Dear Alpine Skiing Community,

It has been a great start to the season with all five resorts able to open top to bottom.

I hope many of you have been able to take advantage of the incredible start and enjoyed some turns over the long weekend. Take this opportunity to get the legs moving and get some early season ski mileage. Even if you are just out for some runs with friends, it is a great time to start to engage your ‘ski brain’ and think about your skiing and what you are feeling as you log in that vertical. If you are yet to get on snow, make sure you get some Snow Ready sessions in. A combination of skiing and these sessions will help reinforce good position and have you ready to go when you join your coaches and programs over the coming weeks.

I am very excited to announce the addition of Sami Kennedy-Sim to the Snow Australia team and look forward to Sami engaging with all clubs this winter. Sami will be offering a unique opportunity for Ski Cross education and training both for athletes and their coaches, as well as supporting sport development across all pathways.

We have been meeting with clubs over the last weeks to discuss the coming season and identify times when Snow Australia staff can join in club activities to assist with developing young athletes. These visits will be unique to each club and will include skills assessments, coach/athlete education, parent education/Q&A sessions, Ski Cross specific education and training opportunities along with any other opportunities that the clubs may identify.

We are also working with clubs to deliver Snow Australia Level 1 Alpine coaching courses to help identify, and educate, new Australian coaches to support the development for future generations of alpine athletes.

A reminder, Snow Australia Alpine Memberships are on Sale - Make sure you get yourselves registered to engage with any Snow Australia opportunities coming to your clubs, as well as to be eligible to compete, get your snowracer insurance and more.

I am pleased to announce the selection of the 2022/23 Australian National Alpine Ski Team for both Alpine and Ski Cross. These athletes personify perseverance and commitment to their sport over what has been another challenging year dealing with the hurdles the Covid pandemic presented. I wish them all the best over the coming year and look forward to working with them all. Within this athlete cohort we are pleased to welcome to the National Team 3 additional Alpine athletes, Phoebe Heaydon, Cate Dance and Joey Steggall; as well as 2 additional Ski Cross athletes, Jesse Quinn and Alfred Wenk.
 

With another season disrupted both domestically and internationally by the ongoing pandemic, the National Alpine Committee (NAC) used its discretion to maintain selection for all current team members as well as for the addition of new team members early in the performance pathway. This decision aligns with the current National Alpine Strategy, allowing time for development of those athletes showing potential to progress early in the performance pathway. 

Looking forward to skiing with you soon,

Shawn Fleming
National Alpine Director
Snow Australia

Snow Australia is pleased to announce the athletes selected on the National Alpine Ski Team for 2022/23.

15 alpine and four ski cross athletes have been named among the group, including five athletes who have been selected for the first time.

Snow Australia Alpine Director Shawn Fleming offered his congratulations to the athletes, and best wishes for the upcoming season.

“We are so pleased to announce the 19 athletes selected on the 2022/23 National Alpine Ski Team,” Fleming said.

“This group of athletes has shown an unwavering commitment to their sport through another uncertain year with many obstacles."

If you haven't already, make sure to check out SnowReady with 3 x Winter Olympian Sami Kennedy-Sim.

Developed by Snow Australia, SnowReady has been designed to deliver a fun and interactive ski and snowboard fitness program aimed at people of all ages and abilities.

In Episode 3 we introduce the new SnowReady program. Designed to help you get fit to ski or snowboard on your next snow trip, the SnowReady program outlines a combination of warm-up, strength, fitness and warm-down exercises that will help you maximise your enjoyment and time on snow.

Snow Australia is excited to announce the return of Australia / New Zealand Continental Cup (ANC) FIS Events to the 2022 Season Calendar.

ANC Events form a critical aspect of the high-performance pathway, providing athletes with opportunities to develop competition experience and gather FIS points.

Schedule

SX ANC Races:  31 August – 03 September, Mt Hotham

New Zealand

Alpine ANC Races - SL, SG, GS: 22-29 August, Coronet Peak, NZ

The current schedule for ANC FIS Events can be found on the FIS Website

Online Registration for all Australian ANC Events will be made available by the Resorts.  More information on this process will be published in the coming weeks on the Snow Australia Website.

Snow Australia’s Para Alpine team is actively looking to find experienced, knowledgeable, passionate and dynamic individuals to fill the roles of Para Alpine Head Coach and Team Ski & Equipment Technician.

The Para Alpine Ski Team trains domestically and competes on the international stage through the northern winter at World Para Alpine World Cup Circuit, World Championships and Paralympic Games. Both roles would require travel and flexible schedules.

See HERE for information and details on how to apply.

Women of Winter - Women in Focus aims to inspire, promote and connect women in the ski industry to encourage future female leaders. Once a month, Women of Winter features a Woman excelling in the Snowsports industry in their chosen discipline. Presenting women in a multitude of roles including coaches, athletes, administrators, guides and industry directors.

This month features Melissa Perrine. A name synonymous with Snow Australia’s Winter Paralympic Team, as the B2 visually impaired alpine skier has represented Australia across four Paralympic Games - being the only female winter Paralympian to achieve this feat.