Mixed conditions test Australia’s best at ANC Ski Cross at Hotham
Published Fri 15 Aug 2025
Australia’s top ski cross athletes were put through their paces at the Australian New Zealand Cup (ANC) at Hotham, where racing conditions ranged from pristine bluebird skies to dense fog resulting in delays and ultimately a cancelled third event.
Despite the challenges, the competition delivered thrilling performances across both men’s and women’s fields.
With racing on day one progressing straight to heats, Duncan Cowan held his nerve to claim victory in the men’s final, edging out Emerson Facer and Bayley Sadler. Liam Michael took out the small final.
Under the clear skies of Thursday, Cowan continued his dominant form, securing back-to-back wins. Michael finished a close second, followed by Luke Irving in third and Facer in fourth.
Photo: Kemble Cowan
“A few years ago, I was doing the FUTURES camp and having Doug Crawford and those guys coach me, it's kind of been a long-term goal of mine to be able to get the win and I was happy to do it this year,” Cowan said.
“It's really good preparation for when I go overseas to Europe where the racing is really tough there and everyone is so good and it's really close.
“Liam’s so good, he’s got really good starts, so he was beating me in the start and then there was one section where I did the roller really well and I hit the backside and I ended up in front. The whole race I could just feel him (Liam) behind me.
“Just being able to have those other athletes to push me and make me a better skier and a better athlete, it really helps,” Cowan said.
In the women’s events, there was a tight battle between Rose Hocking and Dakota Turner who each claimed a win across two days of racing. Hocking triumphed on day one, while Turner responded with a strong performance on day two.
Arabella Wheatley showed consistency across both days, finishing second and third respectively.
In the overall standings, Cowan was a clear winner in the men’s standings while Hocking narrowly edged Turner to take out the women’s series title.
Earlier in the week, more than 25 emerging athletes attended Ski Cross FUTURES with a host of national team athletes stepping into coaching roles to guide and assist the next generation of ski cross talent.
Athletes had the chance to run the track and share in the experiences of some of the higher-level athletes.
