Dear XC Skiing Community,

It has been a rocky start to the winter with some club events cancelled, but at least since early July there has been good snow for training and general skiing. Across the higher resorts, the grooming teams have been making a great effort to provide decent tracks. Over the past two weekends there have been promising signs for the future, with good participation numbers among younger juniors at the state championships at Perisher and Falls Creek, and at the Paddy Pallin Juniors at Perisher (see reports below).

This coming weekend the first events of the Australian Open Championship and the FIS Continental Cup are scheduled to take place at Falls Creek. New snow has fallen just in time to hopefully make these races viable in the original planned formats. Most of the National Team athletes (including three members of the 2026 Winter Olympic Team) are on the start list, with a free spot on World Cup up for grabs to the overall winner of the Continental Cup. Live timing will be available via Alpine Timing, and potentially some live footage as well via the new Birkebeiner / XCSAV snowcam on the Jack Heberle Race Hut.

In the following weeks a number of key participation events are on the calendar, including the KAC, Sundeck Cup and Snowy Mountains Classic as part of NSW Cross Country Week at Perisher, and Ski de Femme and the Kangaroo Hoppet at Falls Creek. Fingers crossed that more snow and community resourcefulness will enable these events to happen. Online entries for most of these races are available via our XC Events page.

Looking ahead to the next northern winter, plans are already underway for a big competition season including the 2027 World Championship in Sweden, the 2027 World Junior-U23s in Estonia, and the full World Cup circuit. We are currently seeking expressions of interest from assorted support staff, including coaches, wax techs and physiotherapists, to work with the team in Europe. Interested parties should read the article below and reach out to me if any clarification is required.

It wouldn't be a proper community update without a quick plug for fundraising activities. In addition to our usual suspects such as the Sundeck Cup and XC Towards 2030 project, we are asking the XC community to save the date of Saturday 5 September our new venture, the XC Spring Ball at Tinkersfield near Jindabyne. Read on below for more information and break out the formal wear to join us in celebrating Australian cross country skiing and supporting our aspiring athletes.

I look forward to seeing many of you on the trails in the coming weeks and particularly at Tinkersfield in September.

Best regards,

Finn Marsland
Cross Country Skiing Program Director

Save the date of Saturday 5 September for the XC Spring Ball!

2026 saw Australian cross country skiers achieve our best-ever results at the Winter Olympics and on World Cup. Now athletes and coaches are pumped up to take it to new heights next season.

Hosted by Snow Australia at Tinkersfield in the Crackenback valley, the XC Spring Ball will be an evening honouring snowsports, our national athletes and the community behind them. All proceeds supporting the next generation of Australian cross country athletes and the World Cup campaign in Sweden 2028. 

Keep your eyes peeled for more information and tickets over the coming weeks.

Click through for more information about Tinkersfield..

The Australian Competition Rules, National Team Selection Policy, and International Events Selection Policy have been updated and can be accessed on the website.

NSWACT XC hosted the ACT Sprint Championships and the NSW Distance Championships the weekend of July 18/19 at the Perisher Nordic Trails. Athletes competed in categories from U10s through to Opens and Masters. It was a fun weekend for the community, giving athletes a taste of competitive cross country racing!

The 2026 Victorian Junior Cross Country Ski Championships were held in Falls Creek the weekend of July 25/26. Athletes from U10s through to U23s competed for their State title in the Freestyle Sprint event on the Saturday and the Classic Distance event on the Sunday.

With continuing marginal snow conditions, another huge effort was put in by volunteers and officials to get this event off the ground.

The 64th Paddy Pallin Juniors was a success on Sunday 26 July 2026 at the Perisher Cross Country Centre! Twenty two enthusiastic participants, from ages 11 months to 16 years, enjoyed a timed ski event, free lunch, presentation of certificates and prizes, and a team jelly snake hunt on skis.

After a slow start to the season, race organisers are gearing up for a big stretch of cross country action for the rest of the season, with National Championship titles on the line at Perisher and Falls Creek, plus a strong line-up of club events for skiers of all levels.

Registrations are open for the AUS Open Sprint Championship and AUS Open 15km Championship in Falls Creek on the first weekend in August. Keep an eye out soon for the registration for the second weekend of Australian Championship events, the Australian Open, Masters and Junior Championships at Perisher on August 22/23.

Snow Australia is seeking expressions of interest from coaches, wax technicians and other suitably experienced persons to work with the Cross Country Skiing High Performance Program at the following international events/tours during the 2026/2027 season:

• 2026/2027 World Cup
• 2027 World Championship, Falun, Sweden
• 2027 World Junior / U23 Championship, Otepaa, Estonia
• 2027 World University Games, Changchun, China

Interested persons should apply via email to Cross Country Skiing Program Director Finn Marsland (fmarsland@snow.org.au) by Sunday, August 2.

With the 2026 racing season already in full swing, we'd like to remind you to ensure your membership is current and that you are registered under the correct membership category for the events you wish to compete in.

If you have any questions about your membership or need assistance with renewing or updating your membership type, please contact info@snow.org.au