NSW / QLD / ACT Regional Update - October 9 2019
Published Wed 09 Oct 2019
All the latest on and off snow news for SSA’s NSW, ACT and QLD members.
Nominations Close in 2 Days for the SSA Community Sport Awards
Do you know an individual, school, club, program, coach, official, long serving volunteer to nominate for a Community Sport Award? Then nominate them online now before nominations close midnight Friday 11 October.
Ski & Snowboard Australia is calling on the snow sports community to recognise outstanding achievements and contributions from athletes, coaches, volunteers, clubs, schools, resorts, administrators and programs at the development and pathway level of snow sports.
Nominations close October 11, 2019. Finalists will be announced on October 18 with winners announced at the SSA Community Sport Awards.
The Ski & Snowboard Australia website will connect you to the selection criteria. Click on the below categories to take you directly to the nomination platform. You can nominate for the categories of:
Outstanding School Achievement in Snowsports
KEY DATES for the 2019 Ski & Snowboard Australia Community Sport Awards
Friday 11 October
Category nominations CLOSE
Friday 18 October
Finalists announced
Wednesday 30 October
Awards Night Ticket sales CLOSE
Thursday 7 November
Awards Night – QT Canberra
Buy your Tickets to the 2019 Ski & Snowboard Australia Community Sport Awards
In 2019, the awards are being held during the SSA National Participation & Development Conference.
National Participation Conference Update - Course Accreditation and Presenters Announced
The SSA National Participation Conference, which is targeted at school teachers and the snowsports industry and community, has been approved by the NSW Education Department to be part of MyPL and NESA registered. We encourage all school coordinators to attend this once in lifetime event to increase your knowledge on the sport and encourage greater participation. Teachers from other states can use the conference to go towards their professional development hours.
The two-day event will give delegates an opportunity to hear from a host of experts speak about topics ranging from snow safety, to diversity and inclusion in snowsports and physical literacy - a Sport Australia framework that is taking a holistic and lifelong learning approach to movement and physical activity.
Among the presenters is Kate Palmer AM Sport Australia CEO, Pierre Comis Director of Physical Literacy Leadership at Sport Australia, and Dual Olympian and three-time World Cup medallist Belle Brockhoff.
Triple Winter Paralympian and Paralympic Bronze Medallist Melissa Perrine and Dual Olympian Jono Brauer, General Manager Victoria and Hotham Vail Resorts Belinda Trembath, Thredbo Snowsports General Manager Adam Hosie, will also present on topics across the two-day event.
The conference explores the key topics of:
Industry – Unique Insights from Sport and the Snowsports Industry
Participation – Connecting with our Community to Inspire, Engage and Encourage Greater Participation
Schools – Developing sustainable, safe and successful School Snowsports programs
Diversity and Inclusion – Learning about the opportunities available for Disabled Wintersports Participants
A Systems Approach – Exploring what this means for Snowsports and our community, with an emphasis on developing an evidence-based approach to collectively achieve great outcomes
The Conference dates are structured to coincide with the inaugural Ski & Snowboard Australia Community Sport Awards to be held on the Thursday evening – 7th November at QT Canberra.
Registrations for the 2019 National Participation Conference close on Wednesday 30 October.
CLICK HERE to register
CLICK HERE for Conference Program
MEET THE PRESENTERS
Kate Palmer AM - CEO, Sport Australia
Kate Palmer AM is a leading Australian sport administrator. Since 2016 she has served as the CEO of Sport Australia (formerly known as the Australian Sports Commission).
Palmer has been leading figure in netball and Australian sport since the early 1990s. Palmer played Netball for Victoria and also served as the Chief Executive Officer of Netball Victoria and Netball Australia.
Palmer's roles outside netball include: Chair of the Victorian Institute of Sport, Panel Member of the Australian Sports Anti-Doping Authority Advisory Committee, Director of Australian Commonwealth Games Association
In the 2019 Queen’s Birthday Honours Palmer was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) in recognition of her significant service to sports administration.
Pierre Comis - Director, Physical Literacy Leadership - Sport Australia
Comis has worked in game development and participation roles across the sports of AFL, NRL and Cricket before moving to Sport Australia in 2007. Since then he has spent more than a decade implementing the Active After-school Communities program, designing and rolling out Sporting Schools and influencing National Sporting Organisations participation planning and strategy, focussing particularly on the primary school age group. In his current role, Pierre leads the physical literacy agenda in Australia.
Comis is highly experienced at junior product design, community coach training and at focussing on the holistic development of children through sport and physical activity.
He is also particularly passionate about developing more physically literate young Australians and making daily physical activity the norm, both at school and at home, in order to effect much needed generational change.
Adam Hosie - Snow Sports General Manager, Kosciuszko Thredbo
For 25 years, Hosie has worked at Thredbo for 26 winter seasons, initially as a Snow Sports Instructor, then for the past 15 years as the Snow Sports General Manager. Hosie was an APSI level 4 trainer/examiner and was twice selected on the National Education and Demonstration team, represented Australia at the 2007 Interski congress in South Korea. He is currently serving on the Ski & Snowboard Australia National Participation Committee.
Hosie has a wealth of knowledge in event management, snow safety and training and assessment of Snow Sport Instructors.
Belinda Trembath - General Manager Victoria and Hotham, Vail Resorts'
Since 2006, Trembath has served as the General Manager at Hotham Skiing Company having previously worked in other roles within the company, such as the Marketing Manager.
Trembath now works as Vail Resorts' General Manager in Hotham and Victoria.
Trembath is Chair of the Australian Ski Areas Association (ASAA), a non-profit industry body representing Australian Ski Area owners and operators that develop and publish industry policies intended to make Australian snow sports an enjoyable and safe recreation.
Belle Brockhoff - Dual Winter Olympian
Brockhoff is a World Cup Champion in Snowboard Cross and placed 8th in the Sochi Winter Olympics. With 3 World Cup Gold and 3 Silver Medals under her belt, her season was cut short at the World Championships in 2017 where she suffered an ACL tear. Despite this, she went through knee rehabilitation and finished that season ranked 3rd in the World.At the 2018 Winter Olympics, Brockhoff came 11th, only two months after undergoing surgery following a second ACL tear.
In 2019, Brockhoff was selected as a Lifeline Community Custodian, a program with the Australian Institute of Sport (AIS) that sees athletes become advocates for mental health and positive community spirit.
Melissa Perrine - Triple Winter Paralympian
Perrine is a visually impaired Para-Alpine Skier who has competed at the last 3 Winter Paralympics in downhill, super-G, super combined, slalom and giant slalom events. At the 2018 Winter Paralympics, she won two bronze medals.
Perrine together with sighted guide Bobbi Kelly, claimed the gold medal at the 2019 World Para Alpine Skiing Championships in the Women Super Combined, along with two silver and a bronze.
Perrine has experienced both highs and lows in her athlete career. Whilst training and competing overseas, Perrine obtained a Masters of Exercise Science and Physiotherapy.
Perrine was awarded the 2019 Ski and Snowboard Australia Athlete of the Year (Paralympic disciplines) at the Annual Australian Ski & Snowboard Award after a fantastic season 2018-2019
season with 12 medals on the Para Alpine World Cup Circuit, finishing second on the Overall Para Alpine Standings for the 2018-2019 competition year.
Jono Brauer - Dual Winter Olympian
Brauer competed at two Winter Olympics; Turin 2006 and Vancouver 2010 in Alpine Skiing.
Since retiring as an athlete, Brauer has stayed in the sport as a coach, currently the Program Director at Thredbo Mountain Academy and has set up his own junior skier development business, which focuses on developing the key fundamental skills required to develop solid skiers who could progress into whichever skiing discipline they desired.
Applications close in 1 Week - Amelia McGuiness Australian Snowsports Development Foundation
The Amelia McGuiness Australian Snowsports Development Foundation (AMASDF) is dedicated to providing practical support (for equipment, training, and resources), to up-and-coming winter snowsports athletes from the age of 10 to 18 years old, across all disciplines including disabled snowsports.
The 2019 AMASDF Scholarship Round will close October 16.
Application Information
Applicants must reside in NSW, QLD & ACT only. Applicants born between 2001 to 2009 need only to apply, with one application per athlete. A character reference is needed from a non-family member, being either a coach, teacher, sports coordinator, etc, at the time of submitting the application, so please source this before completing the application form.
CLICK HERE for a sample reference
A current Ski & Snowboard Australia (SSA) Financial Membership Number is required. This is not a Free Snowracer ID number. If you need to upgrade your membership, you can do this HERE.
The scholarship amount per athlete will be determined by the AMASDF Committee and is subject to the amount of money raised during fundraising events.
2020 Cross Country Ski Week - August 1-8 - Pencil it in NOW
If you missed 2019 XC Week in Perisher because you:
- Forgot,
- Couldn’t get accommodation,
- Mistakenly thought you had something better to do
- Other……………..then, this is your chance to do better in 2020.
If you got yourself there and were part of the XC community that enjoyed all or parts of 2019 XC Ski Week – August 3-11, you probably had freshly brewed coffee and home-made treats in a (semi) secret location on the trails on one beautiful day and in a cozy lodge on another day of wild weather. And you might have skied to Charlotte Pass to take part in an event that was less challenging than the ski to get there, with a meal and entertainment that would be hard to beat anywhere. A whole bunch of slightly crazy people took part in the Nordic Shelter Night Relays, this year enhanced by the skidoo arrival of our own OomPah Band. If that sounds corny, it was! In the most amazing way! Who knew what talents were lurking in the community…… Chances are you also took part in a number of citizen races that have histories nearly as long as there has been XC skiing in NSW. Another citizen event with a relatively short history was a race with a real difference – anyone can win, and Arnold did, and what a prize! Finally, you can lose and then find yourself, especially if you can read a map – try orienteering on skis.
Whatever else you did during the Week, you certainly enjoyed yourself energetically in the great outdoors, caught up with old friends/made new friends, shared/didn’t share waxing secrets in Wayne’s Waxatorium at the Nordic Shelter and probably made plans for next year.
The crowning event of the week was the XC Ski Week Presentation. Generous sponsors provided prizes for nearly everyone who was present. Participation was rewarded with Telemark Ski Club collecting a $1000 dinner at Tathra Hotel, thank you PXC, Cliff and the Sundeck! Mike Stenning was the luckiest person of the week when his name was drawn from the hat to order a new ski package, donated by Salomon.
Wander through the PXC website and find where information for 2020 XC Ski Week will be posted, where you will be able to enter most of the Perisher XC competitive events next year, how to subscribe to daily winter grooming reports and newsletters. The results of many of the 2019 XC Ski Week competitions are also posted on the PXC website amongst lots of other useful information.
Events and activities held at the Perisher XC Centre are organized and run by volunteer members of the XC Community. The Nordic Shelter is provided for the comfort and convenience of XC skiers through the efforts of volunteers who look after the facility and fundraise to meet the expense of keeping it open. Funds raised from XC events and activities support the sport of XC skiing, the facilities and the development of young XC skiers. You can directly support the Nordic Shelter by making a tax deductible donation.
The flyer for 2020 XC Ski Week is a gentle reflection of the pleasures of XC skiing – and of a week of fun, activity and socializing in one of Australia’s uniquely beautiful environments. Please join us to any level that suits you - participate, volunteer and contribute.
Photos from the 2019 XC Ski Week
NSW/ACT/QLD Alpine End of Season Celebration & 2019 Awards Presentation
Please join us at the NSW/ACT/QLD Alpine End of Season Celebration & 2019 Awards Presentation from 6pm on Saturday, 19th October at the Cammeray Golf Club, Park Avenue, Cremorne.
We are pleased to announce that our guest speaker for this special night is Steve Cooper OAM. Steve has been a Board Member of Ski & Snowboard Australia since 2010, and is Chair of both Interschool Snowsports Australia and the SSA National Participation Committee. Steve will talk on SSA Discipline Directions and the development of the Jindabyne National Snowsports Training Centre (NSTC), and will answer questions from the audience on building the link between Participation and Performance in a rapidly changing Snowsports environment
He has been known to be a lively, informative and motivational presenter. He isn’t just the guy on the microphone at Moguls! Steve received his OAM in the 2019 Australia Day Honours list for his strong passion for competitive snowsports participation, his tireless contribution to snowsports and for assisting athletes in their endeavour to reach their potential.
Awards include: U12 - Top Achievers, U14/U6 – Age Champion, Runner Up and Development Awards, FIS – U18/U21/Open Champion and Runner Up (Alpine and Ski X), Perpetual Trophy – Alpine Club of the Year, Acknowledgment of Developing Athlete Recipients.
Cost: $35 per adult, $20 per child or $100 per family (includes food and soft drink)
All families and friends of the Alpine community are welcome.
Alpine/Ski Cross Athlete Preparation Camp at the AIS
The Alpine/Ski Cross Athlete Preparation Camp aims to educate and prepare U16 and FIS Athletes aged between 2004 to 1999 on best practice for athlete preparation and development within a team performance environment.
The camp will be delivered by our OWIA/SSA and Club Coaches, with support from the expertise, services and facilities of the Australian Institute of Sport in Canberra. This two and a half-day residential camp is a unique opportunity for young athletes to experience the pinnacle of high-performance training at the AIS within a team environment while learning more about what it takes to become a successful Alpine/Ski Cross FIS Athlete across the Australian and International seasons.
The Alpine/Ski Cross Athlete Preparation Camp is possible due to the support of NSW/ACT/QLD Alpine and SSA.
This camp is free of charge for Alpine / Ski Cross Athletes who have Alpine Junior membership OR Alpine Racer membership and are born 2004 to 1999
When is it?
Starts: Friday 25th of October: 3:00pm
Concludes: Sunday 27th of October: 2:30pm
The schedule will be available shortly
How to Register:
Please click here to register.
Registrations close: 18th of October 2019
Please click here to download the information brochure.
NSW/ACT/QLD Alpine Scholarship Recipients
Congratulations to 12 alpine racers who are the recipients of the NSW/ACT/QLD Interschools Snowsports 2020 Perisher and Thredbo Scholarships which consists of a 2020 Season Resort Pass. There were a large number of applicants and due to excellent results, hard work and meeting strict criteria the following athletes have been awarded a pass for the 2020 season. Many thanks to Thredbo, Perisher, NSWACTQLD Interschools Snowsports and the NSW/ACT/QLD Alpine Committee. Well done!
Thredbo Premium Winter Pass: Theo Coates 99, Hugh McAdam 00, Isabella Davis 02, Laidley Dowling 04, Abbey Davis 05
Perisher EPIC Season Pass with Ski Tube: Jack Adams 98, Kyra Wheatley 03, Joey Steggall 03, Letitia Murphy 04, Noah El Hakim 05, Charlotte Mooney 06, Duncan Cowan 06
Sydney Acro Sessions held again in Term 4
SSA Futures Term 4 acrobatic sessions in Sydney are now available for booking online
These classes are a great preparation for all snow sports athletes and a unique opportunity to dial-in the spatial awareness, body movement, and strength and conditioning skills before the Northern Hemisphere season. The sessions are great fun and shouldn’t be missed by any competitive athlete. Minimum age is 10 years.
Once again, the classes will be run by Anthony Khoury who is one of the best in snow sports acrobatic coaching and has worked with many of our top athletes.
Location: East Gymnastics 100 New South Head Road Edgecliff.
Available Sessions: Tuesdays at 7.00pm – 8.15pm – $250 (Tuesday 15th Oct – Tuesday 26th Nov)
Fridays at 6.30pm – 7.45pm – $250 (Friday 19th Oct – Friday 29th Nov)
East Gymnastics also accept the Active Kids Vouchers, for those who have not already used theirs this year, there are 2 available (up to $200). These can be applied for through the Service NSW website.
Spaces are limited so book early.
Click here to download brochure
Click here to Register
Key Date Reminder
Key Dates for the coming months..if you are feeling foggy after the season this list may help...
Deadline - 11 October - Nominations are due for the SSA 2019 Community Sports Awards (Awards Night 7 Nov, Canberra)
Deadline - 16 October - Applications close for the AMASDF Athlete Scholarship Program
Event - 19 October - NSW/ACT/QLD Alpine End of Season & Awards Night. Cremorne. $100 Family, $35 Adults, $20 Child
Event - 25-27 October - Alpine/Ski X FIS Camp @ AIS, Rego through SSA. AIS Canberra. Free
Deadline - 30 October - Buy your tickets for the SSA 2019 Community Sports Awards dinner. Canberra. $125 Adults, Student (13-17) $85, Child (12 and under) $45.
Deadline - 30 October - Registrations are due for the SSA National Participation Conference. Canberra $395 pp (includes Awards dinner ticket)
Event - 7-8 November - SSA National Participation Conference, QT Canberra, two day conference $395 (includes ticket to awards night)
Event - 7 November - SSA Community Sports Awards Night. QT Canberra Ballroom. Cocktail/Dinner gala event.
Blog - Being a Valued Member of a Great Snow Sports Community
Communities are formed when people of similar values and interests come together. In snow sports we all share a common interest in outdoor adventure which unites us. Some of us embrace this community culture and get further involved through clubs, lodges, schools or other social networks, whilst others may simply choose to share their experience with family and friends. Either way, every day that we are on snow, we are part of a strong civil network which stretches worldwide across many cultures and generations.
The snow sports community has been so resilient over many generations because there are shared values and a community spirit which is universally appealing. Being part of our community feels good because we do share it with many like-minded people. Anyone who has been lucky enough to ski overseas knows how easy it is to slide into a new resort, make new friends and immediately form a connection – regardless of language and cultural barriers.
Snow sport enthusiasts come in all shapes, sizes, ages and nationalities. Some come for the adrenalin rush, others for fitness, others to achieve high performance outcomes and many just for fun. However, there are only two things which are fundamental to everyone’s involvement in the sport, one is enjoyment and the other is improvement. Everything we aim for is tied together by these two things that we value most.
How does the community contribute to these outcomes?
Like all activity, it really is difficult to find motivation if we are not enjoying what we do. How we enjoy sport is mostly up to the individual but we also do contribute to how others enjoy being part of it. This is where community spirit is so important.
What can we all do to contribute?
Positive communities are groups who inspire their members in a way which fosters growth and elevates the entire group to achieve their best. The members share similar values and work together to achieve common goals. It is important to recognise that we can all contribute to achieving these goals by supporting others, being respectful, demonstrating humility, volunteering our time, showing interest in the progress of others, attending community events, listening with interest and considering the feelings of everyone around us.
In the modern day, social media now adds another layer to being a good community member. Not only are we accountable for our actions on the snow and in public but now, through our social media posts and commentary, we also need to be aware of how the community is affected. The same standards apply , but more specifically related to all sports, we need to consider humility in victory, discernment in times of privilege, joy at the success of others and being respectful at all times.
Above all else, as a community, we should work together to elevate the group, knowing that this will provide the best outcome for everyone as individuals.
In our recent blog we were reminded that community spirit is what separates snow sports from all other physical activities. No other sport is born from a social structure which is so inclusive and open to such diverse groups of friends, families and society. In the blog, we commented on how snow sport can be distinguished as follows:
The appeal of snow sport is born from the vibrant community structure which has historically existed within the fabric of all on mountain activities.
We hope that every day we are out on the snow, whether it be for social skiing, competition or for training, that members of the community will consider the following:
- remember that we are here to enjoy what we do;
- have respect for each other;
- encourage and help others to grow;
- remember that everyone has different goals;
- celebrate improvement rather than victory;
- play fair and focus on skill building;
- work together to elevate the entire group;
- volunteer to help wherever possible.
Above all else, take a deep breath, embrace the comradery and enjoy skiing.