Ski Cross and Alpine - 2026 Domestic Season Wrap

As the Australian winter season comes to a close, there were plenty of highlights for athletes from the grassroots to the Olympic level. The weather made for a challenging season, but it was no match for the passion for Alpine and Ski Cross communities across the country.

The season began at the National Snowsports Training Centre (NSTC) in Jindabyne, where established Alpine and Ski Cross team members and emerging talent came together to lay the foundation for the year ahead. The camp was a valuable chance to physically benchmark the group and build team bonds, with athletes living together at the NSTC before heading into their domestic winter programs

Ski Cross

The season kicked off at Mt Hotham, where 91 athletes gathered for the Snowboard Cross and Ski Cross FUTURES Camp. Over two days, junior athletes were mentored by national team members and Winter Olympians, getting the best possible preparation for the Australia and New Zealand Cup (ANC) and the domestic race season.

The FUTURES camp was followed by three days of ANC racing and standout performances across the board.

In the women's competition, Kyra Wheatley was untouchable, sweeping all three races. Keisha Tickle was a consistent threat, finishing runner-up every time, while Rose Hocking claimed two third places and Alessia Diver added another.

The men's field produced a thrilling contest between Duncan Cowan and Liam Michael. Cowan won races one and three, but Michael fought back to win race two and take second in the other two. Emerson Facer rounded out an all-Australian podium at every race, finishing third throughout the series.

Alpine

Weather and snow conditions at Thredbo meant the events there were unable to proceed in the 2026 ANC alpine series. However, the New Zealand legs at Mt Hutt and Coronet Peak went ahead successfully, with 11 of the 16 scheduled events completed, with the Australian athletes achieving strong results across all of the events.

At Mt Hutt, Abbey Evans led the GS results with 8th, with Hugh McAdam in 11th. In the slalom, Henry Heaydon finished 6th, Sophie Mahon 7th and Phoebe Heaydon 8th, putting three Australians in the top 10.

At Coronet Peak, Olympian Madi Hoffman stood on the podium with 2nd in the slalom, whilst Henry Heaydon (9th) and Sophie Mahon (10th) also finished in the top 10.

The FIS Alpine and National Championship slalom events were a huge success in September with a great couple days of spring racing.

Owen Clark took the top spot in three races over the two days, with Archie Landon-Smith close behind, before claiming the victory in the second FIS Slalom race.

In the women’s field, Keely Allen topped the podium twice, while Annabelle Jones was the model of consistency placing second in all four races.

Interschools

The 2026 SUBARU Australian Interschools Championships wrapped up at Perisher with 3,662 entries from 357 schools across the country. Despite challenging weather and snow conditions, Perisher's teams delivered safe, high-quality courses for all competitors, making for another successful year of Interschools. Interschools provide the foundation of snowsports in Australia, giving thousands of students their first experience of racing and the competition pathway within Australia. 

Children's Championships

The next generation of Australian alpine talent was on display at Falls Creek for the 2026 Australian Children's Championships, contesting four Giant Slalom and Slalom races in challenging conditions. Snow conditions meant the scheduled Ski Cross events could not be held, but the week still delivered a fantastic showcase of racing.

Indie Carson (Mt Buller Race Club) delivered a clean sweep of the Under 14 Girls, winning all eight races. In the Under 14 Boys, Loki Davis (Thredbo Ski Racing Club) claimed three GS wins and all four Slalom races, while Zephyr Lusted (Thredbo Ski Racing Club) was the dominant Under 16 Boy with the same record. The Under 16 Girls produced the closest racing of the week, with wins shared between Annie Gould (Falls Creek Race Club), Lina Lackner (Falls Creek Race Club), Lilly Brauer (Thredbo Ski Racing Club) and Ella Pearce (Mt Buller Race Club).

A huge thank you to all our resort partners for their hard work this season to get events up and running- at all levels to support the entire pathway from recreational racing through to FIS. 

Australian athletes are now turning their focus to the Northern Hemisphere season, where they will train and compete across Europe and North America, chasing valuable time on snow and competition experience. Good luck to all of our athletes for the season ahead!