Edward 'Bruce' Haslingen is known for establishing Cross-Country skiing in the Snowy Mountains of NSW, where he lived all his life on a farm near Cooma, working as a sheep grazier.
 
Bruce’s first Cross-Country skiing experience was on a golf course, in 1937. It didn't take long for his talent to show. The following year he joined Cooma Ski Club and started competing in Cross-Country ski-racing. Bruce was physically and mentally tough from his time mustering, so the discipline suited him well. In 1939 he won his first race at the Kosciuszko Hotel, just before his career, as many others, was put on hold by World War II.
 
After the war, Bruce got back on his Cross-Country skis and outperformed the competition at the Perisher Olympic 'qualification trials' to be selected for the 1952 Oslo Winter Olympics. He and his teammate Cedric Sloan were Australia's first Cross-Country skiers ever selected for the Games.
 
Despite having lost much of his physical condition during a six-week sea voyage to Oslo, he was lucky enough to be invited to train with the Norwegian team before the start of the Olympics. Those sessions, paired with his resilience and willingness to push his body to its physical limit to get over the line, allowed him to be ready at the start of the 18km event on 18 February. However his lack of preparation made it hard for him to keep up with the rest of the field, and he was 74th at the finish. After pulling out of the 50km event, he was given the honour of carrying the Australian flag in the Closing Ceremony.
 
After the Games Bruce continued his competitive career for a few years, participating in events in Sweden, Finland and Germany - once again the first Australian Cross-Country skier to compete in those countries. In 1956 he became a selector for the Cortina d'Ampezzo Winter Games, and also served on the Committees of the NSW Ski Association and the Southern Districts for several years.
 
Respected by all his peers and remembered by many for his kindness and understanding, Bruce was the kind of man who would be cheering all racers through the finish, always encouraging and pushing them on harder. The best moments of his competitive skiing were when he got to share his passion with others, being part of a team and enjoying post-race celebrations with his friends. As such, he had also great joy in mentoring young Cross-Country skiers, including his own grandchildren.
 
Bruce continued to ski in Cross-Country events until 1993, when he took part in the 1993 Engadin Ski Marathon in Switzerland, the last of his international competitions. The man considered by many the pioneer of Cross-Country skiing in Australia placed 8th in his class, thus ending a long and spectacular skiing career.