Dear XC Skiing community, 

While many of us are slowing down after a very busy snow season in the Northern Hemisphere, plenty has been happening in recent weeks in Canberra and I am excited to fill you all in for the first time on the happenings of our cherished sport. 

Stromlo Forest Park once again hosted the National Rollerski Championships, showcasing our growing talent from eager Juniors to established World Cup athletes and some of our best masters. It was particularly exciting to welcome back Lars Young Vik and Phoebe Cridland to the Australian racing scene after a few years abroad. Overall, the Championships were a great success, despite some serious heat working against us during the distance race.

On the Saturday night of the rollerski weekend, we saw the long-awaited return of the AUSXC Awards. This night saw a great turn-out from all areas of our community, celebrating our common love and passion for the best sport in the world. We saw some very deserving award winners (see the article below for details), a showcase of some of our most important community members; our incredible volunteers and, to my surprise, I even managed to take home an award on the night. I am extremely honoured to have received the Development Coach of the Year Award and to have made a difference to our young athletes' paths as skiers. I can’t wait for you all to see how fast these Juniors are all becoming. 

After the rollerskiing races, eight of our best Junior athletes headed over to the AIS to begin the annual Junior Testing Camp. This camp sees the athletes put through multiple endurance tests such as the VO2 Max test, overseen by AIS exercise scientists and physiologists to gauge their improvements over the year gone by. Watching athletes lay it all down against the dreaded incline treadmill for the VO2 max test showed just how much these young stars want to be the best they can be. The amount of work, dedication and sacrifice shown is astounding, and as a coach it makes me incredibly proud. 

Also in this update we feature a report from Australian World Masters director Peter Lambert on the recent Masters World Cup in Switzerland. A record number of Australian skiers took part in this annual event that is open to participants of all standars.

Finally, I've been reminded to bring to the attention of the community the recent publication of the 2025 Australian Race Calendar. Two key changes to the schedule this coming winter are the inclusion of the first two days of the 2025 Australian Championship into the start of the NSW XC Week at Perisher, and the combining of Open/Junior events into the second weekend of Australian Championship racing at Falls Creek. Please examine the calendar closely as there are some other changes to state and club event dates.

Best wishes to all,

Tom Hoogenraad
2025 World Junior/U23 Championship Coach

The Australian Rollerski Championship returned to Canberra again on the weekend of April 12/13. Enthusiastic spectators witnessed some great racing action involving National Team athletes, up-and-coming juniors and masters skiers, with the schedule featuring Sprint races on Saturday and the 10km Criteriums on Sunday.

World Cup athletes Phoebe Cridland and Lars Young Vik topped the podiums on both days, with Cridland skiing away to convincing wins ahead of juniors Satara Moon and Elle Sankey. Vik faced tougher competition on both days, with a close battle against fellow World Cup skier Bentley Walker-Broose that came down to a finishing sprint.

Full results can be viewed on the Alpine Timing website.

The 2025 AUSXC Awards were presented in Canberra on April 12 as part of the Australian Rollerski Championship weekend. Celebrating the efforts and achievements within the cross country skiing community from the past year, the AUSXC Awards also determine the XC nominees for the Snow Australia Awards, this year to be held in Melbourne on 1 May.

The 2024/2025 international season was a successful one for Australian cross country skiing, with many personal and Australian best results including the first-ever FIS championship medal at the World U23s. Other awards presented on the night include Volunteers of the Year and Masters Skiers of the Year awards.

Annually in April a number of Australia's best junior XC skiers take part in a testing and training camp at the AIS in Canberra. The testing schedule includes VO2 Max and sub-max treadmill tests in the AIS lab as well as rollerskiing and running tests in the field.

Recently returned from her debut at the 2025 World Junior Championship in Italy, 16-year-old Satara Moon reports from this year's junior AIS camp.

In March a record number of Australian Cross Country skiers and supporters participated in the Masters World Cup 2025, in Klosters, Switzerland. The Masters World Cup is an annual competition for skiers over the age of 30, coordinated by the World Masters Association and endorsed by FIS.

Highlights of the event included 5th place by Jane Scheer in the 15km Freestyle, claiming of the masters "Ashes" trophy between Australia, and debut performances by five skiers at their first ever Masters World Cup. Read on for a full report from World Masters National Director Peter Lambert.

The 2025 Australian Race Calendar has been released by the Cross Country National Discipline Committee of Snow Australia. The calendar includes events for all levels of skiers, from school and club events through to state and national championships.

A notable change for 2025 is the merging of the Australian Junior Championships with one of the weekends of Australian Open Championship events. This combined championship will be held at Falls Creek on the 3rd weekend of August, the weekend before the Kangaroo Hoppet. The other Open Championship events will be held at Perisher at the beginning of NSW Cross Country Week.