to the stress everyone feels on a race day. I try to calm things down, even though there’s always a lot happening in the background.”

While much of his work took place out of the spotlight, Greentree takes pride in helping deliver major events and guiding the club’s long-term development.

“Running big races is the biggest challenge, and the 2017 and 2025 ANC Alpine Races are my proudest achievements,” he said.

“Working with a team of volunteers to run highly successful international-level races is a real achievement, and seeing TSRC progress towards a performance-based alpine training program in recent years has also been very pleasing.”

While stepping back from his full-time role, Greentree says his involvement in the sport is far from over.

“I am still planning to be involved in more Interschools events and other races, ANC, FIS and TSRC,” he said.

Reflecting on his years in the sport, Greentree says it is often the simple moments that stand out most.

“Powder days and first run groomers on the Supertrail are pretty special,” he said.

“And each year, the kids singing Happy Birthday to me, with coaches joining in across three or four different languages, always brings a tear to my eye.”

Snow Australia congratulates Geoff Greentree on receiving the Service to Snowsports Award and sincerely thanks him for his outstanding service and lasting contribution to alpine skiing in Australia.