AUSXC 2.0!

From the start of July 2017 AUSXC has moved to a new hosting platform. The address is the same as before – www.ausxc.com – however if you were a subscriber to the old site or if your browser cache hasn’t been cleared recently you may end up here at ausxc.wordpress.com.

This site will remain here as an archive of content between 2010 and 2017, however no new posts will be added.

Paddy Pallin Junior moved to July 9

The Paddy Pallin Junior cross country ski race at Perisher originally scheduled for Saturday July 1 has been moved to Sunday July 9 due to the current lack of snow. The planned race start is 9:30am, so it fits in before the Cooma Clean out the Waxbox classic race at 11:00am.

The Paddy Pallin Junior has been a Perisher Valley event for many years with records suggesting this is the 59th year. It is one of the OLDEST cross country ski events in Australia and it’s just for the YOUNGEST skiers. It’s a fun ski race (no prizes for first, second and third) where everyone gets a certificate!  You can ski in it if you are only two years old or over fifteen, as long as you were under 16 years at 31 December 2016. The distance you ski depends on your age and snow conditions. The older skiers (14/15 year olds) ski up to 5 kilometres, while the younger skiers (3/4 year olds) ski only a few hundred metres.

After the race there will be the usual festivities – fruit drinks, hot dogs and spot prizes – which will be held in or around the Sverre Kaaten Nordic Shelter.  When that’s over, there’ll be fun and games, including an on skis jelly snake hunt! Entry is on the day, and there’s no charge. Just turn up to register and pick up your bib at the Nordic Shelter in time to start the race.

For information ring Tim Greville on 0428 159 336.

Bellingham & Paul Win Sprint X

The 2017 Sprint X at Lake Mountain has been run & won. Last year’s winners, local girl Katerina Paul and Sochi Olympian Phillip Bellingham put on a powerful display to take out the open 1st places. The Sprint X is an event that was created to target ski enthusiasts who love to sprint but adds plenty of extra challenge not found in normal ski racing, all on artificial snow.

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A post shared by Phil Bellingham (@philpotbell)

Fresh & man-made snow covered the tight and interesting course. Skills and agility were definitely needed to navigate the surprisingly fun but tough course.

After the sprinting was done everybody joined in a somewhat random Dash for Cash (& other prizes). A very competitive field also gave the judges a tough choice in the ‘Best World Leader’ costume comp, again taken out by Ash Spittle (Kevin 07) with an honourable mention to Nick Montgomery.

Full results in PDF: SprintX-Results-2017

Sprint-X / Fast and Female Season Opening

The 2017 winter is set to launch this weekend June 24/25 at Lake Mountain with the Sprint-X on Saturday and Fast & Female on Sunday.

The Sprint-X is a fun ski race with jumps & berms in the main village area at Lake Mountain Alpine Resort, and is one of the few events on the cross country calendar with cash prizes.  This year’s theme is ‘WORLD LEADERS!’, with the race formats including a Hot Lap,  Knock-Out Sprints, and the Flying 50. The Hot Lap starts from 10:30 am, the Knock-Out Sprints from 10:30, with the Flying 50 to be held at 12:15 pm (times subject to change on the day). On the day registration is open at the Fischer Snowsports Centre until 10:25 am. Head to the Lake Mountain Facebook page for more information.

2017 Low-Fluoro Waxing Protocol

In 2016 the Ski & Snowboard Australia Cross Country Committee (SSAXC) introduced a Low-Fluoro Wax Protocol for club and state level competitions. This protocol will continue for 2017, and essentially involved all participants only using no-fluor or low-fluor glide waxes for these competitions. A 1-page PDF of the protocol can be viewed here: SSAXC Low-Fluoro Waxing Protocol 2017

The aims of this protocol are to:

• Create a level playing field and fair competitions that demonstrate the skiing ability of participants.
• Reduce time spent waxing so more focus is on preparing for competition.
• Reduce the cost to athletes, parents and teams.
• Minimise potential health risks from high-fluor waxing with poor ventilation.

The protocol requires the cooperation of athletes, coaches and parents, and is similar to waxing protocols that exist throughout Canada and the USA. While it is self-policing, in most cases it will be clear to race organisers if high fluoro waxes are being used. Good communication and education will help make the policy successful and keep costs low to encourage increased participation in our sport.

Please note that this protocol does not extend to Australian Championships or Australian Junior Championships, nor for the Kangaroo Hoppet (including the Australian Birkebeiner and Joey Hoppet), which is an international event.

Expressions of interest for 2017-2018 international program coaches

Updated May 31

The Ski & Snowboard Australia Cross Country Committee (SSA XC) is seeking expressions of interest from coaches and managers to work with the Cross Country Skiing High Performance Program at the following events/tours during the 2017/2018 season:

• 2018 World Junior / U23 Championship, Goms, Switzerland
• 2017/2018 Junior / U23 Tour, Europe (predominantly Davos, Switzerland)

Additional information is provided in the job description linked below. Interested persons should apply via email to SSA Cross Country Skiing Program Director Finn Marsland (finn.marsland@gmail.com) by Sunday June 11, briefly addressing the key selection criteria and supplying a CV. Applicants may be invited to supply additional information and/or to attend an interview. The appointment will be made by a panel appointed by SSA XC.

• EOI – 2017-2018 AUSXC International Program

2017 AUS Rollerski Results

The 2017 Australian Rollerski Championships were held at Stromlo Forest Park in Canberra last Saturday April 8. Australian Junior Team athletes Stella Ajani and Jarrah Forrer each claimed double victories in the open Sprint and Mass Start events. The mass start races in particular saw a lot of close racing and tactics in play. In the U16 categories Lulu Miskin and Robbie Zeilic also made a clean sweep of both events, while in the U12 classes Anvi Gupta, Sarah Champion and Sam Johnson topped the podium. Full results are available in PDF format below.

• Rollerski Race Results 2017 – Sprint Qualification
• Rollerski Race Results 2017 – Sprint Finals
• Rollerski Race Results 2017 – Mass Start

A great video summary of the day has been put together by Kyrie Miskin, see below.

2017 AUSXC Awards Nominations

The 2017 AUSXC Awards at the AIS in Canberra on April 8 are coming up fast. Celebrating the achievements in Australian cross country skiing over the past year, the following award categories are recognised on the night:

• XC Athlete of the Year
• Junior XC Athlete of the Year
• Outstanding Achievement
• XC Rising Star
• XC Coach of the Year
• XC Development Coach of the Year
• U23 XC Athlete of the Year
• XC Young Achiever
• Masters XC Skier of the Year
• Volunteer of the Year (ACT, NSW & VIC)

The winners of the first six of these categories become the XC nominees for the SSA Awards in Melbourne on April 27, while the remaining categories are stand-alone XC awards.

All eligible athletes and coaches will be considered for relevant awards without nominations needing to be submitted, however nominations for Volunteer of the Year and Masters Skier of the Year are now being sought from the state skiing organisations and can also be submitted from the general skiing community. Nominations including supporting information (less than 1-page) should be emailed to info@ausxc.com by Friday March 31.

 

The nomination criteria for each of the awards, including the SSA awards, are posted here:

• 2017 SSA & AUSXC Award Nomination Criteria

Tickets for the AUSXC Awards Cocktail Dinner are $33 for adults and $15 for juniors U12, and are available online here.

 

2017 AUS Rollerski Championship & AUSXC Awards

The 2017 Australian Rollerski Championship and AUSXC Awards are back on as a double-header in Canberra on Saturday April 8. Registration for both events has just gone live on the SSA website at the following links:

• AUS Rollerski Championship
• AUSXC Awards

The Rollerski Championships at the Stromlo Forest Park feature a Sprint event and a Criterium event, both in freestyle technique and held on an enclosed 1.2km loop. The races are supported by Snow Trek & Travel in Wodonga, with rollerski demos available between events provided by Snow Trek & Travel and other rollerski distributers. Race categories include Championship, Masters, U16 and U12, with a special Open class for those with racing rollerskis. Further details of the event schedule is available on the registration page.

The AUSXC Awards celebrate the achievements in Australian cross country skiing over the past year. Awards include Cross Country Skier of the Year and Junior Skier of the Year, the winners of which will become the XC nominees for the SSA Awards on April 27, as well as Volunteer of the Year, Special Achievements and more. The function will also feature images and footage from Australian Team athletes recently returned from overseas and from the 2016 Australian winter. Join athletes, coaches, officials, families, supporters and general ski enthusiasts for a great social occasion.

Perisher Nordic Shelter Managers for Winter 2017 – Expressions of Interest

The NSWXC Nordic Shelter Management Committee are seeking expressions of interest by persons interested in managing the Perisher Valley Nordic Shelter in 2017.  Managing the Nordic Shelter at the Perisher XC Centre is one of the more interesting ways to fill a winter.

• NSWXC Nordic Shelter Manager 2017 EOI