Snow Australia CEO Update

As I write this short update, the majority of our members and community will have emerged from what is hopefully the last lockdown we see for the remainder of this pandemic. It seems, for now at least, that the worst is behind us and the opportunity to return to a sense of normality in all aspects of our lives beckons.

With the Beijing Olympic Winter Games just over 100 days away and the Paralympic Winter Games not long after that, there is much to look forward to. Indeed the prospect of international travel returning is of significant interest to many in our sport, who are desperate to get on snow in the Northern Hemisphere winter and return to training and competition. 

I write to provide an update on a few relevant matters, particularly as they relate to the international season. A news article published earlier this week also provided more details on Snow Australia’s position on COVID-19 vaccinations and I invite you to read that statement as background for why we continue to strongly encourage our members to get vaccinated, if possible.

International Competition Travel Insurance

With the disruptions caused by the pandemic over the past two years, the competition insurance policies that many of our members and athletes have previously relied on when training and competing internationally have been removed from the market. This has caused significant disruption to those eligible to travel and compete overseas this northern winter. We have previously communicated that an interim solution has been found for our National Team and athletes identified as meeting Tier 1, 2, or 3 of the Snow Australia International Travel Policy.  We acknowledge the frustration this causes for those not eligible for this coverage, however at this point there is little we can do other than to keep searching for alternatives. 

We continue to work with our insurance partners to find suitable cover for the broader community looking to travel and compete overseas and will hopefully have more information soon, particularly as International travel restrictions ease. We also ask our Snow Australia community to help us by bringing to our attention any policies you may come across which will respond to claims arising during competition. The FIS insurance rule below illustrates the minimum requirements. Please email us specifically in this regard at info@snow.org.au

• FIS ICR Rule 212.4
  • All competitors participating in FIS events must carry accident insurance, in sufficient amounts to cover accident, transport and rescue costs including race risks as well as an appropriate third-party liability insurance.
  • The National Ski Association or their competitors must be able to show proof of the respective insurance coverage at any time on request of the FIS, one of its representatives or the organising committee.

National Snowsports Training Centre (NSTC) Update

It is an incredibly exciting time for the NSTC Airbag project, with the commissioning process just a week or so away. It is an unbelievable sight to behold!

The performance airbag is the first stage of what will become a world class snowsport training facility, encompassing an Olympic-size performance airbag and a smaller, development-level bag to be built alongside it. We are grateful for the support of the NSW Government on this project to date.

The performance airbag will go through a 2-3 weeks commissioning process which will see a small number of selected athletes work with the contractors and Snow Australia staff and coaches to  establish and fine tune processes and operational requirements. Following this phase, it is anticipated we will be able to commence sessions for both pathway programs and general community sessions. We ask for your support and patience while we complete the commissioning process and finalise operational plans. It is expected that the development bag will be delivered and become operational early in the new year.

We also have some big announcements regarding the Stage 2 expansion of the NSTC building coming soon. Building works are likely to commence before the end of the year, with the aim to be completed by Winter 2022. It will be an exciting time, with lots of action on site in Jindabyne over the next 8 months!

Broadcast of FIS World Cup events in Australia

I share the absolute frustration of our community in not being able to view FIS World Cup events on any (legal) platform here in Australia. 

The FIS Broadcast rights issue is complex and the inability to access content in the modern era is beyond frustrating and frankly outdated. It is deeply unsatisfying not only for our nation but many nations around the world. In summary the Australian rights for FIS World Cups have been sold to Discovery (Eurosport) Asia who currently do not provide a platform or access from Australia.  

The new FIS President Johan Eliasch was elected in June on a platform of change and in particular targeting the modernisation and centralisation of FIS broadcast rights. In reality it will take time for these changes to flow through. Certainly not in time for the upcoming 2021/22 World Cup season. That said Snow Australia have secured the rights from Infront (rightsholders) to stream the Freestyle, Snowboard and Freeski World Cup events via the Snow Australia website. This is certainly a positive step forward and we will communicate further about the timetable and best place to access the live stream. We have requested rights for Alpine and XC, but this is not being made available at this stage. 

Again we will keep you updated on any progress in this space.

Look after each other and, of course, stay safe.

Kindest regards,

Michael Kennedy
Snow Australia CEO