Para FUTURES | Identifying the stars of tomorrow

Snow Australia Para FUTURES returned last weekend at Perisher with nine athletes in attendance.

They were joined by the Para Snowboard and Para Alpine High Performance team members Ben Tudhope, Sean Pollard, Georgia Gunew, Ethan Jackson and Sam Tait who led clinics and welcomed this next generation of Para athletes into the family.

Saturday was a day of wild weather and wind, but that brought with it plenty of fresh snow and plenty of big smiles as the whole crew rode together and found fresh stashes of snow. This day was all about understanding the demands of being an HP athlete, pushing boundaries and having fun on the snow, all while getting tips and tricks from development and HP coaches to improve technique and build tactics to improve performance.

Following the on-snow component, all the Futures athletes reconvened at the National Snowsports Training Centre in Jindabyne for a stretch and recovery session, led by the HP athletes. An information session was then held to introduce the FUTURES athletes and parents to the FTEM pathway model and watch videos of the world’s best, while opening great conversations around the para pathway, life as an athlete and the opportunities to move forward in Para Snowsports.

National Classification is a critical step in the Para Athlete pathway involving both indoor and on-snow assessment. This was led by the lead Classifier along with an information session for all on the values of Para Classification creating a fair and level playing field for all athletes.

The following day the wind departed, the sky was blue, and conditions were fresh to get back on snow and into a race course environment to apply the skills from day one.

Each lap the FUTURES athletes got more confident in the gates and the speeds increased each run.

The HP athletes put on a masterclass of race line and technique, serving as inspiration and motivation for the FUTURES participants. Ben Troy, 2026 Winter Paralympics Chef de Mission, joined the crew at the top of the course and was blown away by the level of talent coming through the Para pathway.

“It is so encouraging to see Para FUTURES athletes interested in development skills and entering the pathway toward competition," he said. "The day concluded with a free ride expression session on Powder Ridge with plenty of impressive skills on display from all.

The aim of Snow Australia Para FUTURES is not only talent Identification of athletes with physical or visual impairments, but also to provide space for these athletes to explore and develop their skills in the sport alongside Para Alpine and Para Snowboard’s best. FUTURES is the starting point for conversations around pathway and life as an athlete. It is a launching point for new athletes and a welcoming to the family from the whole Para Snowsports team.