Dear Alpine Community,

As we pass through the middle of December, so much has already happened for many of our athletes, while looking forward there is still so much more to come! 

The World Cup season started way back in late October with Louis Muhlen-Schulte taking on the steep slope of the Rettenbach glacier in Soelden AUT for the season opener Giant Slalom. We have since seen 7 athletes start across World Cup competitions in both Alpine and Ski Cross. Two of those athletes, Phoebe Heaydon and Sophie Mahon, had their debut appearances in Levi FIN for the Women’s World Cup Slalom races.

After significant time off due to injury, National Team athletes Harry Laidlaw, Greta Small, Madison Hoffman, and Sammie Gaul have all made their return to snow during the last month with both Harry and Greta returning to competition earlier this month.

With just one month left during the qualification period for the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games our athletes will be using their experience to build momentum towards February’s competitions.

Many of our junior athletes have also been making quite a mark on their early season competitions with multiple personal bests being achieved. National Team athlete Felix Sachs (2008) has started the season off with some outstanding personal best results in GS taking back-to-back podiums in the US lowering his points to 41pts. in GS. Emerging Talent (ETP) athletes Madison Gilson (2008) and Archie Gould (2009) have also started the European season off strongly with Archie lowering his GS points to 61pts. in his first year of FIS and only his 6th GS start! Madi also got in on the action overseas and has lowered both her SL and GS points to 46 and 52pts. respectively. It is great to see the future pushing the bar so high and seeing rewards so early in the season.

With the school term now behind us, our young athletes are enjoying some well-deserved time off from school. Many will be heading overseas in the coming weeks for some training, competitions, and fun in the snow. I hope everyone enjoys their time, wherever they may be based, and are able to create new experiences, friends, and skills on the snow. If you have any photos of your training, competitions, or skiing that you’d like to share, we would love to see them! Please send your photos and stories to alpine@snow.org.au

I hope everyone enjoys a Happy Holidays wherever you may be in the world and wishing all the best to our athletes training and competing overseas!

Fast skiing!

Shawn

These awards are presented to one athlete per discipline in the Snow Australia ETP who is deemed to have achieved outstanding results at an international, national and/or state level and maintained a high level of focus, dedication, and commitment toward training and personal improvement.

Athletes were endorsed by their respective National Discipline Committee. 2025 Emerging Talent Program (ETP) Athlete Award Winners:

Alpine - Madi Gilson 

“⁠My biggest highlight this season was racing FIS and competing for the first time in Australia and winning the Australian national championship title and the Australian national junior titles in giant slalom and slalom,” Madi said.

Ski Cross - Duncan Cowan 

“The highlight of my season was racing in the 2025 Nor Am Cup Ski Cross races in USA and Canada and winning the overall title for the season,” Duncan said.

Geoff Greentree has been recognised with the Service to Snowsports Award as part of the 2025 Snow Australia Community Sport Awards, acknowledging more than a decade of tireless service to alpine skiing in Australia.

After 11 winters as Club Administrator with the Thredbo Ski Racing Club (TSRC), Greentree retired in September 2025, leaving behind a legacy as the administrative backbone of ski racing in Thredbo. Widely admired for his dedication, kindness and calm leadership, he played a vital behind-the-scenes role supporting athletes, parents and coaches while ensuring events and programs ran smoothly, even through challenging conditions and cancellations.

Snow Australia is calling for Expressions of Interest (EOI) from eligible athletes to compete at the 2026 FIS Ski Cross Junior World Championships.

2026 FIS Ski Cross Junior World Championships

• Dates:  18 - 21 March, 2026
• Location: St Moritz, Switzerland
• Events: SX, SXT
• Official Invitation

Eligibility
To submit an EOI you must:

• Be born between 2005 - 2009
• Have a current Alpine International Racer Membership with Snow Australia and FIS
• Have met the Snow Australia Ski Cross Junior World Championships Criteria
• EOI deadline January 10th 2026

Snow Australia is pleased to announce that a limited number of Karbon Alpine Race Suits are now available for purchase through our online shop. Following the initial limited pre-order sale earlier in the year, we have a small amount of remaining stock. We are now making these final units available to Snow Australia members and the general public.

The race suits are competitively priced with Snow Australia members receiving an additional discount on the retail price.

Please note:

• Stock and sizes are extremely limited
• Once sold out, no further suits will be available
• Members, log in to your Snow Australia account to receive your discount

A huge congratulations to all the incredible winners of the Community Sport Awards!
Your dedication and passion continue to inspire and strengthen our sporting community.
Discover the stories behind their success and see the full list of winners so far by following the link below.

Snow Australia would like to notify our community that the Sport Integrity Australia (SIA) Annual Update for 2026 is now available.

The Annual Update is an important part of ongoing integrity education for athletes, coaches, staff and volunteers. Its purpose is to ensure everyone in our system stays informed about current anti-doping rules, updates to prohibited substances, testing processes, athlete rights and responsibilities, and broader integrity expectations across Australian sport.

Completion of the Annual Update forms a key requirement within the Snow Australia Integrity Education Plan, which outlines the mandatory and recommended learning for all members of our community. This includes athletes, coaches, program staff, club officials and volunteers at all levels of our pathway who play an essential role in our sport’s safe and fair environment.

The 2026 Annual Update can be completed through the Sport Integrity Australia eLearning Portal.

Tune into SnowLive over the festive season to catch our athletes competing in World Cup events. Join us in cheering them on!

Competing Overseas in the 2025/26 Season?

Snow Australia remains the single point of entry for Australian skiers competing internationally in FIS sanctioned events.

To compete overseas in FIS sanctioned competitions there are a number of prequisites that must be completed before you can be included on an official entry form. Please view the summary information below and visit the Competing Overseas page on the website to make sure you understand your obligations.
 

1. Membership

To compete overseas you must be an Alpine International Racer member in your respective discipline. This ensures you have the correct level of membership and are registered with FIS.

If you are competing in FIS sanctioned Children's Alpine races you will need to be an Alpine Club Racer.

2. Competition Insurance

It is a FIS requirement that Snow Australia ensures all its competitors hold insurance that covers competitive skiing and meets, at a minimum, FIS International Competition Rules: 212.3

We have been working with our insurance providers to confirm policies ahead of the northern winter. Please visit the Competing Overseas page for the latest information on available policies.
 

3. Expression of Interest & Coach Authorisation Letter

To compete in FIS sanctioned races overseas you must complete an Expression of Interest (EOI) form and submit it to Snow Australia (entries@snow.org.au).

To simplify the entry process for FIS level Alpine races internationally, Snow Australia may provide a coach authorisation letter to approved coaches. To apply for this authorisation letter, coaches must apply direclty to Snow Australia. More information here

As we approach the festive season, Snow Australia would like to advise the community of our office closure dates over the Christmas and New Year period.

Melbourne Office

• Closing: Friday, 19 December 2025
• Reopening: Monday, 5 January 2026

Jindabyne Office & National Snowsports Training Centre (NSTC)

• Closing: Monday, 22 December 2025
• Reopening: Monday, 5 January 2026

NSTC Community Sessions

• Final session for 2025: Monday, 22 December
• Sessions resume: Friday, 2 January 2026