September 2021

Dear Cross Country friends,

There is plenty of snow still left in the mountains but unfortunately most of us are not in the position to be able to enjoy it. I’m still holding out for the prospect of taking my kids down to Perisher at the end of September if travel restrictions ease up, though chances are not looking great.

I’m disappointed to inform that all remaining national events this winter have been cancelled, though local club activities could potentially still take place at short notice for those living near the mountains. Looking back to July, when early season club races took place at Falls Creek and Perisher, our hopes of a more “normal” racing season than 2020 were quite high. As it turned out, we were lucky in the end to be able to squeeze in one weekend of FIS races for a limited field of elite athletes. Amazingly all the events of NSW XC Week were able to take place, with undiminished enthusiasm despite lower participant numbers. For those of us in the major cities, a Virtual Hoppet on foot or wheels (for some in the water) was at least a way to stay connected with the skiing community.

Between now and the next Australian winter a number of opportunities for different parts of the athlete pathways will become available. Though international travel will still be restricted for most, Snow Australia is optimistic about the prospect of sending elite athletes to the Winter Olympics and other major events in Europe. In Australia, national and state coaches are already working together on plans for camps and other development activities for sub-elite athletes. We also hope to expand on the rollerski event series offered in the first half of 2021. Further information on some of these opportunities are included in this Community Update.

I’ll leave you now with this picture below from the start of August that helps to remind me why I love this sport.

Best regards,

Finn Marsland
Cross Country Skiing Program Director

Australia’s premier cross-country ski race, the Kangaroo Hoppet celebrated its 30th anniversary this year with another outstanding success, despite being held as a virtual event only for the second time in a row. 

The organisers had originally planned to return to the more traditional on-snow mass participation format for 2021 and mark an important milestone in the history of the Falls Creek event, which is also part of the prestigious Worldloppet series.

Snow Australia is now seeking Expressions of Interest (EOIs) from athletes aspiring to represent Australia at World Junior or U23 level within the next 1-4 years, and interested to be part of Snow Australia’s National Junior Team and/or other national cross country skiing Development Programs for 2021-2022.

With limited international travel for high performance sport being supported and preparations well underway for the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics, Snow Australia is calling for expressions of interest for the following international events for the 2021/2022 season:

• 2021 World Universiade Winter Games
• 2022 World Junior/U23 Championships

With ongoing Covid-19 restrictions in NSW and Victoria, all remaining Snow Australia cross country skiing championship events in the 2021 winter are now cancelled. This includes the already postponed Australian Championship and Continental Cup event scheduled for 4/5 September at Falls Creek, and the previously announced AUSXC Junior Cup events that were to be held in August at both Falls Creek and Perisher.

Club events and unofficial time trials organised by state and national coaches may still go ahead at short notice if and when local restrictions permit.

Cross-country skiing Olympians Bruce Haslingden, David Hislop and Anthony Evans were presented with their Snow Australia Medal at the Perisher Cross Country Centre on Thursday 12 August, as part of the NSW XC Ski Week activities.

It was a fitting venue to present the Snow Australia Medals to the three recipients, who have all started their competitive skiing careers at Perisher and have many memories of competing on the Snowy Mountains trails. The occasion also gave the NSW Cross-country skiing community an opportunity to celebrate with the medalists.  

The Snow Australia Medal recognises the achievements and careers of those past and retiring athletes who represented Australia at the highest level of snow sport competition.

Despite challenging lockdown periods and prolonged travel restrictions having a significant impact on our domestic winter season for the second year in a row, Snow Australia is pleased to announce that the Community Sport Awards (CSA) is back on the calendar for 2021.

The CSA were established two years ago to complement the annual Snow Australia Awards, traditionally held at the end of the Northern Hemisphere season, with the first Community Sport Awards night held in Canberra on 7 November 2019.

“We introduced the Community Sport Awards to recognise the contribution of volunteers, clubs, schools, coaches, athletes and programs at the development and pathway level of snow sports,” explained Snow Australia CEO Michael Kennedy.

Nominations are now open and close 29 September. The snow community is encouraged to nominate worthy individuals, programs and clubs that meet the selection criteria for the Community Sport Awards. 

For any Cross Country enquiries, please contact info@snow.org.au or visit www.snow.org.au.