It was like Austria beating Australia at Test Cricket - Malcolm Milne Honoured

Australia's first World Cup medallist Malcolm Milne with World Champion Britt Cox

Snow Australia hosted a special dinner in Melbourne on Wednesday 29 July to celebrate Malcolm Milne and his extraordinary contribution to Australian skiing. The evening brought together members of Milne’s family, friends, former teammates, athletes and representatives from across the Australian snowsports community for a night dedicated to honouring one of the sport's true pioneers.

The dinner was MC'd by Olympic mogul skier and Snow Australia Medallist Britt Cox, who guided guests through an evening that celebrated not only Malcolm's career, but the history and community of Australian snowsports more broadly.

The highlight of the evening was the presentation of the Snow Australia Medal to Milne, awarded by Snow Australia Life Members Geoff Henke AO and Dick Watson.

Introduced in 2020, the Snow Australia Medal recognises athletes who have represented Australian snowsports at the highest level. The Medal exists to preserve their stories and ensure their achievements and contributions remain part of the history of Australian snowsports.

Milne’s medal recognises his pioneering achievements and the legacy he has created for generations of Australian athletes who followed in his tracks. In 1969, Malcolm became the first Australian, and the first skier from the Southern Hemisphere, to win a FIS Alpine Ski World Cup event, taking out the downhill at Val d'Isère, France.

The dinner drew an extraordinary gathering of Australian snowsports history, bringing together Life Members and Medallists spanning generations of the sport.

Snow Australia Life Members in attendance:

• Malcolm Milne

• Dick Watson

• Geoff Henke AO

• Hugh Whan

Snow Australia Medallists in attendance:

• Malcolm Milne

• Peter Forras

• Richie Biggins

• Al Guss

• Steven Lee

• Jo McDougall

• Kim Clifford

• Britt Cox

Three members of the National Alpine Ski Team also attended the evening:

• Sammi Gaul

• Sophie Mahon

• Archie Gould

Their presence provided an important connection between the pioneers of Australian skiing and the current generation of national team athletes, offering them the chance to hear firsthand about Milne’s career and the development of Australian alpine skiing.

Ben Wordsworth, Snow Australia CEO, mirrored this sentiment. 

“This was a special opportunity to celebrate Malcolm’s extraordinary contribution to Australian skiing and to hear, in his own words, some of the remarkable stories behind his career,” he said.

“His reflections brought the history of our sport to life and reminded everyone in the room of the determination, resilience and courage required to compete against the world’s best.”

“It was particularly meaningful to have members of our current National Alpine Ski Team sharing the evening with former team members, Snow Australia Life Members and fellow Snow Australia Medallists.”

“That connection between generations is incredibly valuable. Malcolm was very generous with his time and took a genuine interest in our current athletes, speaking with them and sharing his experiences. Those conversations are an important reminder that the legacy of our pioneers is not only found in the record books, but in the knowledge, encouragement and inspiration they pass on to the athletes who follow.”

Guests were also treated to a special screening of A Man Alone, a documentary celebrating Milne’s remarkable career and his historic victory at Val d'Isère. The film has been digitally restored and was provided by the National Alpine Museum of Australia, giving guests the chance to relive one of the defining moments in Australian alpine skiing history.

Following the screening, Milne reflected on his career, speaking candidly about the toll the journey took, and the hard work that sat behind his success.

“I haven’t seen that film for about ten years, and I honestly didn’t know how I did it. It wasn’t just that one race. That whole season, I felt I could have skied off a cliff and still landed the right way.” he said.

“Sometimes I was really lonely. When I was lonely, I would run around Val d’Isère or do press-ups. All the time I was training. I knew I had to be physically super fit because the skiers I was competing against were better than me. They had been skiing for a long time, they had superb turns, they were fast and they had great equipment.”

Reflecting on the evening and the scale of this achievement, the feat was summed up best by the quote: “It was like Austria beating Australia in Test Cricket.” 

Nearly sixty years on, his win at Val d’Isére remains a defining moment in Australian winter sport history, and a reminder of just how far an underdog can go with grit and determination.