Dear XC Skiing Community,

Yesterday the Snow Australia president Daniel Bosco announced the appointment of new National Discipline Committees (NDCs) across all the major disciplines. On the cross country side we have a new NDC chair in Ashleigh Spittle, taking over the reins from long-standing NDC committee member Peter Cunningham. I would like to thank Peter for his multiple stints in the role of chair over three decades, including a call-back as interim chair from 2022-2024. I would also like to thank outgoing committee members from recent years Peter Ward, Ronice Goebel, Andrew Walker and Anthony Evans, and to welcome new committee members (see linked article below).

We are also confirming today the official Cross Country Skiing National Teams for 2024/2025 that were provisionally posted at the end of September. In the coming weeks numerous members of the team will open their season campaign racing in Scandinavia. This is a start of a big season for the Australian Team, for the first time ever we are aiming to have athletes contesting every single World Cup, as well as competing in the usual combination of World Championship, Continental Cup and National events. As for 2023/2024, all World Cups are set to be broadcast live via FIS TV. Selections for each event throughout the season will be confirmed via the International Event Selection page, I can provide a sneak preview to keep an eye out for Rosie Fordham, Seve de Campo and Bentley Walker-Broose at the first event in Ruka.

The third key article in this XC update is call for assistance in finding a sponsor for the World Championship in Trondheim. This is an expensive event both for athletes and the Snow Australia program. At the Falun World Championship in 2015 we were fortunate to find a local Swedish company who kicked in some funding in return for branding on team headgear and inside access to the championship. Anyone with connections to potential Norwegian companies or benefactors please reach out. Individual donations can also be made to the team via the Australian Sports Foundation.

Wishing everyone a great upcoming summer or winter (as applicable).

Cheers,

Finn Marsland
Cross Country Director
Snow Australia

Recently the Snow Australia Board  completed a refresh and restructure of the Snow Australia National Discipline Committees (NDCs). After extensive community consultation and an open call for expressions of interest, the board has now appointed new committee members.

Former National Team athlete Ashleigh Spittle is one of three new NDC chairs, taking over from Peter Cunningham who was the XC NDC chair from 2003-2016 and again from 2022. Peter remains on the committee alongside six other returning members and five new members. Three of the new members are designated as Conference Members, representing different parts of the snowsport community.

National Cross Country Committee - Members

• Ashleigh Spittle (Chair)
• Adam Barnett (athlete rep)
• Katie Brown
• Phoebe Cridland (athlete rep)
• Peter Cunningham
• Shayne Hanks
• Finn Marsland
• Katerina Paul
• Alexei Sotskov

Conference Members are Peter Lambert, Thomas McMahon and Sharon Tivey. 

More information about the Snow Australia review and the committee appointments is provided in this recent linked article by president Daniel Bosco →

The Snow Australia Selection Committee is pleased to announce the selection of athletes to the 2024/2025 Cross Country Skiing National Team. Twenty-seven athletes will take their place in the World Cup, Continental Cup, U23 and Junior teams, including four Winter Olympians and three athletes making their team debut.

Major events for the team during the upcoming northern hemisphere winter include the 2024/25 World Cup series, the 2025 World Championship in Trondheim (NOR), the 2025 World Junior & U23 Championships in Schilpario (ITA), and the 2025 World University Games in Torino (ITA). It will be a big season for the team, with results from World Cup and Championships events contributing towards athletes quotas at the 2026 Winter Olympics.

Three months out from the 2025 World Championship in Trondheim, the Australian Team is seeking a Norwegian sponsor.

Cutting to the chase, it is expensive to bring a team to the World Championship in Norway. Accommodation alone is expected to be more than $2,500 per person for 12 days in the official hotel. With 10 athletes and 5 support staff (2 coaches and 3 wax techs), that’s nearly $40K. Add in flights, waxing expenses and support staff fees and pockets become empty pretty quickly.  Sponsorship from Falls Creek and base funding from Snow Australia helps to pay support staff expenses. Regardless, event fees for the athletes are likely to be over $3,000 each.

Though cross country skiing is a small sport in Australia, it is massive in Norway. Crowds at the 2011 World Championship in Oslo exceeded 100,000 for the women's 30km finale.

Do you have the connections to help find the Australian Team a sponsor? We want to hear from you!

Aussie snowsport fans can now catch all the FIS World Cup action this season for free via FIS TV. Snow Australia has acquired the rights and are proud to be delivering this free of charge for Aussie fans during the 2024-2025 World Cup season.

Upcoming Cross Country World Cup Events:

To compete overseas in FIS-sanctioned competitions there are several prerequisites that must be satisfied before you can be included on an official entry form. Please view the summary information below and visit the Competing Overseas page on the website to make sure you understand your obligations.

1. Membership

To compete in cross-country skiing FIS races overseas you must be an XC International Racer. This ensures you have the correct level of membership and are registered with FIS.

2. Competition Insurance

It is a FIS requirement that Snow Australia ensures all its competitors hold insurance that covers competitive skiing and meets, at a minimum, FIS International Competition Rules: 212.3

Athletes competing overseas as part of a Snow Australia XC program are covered by the National Team AHI insurance policy. For ETP and other endorsed athletes, we have been working with our insurance providers to confirm policies ahead of the northern winter. Please visit the Overseas Competition Insurance page for the latest information on available policies.

3. Expression of Interest

To compete in FIS-sanctioned cross country races overseas you must complete an Expression of Interest (EOI) form and submit it to Snow Australia (fmarsland@snow.org.au). Please note, this is not necessary for citizen skiers taking part in Worldloppet or other loppet events, nor for North American FIS events where entries are only possible online with direct payment.

For any questions regarding EOI's please contact entries@snow.org.au or visit the Competing Overseas webpage.