September 2021

P+P Snow Australia Members,

Welcome along to the first Park and Pipe monthly update. I look forward to being able to share timely updates of what we do know, in such rapidly evolving and uncertain times.

It was great to hear the much needed, positive and very welcome news this week that the VIC resorts are able to open again just in time for some spring skiing and snowboarding. 

If you can, take a moment to loop back to the P+P FTEM document, released last year, which is the core guiding document in the pathway, using a common language and bringing together individuals, clubs, resorts and the national programs. The P+P FTEM will be brought to life over the coming months through P+P specific guidance and resources targeting our five pillars of Park and Pipe being: Physical : Mental : Technical : Snow Skills : Performance. Watch this space...

The reality is that overseas travel, until the DFAT advice drops below a 3 month+ relocation requirement, will be out of reach for many in the P+P Pathway this winter. For those that are able and willing to head overseas for 3+ months to train or compete, Snow Australia has released its NH 21/22 travel policy advice.

That being the case, our P+P snow fix for the NH winter will mostly be a vicarious experience through the lens of our 2022 Beijing cohort, as they battle for qualification as a Top 30 ranked athlete in the world. We also just passed the 150 day mark to the Winter Olympic Games kicking off. #ChasingWinter

However, the big news this month is that the NSTC airbag was installed last week in Jindabyne. The videos truly don't give it justice, the landing bag is absolutely massive, currently the biggest in the world. This facility, which will by summer, have two airbags, a developmental and high performance bag, and a rail line will profoundly alter the availability and opportunity for Australian athletes to train and progress in Australia. It will have a legacy impact on future generations of P+P participants. Such exciting times.

Stay safe, go hard 

David Parr
Park and Pipe Program Coordinator

Exciting times in Jindabyne, with the installation of the performance airbag at the National Snowsports Training Centre (NSTC) marking an important milestone. 

“It’s so exciting to see the airbag on site, it looks incredible," said Snow Australia CEO Michael Kennedy. "This is by far the best facility of its kind in the world and we can’t wait to welcome athletes to the facility in the near future.

Kennedy added that more infrastructure will be added soon. "The order was placed this week for the development airbag, which will take its place next to the performance bag and is aiming to be operational before the end of the year. A huge thank you goes to the NSW Government for their support of this amazing project.”

The young athletes of Snow Australia Emerging Talent Program took the opportunity to say a big thank you to their dads for their support and inspiration.

Due to Covid-19 Snow Australia has had to make significant changes to how we manage the process for athletes competing overseas during the northern winter.

As of writing, Government imposed travel restrictions allows only those citizens that meet a certain criteria to travel internationally.

Snow Australia has been working closely with our institute partners, Sport Australia and others to ensure we, as the National Federation, are able to provide our members with the best information to assist with their planning.

With only 150 days to go to the 2022 Olympic Winter Games, Australian snow sport athletes are preparing for the start of the Northern season and looking to lock in their spot for Beijing. 

To assist the community with understanding the different stages of athlete development, Snow Australia has developed discipline specific Snow Australia Athlete Pathways. The Snow Australia Athlete Pathway aligns with the Sport Australia FTEM (Foundation, Talent, Elite and Mastery) framework, which is representative of the ‘whole of sport’ pathway continuum.

The P+P FTEM will be brought to life over the coming months through P+P specific guidance and resources targeting our five pillars of Park and Pipe being: Physical : Mental : Technical : Snow Skills : Performance. Watch this space...

Ever since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in early 2020, movement restrictions have caused significant disruption not only to competition and events, but also to athletes’ opportunities to maintain sport-specific training in a suitable environment. 
 
These challenges are also affecting the developing snow sports athletes participating in the Emerging Talent Program (ETP), who have access to very limited on-snow and off-snow training opportunities at a time when both NSW and Victorian resorts are in lockdown.
 
To assist in these circumstances, Snow Australia’s talent development program in 2021 had set up physical strength and conditioning hubs, providing ETP athletes access to gym and S&C programming at several resorts as part of their involvement in the program.

Park & Pipe competition returned to Perisher this week, with another exciting edition of the "Perisher Parks Showdown".

The FIS-sanctioned Australia / New Zealand Cup (ANC) event included Slopestyle and Big Air competitions for both snowboard and freestyle. In the women's snowboard events, Meila Stalker produced a full sweep, winning all three FIS events on the program, while Valentino Guseli and Matthew Cox won a Men's Slopestyle event apiece, with Guseli also winning the Big Air. 

In the Freeski events, Cameron Waddle and Abi Harrigan won both slopestyle competitions in the men's and women's category respectively. Bailey Johnson was first in the Freeski Big Air, with Harrigan taking her third win of the week in the women's event.

Despite challenging lockdown periods and prolonged travel restrictions having a significant impact on our domestic winter season for the second year in a row, Snow Australia is pleased to announce that the Community Sport Awards (CSA) is back on the calendar for 2021.

The CSA were established two years ago to complement the annual Snow Australia Awards, traditionally held at the end of the Northern Hemisphere season, with the first Community Sport Awards night held in Canberra on 7 November 2019.

“We introduced the Community Sport Awards to recognise the contribution of volunteers, clubs, schools, coaches, athletes and programs at the development and pathway level of snow sports,” explained Snow Australia CEO Michael Kennedy.