Dear XC Skiing Community,

After promising snowfalls 3-4 weeks ago, this winter has proven to be a short one. We were lucky to get away with some of the championship races and key citizen events such as the Kangaroo Hoppet and XC Ski Week. In addition to the featured articles below, I would encourage reading of this excellent ABC article on Rosie Fordham and the Hoppet. Unfortunately, rapidly deteriorating snow conditions have seen the cancellation of the last weekend of the Australian Open and Junior Championship races and pretty much the end of regular trail grooming.

The last ski races left on the calendar are the National XC Interschools at Perisher on Friday 4th September, and the Snowy Mountains Nordic Family Cup on Saturday 5th September. The Perisher Resort and Snow Australia Interschools team are working to confirm the XC event location (possibly up at Blue Cow), while SMN are investigating assorted back-up plans. For the latest info on these events, look to the Interschools and PXC sites or keep an ear to the social media grapevine.

For anyone in the Jindabyne area for the Interschools and SMN Family Cup, we would love to have you join the National Team and XC community for the inaugural Cross Country Ball on the Saturday night. Hosted by Snow Australia at the amazing Tinkersfield venue on the road to Thredbo, this is set to be an evening of fine dining and celebration of our sport. To help us confirm numbers for the night, please register here by this Friday 28 August.

For those further afield who can't make it on the night, the AUSXC Silent Auction will be running in conjunction with the XC Ball. Find yourself a bargain and support athletes representing Australia on the international stage at the same time.

Looking ahead to the northern winter, Snow Australia is planning to send teams to all major international events, including World Cup, the World Championships in Sweden, the World Junior-U23 Championship in Estonia, the World University Games in China. Preliminary numbers are also looking good for the 2027 World Masters in Norway. The selection process for the national team and international championships will begin in September, with provisional teams likely to be announced in October. Full selection criteria are available here on the Snow Australia site, with more information and EOIs for some events to be released in the coming weeks.

For keen spring skiers, I wish you luck in seeking out snow on the higher slopes over the next month.

Best regards,

Finn Marsland
Cross Country Skiing Program Director

Join us for the Cross Country Ski Ball at Tinkersfield, Crackenback, on Saturday 5 September - an evening of fine dining honouring snowsports, our national athletes, and the incredible community behind it all.

A reason to dress up. A chance to celebrate the past year. A night beginning with grazing tables and mingling, followed by a sit-down meal featuring Tinkersfield’s Feast and Dessert menu.

Ticket sales are set to close on Friday as numbers need to be confirmed for catering. Register now to help us make the evening a success!

Warm temperatures, sunshine and a fast, firm track greeted competitors for the 32nd Kangaroo Hoppet at Falls Creek on August 15. While the snowpack presented significant challenges in the lead-up to the event, organisers, groomers and volunteers worked tirelessly to ensure all three race distances could go ahead.

Lars Young Vik and Rosie Fordham took line honours in the shortened Hoppet event. This was Vik's first victory in the event, and Fordham's second win back-to-back.

Vik: “It feels great to win my first Kangaroo Hoppet! It’s the pinnacle event of Australian XC skiing and I’m honoured to join the ranks with some of our best skiers.”

Fordham: "The vibes were awesome and as always so nice to race at home. I was very impressed with the ability to run the event. I think the organisers did very well with what was available.”

Perisher XC hosted the 2026 Cross Country Ski Week from August 1st to 8th, bringing together a wide variety of athletes. This week-long ski festival gathers the entire community from juniors to masters to Olympians for some fun racers to help grow the sport and give the elite more race practice.

Alongside the long-running KAC Cross Country Classic and the fundraising Sundeck Cup, a highlight of the week was the Nordic Shelter Twilight Relays. Teams of four entered and competed both for the fastest relay times but also in a costume contest. The 2026 Costume Competition winners were relay team ‘Respect Your Elders’ who sourced their costumes from the local op shop.

The week was concluded with the ACT & NSW Ski-Orienteering Championships, the perfect way to end such a fun, community-driven week.

The annual Ski de Femme was hosted at Falls Creek on August 8th. This beloved event has been a hit for many years, attracting beginners and veterans alike from all around the country to get out and experience the beautiful cross country skiing Australia has on offer.

Led by deeply valued cross country community member, Ronice Goebel, this event encouraged women to get involved in the sport and try something new or further develop their skills. Experienced volunteer coaches worked with women of all ages and abilities, sharing their extensive knowledge and love of the sport.

Snow Australia hosted the first weekend of Australian Open and Continental Cup races at Falls Creek 1-2 August, with a Classic Sprint on the Saturday and a Skate 15km Distance on the Sunday.

Rosie Fordham made a clean sweep of the Open women's events, ahead of Satara Moon in the Sprint and Isabella Moon in the 15km. The men's victories were split between Jayden Spring in the Sprint and Seve de Campo in the 15km, with Lars Young Vik taking the silver medal in both events.

Sit skier Dave Miln won the para category in both the Sprint and 10km events. Dave showed a lot of grit, impressing spectators with his technique and strength, particularly in the 10km event.

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

Click through the banner image below to find out more about National Team supporter Peak Learning Adventures.