Message from the Alpine Director,

With international travel now a reality for many within the alpine community I hope many athletes and families will be able to enjoy skiing abroad this northern winter. This is also a special winter, with the 2022 Olympic Winter Games fast approaching! After a rollercoaster two years, the Olympic Winter Games are less than 100 days away and I look forward to joining the alpine community and clubs in supporting our athletes competing who are striving to qualify for the Games and represent Australia. A very exciting time to say the least and hopefully that enthusiasm and passion for skiing and ski racing continues to grow over the coming months, and as we look even further ahead to the next domestic season.

We are also excited and looking forward to returning to Whistler Cup 2022, FIS Alpine Junior World Championships in Panorama CAN and FIS Ski Cross Junior World Championships in Valmalenco ITA. More information around qualification and links to submit an Expression of Interest will be updated on the website shortly.

Cheers,

Shawn.

Shawn Fleming Alpine Director

Craig Branch named Snowsports Club Coach of the Year

Thredbo Ski Racing Club (TSRC) Head Coach, Craig Branch, has been named 2021 Snowsports Coach Club of the Year at the Snow Australian Community Sport Awards.

The three-time Winter Olympic Alpine Skier has been leading the Thredbo Ski Racing coaching team for the last three seasons and oversaw six coaches and 53 athletes during the 2021 season.

This year, Branch’s role expanded to a full time role as Program Director at TSRC, aligning to the clubs strategic vision.

2021 Emerging Talent Athlete Award winners announced

Snow Australia is pleased to announce the six 2021 Emerging Talent Athlete (ETP) Award recipients as part of the Community Sport Awards:

• Joey Steggall (alpine)
• Zana Evans (cross country)
• Ed Hill (moguls)
• Meila Stalker (snowboard park and pipe)
• Angus Falconer (freeski)
• Abbey Wilson (snowboard cross)

TeamHOTHAM named Snowsports Club of the Year

Snow Australia is pleased to announce teamHOTHAM has been named Snowsports Club of the Year in the 2021 Snowsports Community Awards.

This award recognises a Snow Australia affiliated club with an outstanding contribution to athletes at the elite, pathway and grassroot level, while creating a welcoming, safe and inclusive environment that encourages participation in snowsports.

Long-standing Volunteers recognised with Service to Snowsport Award

Snow Australia is pleased to present three individuals with the Service to Snowsport Awards as part of the 2021 Community Sport Awards virtual celebrations.

Donna Baker OAM, BJ Kaufmehl and Walt Hiltner have today been recognised for their outstanding contributions to the snowsports community.

The Service to Snowsports Award recognises individuals in the community who have made a positive difference to the opportunities and experiences available to others over a long period of time.

Madison Hoffman made her first ever start in a FIS Alpine Ski World Cup event and Louis Muhlen-Schulte competed in his first World Cup Giant Slalom in Soelden, Austria. Hoffman registered a DNF, prematurely ending her debut just after the first intermediate timing on a challenging course, while Muhlen finished 57th in the first run and did not qualify for the second. 

“As a whole it was a pretty good experience for me,” Muhlen said after the race. 

“Soelden is a crazy time of the year. It's a race so far removed from the rest of the season that preparation was a bit crazy going into it. Being my first GS World Cup, it was also a little daunting, but a really good experience,” he said.

The FIS Council held its Fall meeting online on Friday 5 November and dealt with a full agenda, including items such as reports from Organising Committees of the FIS World Championships and Olympic Winter Games, the appointment of technical officials and proposals from the FIS Technical Committees.

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. 

The Australian Olympic Committee is celebrating a key Winter Olympic milestone, with just 100 days until the Olympic cauldron is lit to open the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic Games.

With an expected team size of more than 40 athletes, Australian Olympic hopefuls are currently training, competing and preparing to be among of the 2800 international competitors from more than 90 nations to compete on the world’s biggest winter sporting stage in February next year.

Snow Australia is pleased to announce two recipients of the Australian Professional Snowsport Instructors (APSI) 2021 Interschools Scholarship; Georgia Brose and Arabella Green.

The Interschools scholarship is offered to snowsports athletes over the age of 16 who participate in the Interschools snowsports program.

The scholarship fosters leadership skills in young athletes with the opportunity to attend a level one course and exam free of charge, to further their career aspirations as a snowsports instructor.

Our Women in Focus series continues this month with Paralympic Ski technician and Assistant coach Zali Offord. A former alpine ski racer and national champion in slalom and giant slalom, Offord represented Australia at the 2016 Winter Youth Olympic Games in Lillehammer, Norway, winning a silver medal in ski cross. She has also competed as a sighted guide supporting visually impaired athletes including Winter Paralympian Patrick Jensen.