SEPTEMBER ISSUE, 2015
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WINNERS ARE GRINNERS
inside
Switzerland’s Valerio Leccardi (left) claimed his third Kangaroo Hoppet title, while Sweden’s Maria Graefnings won her second title, during the 25th annual staging of the Worldloppet event at Falls Creek on August 22. See page 7 for more photos and story. PHOTO: Graeme Bottomley
2 LONGER SEASON Falls Creek to stay open into early October
MOGUL MASTER 6 Vale Mike Clarke: Falls Creek loses a true champion
Life saved on the snow
By VANESSA BURGESS
index Events Calendar
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Mr Bump’s blog
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Olympians share tips
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Look out for Gapsted Wines NOlW le Avai ab
On the Mountains Ballerina Canopy Va l l e y S e l e c t i o n tobacco road
lator and delivered one shock to the man however it didn’t bring him back. “They continued CPR for another two minutes until the defibrillator recharged during which time myself, two doctors and a nurse from the Mt Hotham Medical Centre arrived.” Mr Barker said the man was given a second shock soon after and became semi-conscious. “He was stabilised and then taken to the Medical Centre in a Kässbohrer (snow grooming machine) which has been specially fitted to transport seriously injured people. “He was taken to the Hotham Medical Centre and then airlifted to the Alfred Hospital.” Despite keeping up-to-date with rescue and first aid training, Mr Barker said attending a cardiac arrest call-out wasn’t
a regular occurrence and everyone that helped saved the patient should be commended for their actions. “It’s part of our job to help people and we do treat people who have sustained very serious injuries, however, they’re normally head or spinal,” he said. “Attending to someone who’s had a cardiac arrest on the slope is a very rare event so it was a real credit to everyone who assisted the patient – they all just clicked into gear and did everything they could to save him. “The fact that it only took one minute for the defibrillator to get to the patient and the fact it was a minute after that that he received the first shock helped save him, as did the highly effective CPR that was delivered from the moment he stopped breathing. Continued page 3
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10 AN INSPIRATION Alpine racer Jason Sauer carving it up at Mt Hotham
THE quick response time of Mt Hotham Ski Patrol personnel saved the life of a skier who suffered a major cardiac arrest on the mountain in mid-August. Mt Hotham Ski Patrol director Bill Barker said the 54-year-old male was skiing on Hotham’s Sun Run when he told his friend he wasn’t feeling well. “He informed his friend he wasn’t feeling the best and was going to head back to the lodge and when he got to the bottom of the run he told his friend he really wasn’t feeling well and collapsed,” Mr Barker said. “He’d actually gone into cardiac arrest.” Mr Barker said the man’s friend alerted ski patroller Ian Crawford who immediately went to the man’s aid and discovered he was unconscious but breathing.
“Mr Crawford rolled the man into the rescue position with the help of another nearby patroller Eric Fode and he regained consciousness for a moment, but then became unconscious again and stopped breathing,” he said. “Mr Crawford immediately made a radio call that the patient had stopped breathing and he and Eric had begun CPR. “Two patrollers Ross Alexander and Kylie Petras along with trail crew member Richard Guiness were immediately dispatched from the ski patrol base 800 metres away with a defibrillator and resuscitation equipment, and arrived on scene in less than a minute. “Two volunteer ski patrollers Tim Amos and Holly Bannon-Murphy (who are also doctors) also arrived on the scene within two minutes of the man collapsing. “The patrollers attached the defibril-
PAGE 2 — MT HOTHAM FALLS CREEK NEWS — September 2015
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Falls extends season by an extra week
DESPITE the late arrival of snow, the 2015 season has been one of the best for alpine resorts in North East Victoria. Both Mt Hotham and Falls Creek have over a metre of natural snow and Falls Creek’s snow making areas have over 170cm, while Hotham’s level is at about 150cm. Falls Creek Lifts’ and Mt Hotham Ski Company’s Anthony O’Shea said the season to date had been fantastic for all snow lovers. “We all thought the 2015 season was going to be a late bloomer and it was with the first serious snow storm hitting resorts in early July,� he said. “Both resorts have had fantastic skiing and snowboarding conditions since mid-July and we’ve seen over two metres of snow fall across the resorts so far.� The quality of snow which has fallen on both mountains has provided optimum conditions for snow enthusiasts and Mr O’Shea said the potential rain event forecasts have been downgraded. “The snow quality has been exceptional this season, if fact quite similar to last season,� he said. “It’s been really good, dry powder and both mountains have received an excellent covering.
“There were some fears about possible rain events recently, but they were downgraded and I think we’ve managed to dodge another wet weather bullet.� With snowfalls predicted for most of this week, Mr O’Shea said the top up will go a long way to securing the remainder of the season. “The snow that’s due to fall won’t be quite as dry, however, the quality will be hardy and resilient,� he said. “We’ve had all lifts and all terrains open at both resorts for the last three weeks, and although we haven’t had a significant snow fall for a while, it’s still skiing beautifully. “At the moment it looks like September has some more fronts forecast which will help the resorts have a great finish to the season.� The season officially ends on September 27, but Mr O’Shea said Falls Creek Resort Management have extended their season by one week. “Falls Creek’s season ends on October 4 this year, but Mt Hotham Resort Management have decided to finish on the 27th,� he said. “However, if we get an amazing September snow wise, they may look at extending it until the end of the spring school holidays.�
SNOWTASTIC SPEAKER: Ron Iddles spoke at Falls Creek’s Elk restaurant and enjoyed his time in the snow.
Iddles an inspiration with his stories WHEN one of Victoria’s most well-known policemen, Ron Iddles OAM APM, spoke at Falls Creek at the Elk restaurant you could have heard a pin drop in the room. Mr Iddles, who is now secretary of the Victorian Police Association, gave a lunch presentation that had the undivided attention of an audience that came along to hear about his years as one of Victoria’s top cops at the end of July. Mark Weir, manager of Elk Lodge at Falls Creek, said the session was informative and
opened the audience eyes as to how the law actually works. “Mr Iddles obviously has a wealth of information to draw on after decades as a member of the Victorian Homicide Squad,� he said. “He revealed some of the outcomes of serious crime that he and his colleagues had investigated. “The information he provided was not garnished or softened. It was raw, true to fact. It was backed-up by his knowledge and expertise he’s gained from his role. He stressed the importance of
juries and how members of the public can be involved in the process. “If you are a juror yourself you’ll learn from the inside how the law works. It was also stressed to take note of what people around you say, that could lead to a successful prosecution. “He did say it wasn’t at times like what we see and hear in the media or current affairs programs. “We were all inspired by his ability as a public speaker and his respect of the people involved in homicide.�
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YOUNG AND OLD: Female skiers of all ages gathered at Falls Creek for this year’s Ski de Femme program. Every year The Birkebeiner Nordic Ski Club hosts the very popular Ski de Femme, a community event that has been going since 1989. Ski de Femme is a free day of novice to intermediate cross-country ski instruction for women, run by volunteers from the club. This year around 80 women turned up in glorious sunshine to spend the morning being coached in small groups by National Cross Country Team athletes including Casey Wright and Kat Paul, and Olympian Esther Bottomley. Afterwards everyone enjoyed some morning tea before participating in a fun race, with the choice of 1km, 2.5km or 5km distances. Birkebeiner spokesperson Alice Hamilton said that Ski de Femme was open to all women. “The clinics are great fun and a wonderful way for women of all abilities to learn about or improve their crosscountry skiing,� she said. PHOTO: Alex Craig
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FREE
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JULY ISSUE, 2010
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GREAT OPENING 2 Snow provides resorts with best start to season in years
-9 452. 4OM #OSTA GETS IN SOME TRAINING AT &ALLS #REEK LAST MONTH AHEAD OF TAKING ON SOME OF THE WORLD S BEST FREESKIERS THIS MONTH 0(/4/ #HRIS (OCKING
Extreme dream for Aussie skier By JEFF ZEUSCHNER JZEUSCHNER
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YOU don’t get much more extreme than this. Flown in by helicopter to the peak of a remote mountain,with kilometres of vertical, untracked descent, competing against some of the world’s best. It’s the kind of challenge Falls Creek skier Tom Costa has dreamed of, and will make a reality at the end of this month. The former World Cup mogulist will carry the hopes of his nation, again, in the World Heli Challenge in New Zealand.
Some 60 of the best skiers and snowboarders from around the world will battle it out - all trying to pick the best line amid unforgiving back country terrain deep in the South Island’s wilderness. “I have wanted to give this type of event a crack for years and this year with the help of my sponsors, Central Snowsports and Deep Powder Tours, I am making it happen,� Costa said. Born and raised at the base of Falls Creek, in Mt Beauty, Costa and his three brothers learnt to ski young - and fast. Adrian and Paul Costa represented Australia at the Winter Olympic Games
and Tom also competed for his country in freestyle on the World Cup circuit, and at two world championships. “I guess this freeskiing is just a natural progression,� the 32 year old said. “I’ve had the opportunity to ski around the world and be exposed to some pretty extreme terrain..and I just love the challenge.� But this is his first event. “It’s hard to say how I will fare, but I am definitely very excited about representing my home resort of Falls Creek, and you can bet I will be giving it my very best shot,� he said.
“Obviously this sort of event is not easy to train for, especially in Australia, but the plan is to do as much backcountry skiing as possible and try to get comfortable in the big mountain arena. “Weather permitting, I hope to spend some time on Mt McKay with local skiing legend Steve Lee on his new backcountry tours.� Peaks with 50 degree pitches, 80 to 100 foot drops, open bowls, deep snow and rocky chutes will test every ounce of Costa’s skill and endurance. Crashes and injuries are inherent risk. CONTINUED PAGE 12
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September 5: Camp Quality Fancy Dress Fun Walk September 5: Hotham Junior Freeride Series - Mountain Free Ride The Mountain Free Ride is a junior only event that allows skiers and snowboarders of all abilities to show us their stuff on Canyons run in Heavenly Valley. Helmets are compulsory. September 5: Ski Club’s Race Weekend - We round off the second of two Ski Club race weekends. Further information and registration requirements TBC September 6: Hotham Freeride Series - Spring Slopestyle Hotham Freeride Series will come to an end with this final course. The Spring Slopestyle will be held at the Summit Terrain Park on September 6. September 12-13: Spring Cup Skiing and Golf Weekend - The 2015 Spring Cup will test your skills both on the slopes and on the green- as individuals or teams of three. Take on the slopes on the Big D Race Arena - Saturday, September 12. Show off your golfing skills down at the Bright Country ClubSunday, September 13. Don’t miss out on this fantastic weekend celebrating the beginning of spring. September 12-18 Learn to Ski and Snowboard Week - Learn to Ski and Snowboard Week makes it easy and affordable to try something new and have a snow holiday to remember. Learn to Ski and Snowboard Weeks are dedicated week-long events that are all about first timers hitting the slopes and providing a supportive environment for new skiers and snowboarders to connect with others who are new to the snow.
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MT Hotham Alpine Resort saw a record number of cars in the resort for the second week running on Saturday, August 15. A total of 1875 cars were accommodated in the resort, which followed up from the previous week’s record of 1746. Visitors seem to be making the most of sensational snow conditions on the mountain.
GROUP EDITOR: Jeff Zeuschner ADVERTISING: Julie Luxford EDITORIAL: Vanessa Burgess ADVERTISING SALES EMAIL: jluxford@nemedia.com.au Telephone (03) 5731 3302 EDITORIAL EMAIL: edit.alptimes@nemedia.com.au Published by Hartley Higgins for North East Media Pty Ltd at the registered office, 37 Rowan Street, Wangaratta, 3677. Printed web offset by North East Media Pty Ltd, 37 Rowan Street, Wangaratta, 3677.
PRODUCTION: North East Media P/L 37 Rowan Street, Wangaratta, 3677. Telephone: (03) 5723 0100 Fax: (03) 5721 9447 YOUR NEWS: Contributed articles, news, artwork and color photographs from readers are most welcome. Please mail to: Mt Hotham/Falls Creek News, 76 Standish St Myrtleford Vic 3737 or telephone: (03) 5752 1058. Fax (03) 5752 2627. or email edit.alptimes@nemedia.com.au Photos courtesy of Mt Hotham Ski Company & Falls Creek Resort Management.
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By VANESSA BURGESS
Still plenty to do in final weeks of snow season
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MT HOTHAM FALLS CREEK NEWS — September 2015 — PAGE 3
Dinner Plain may add AFL oval
By JUSTIN JENVEY DINNER Plain is looking at the possible development of an AFL oval in the alpine village, in order to increase its all-yearround appeal as a sports training centre, and meet a number of community needs. The Dinner Plain Chamber of Commerce and Alpine Shire Council are currently assessing the findings of a feasibility study for the proposed development. Chamber president Doug McDougall said the establishment of the AFL oval would be a solu-
tion for a number of the village’s needs, and would function as a multi-purpose facility. “We looked at a whole range of things and the solution we came up with was for an oval,” he said. “We needed an area during bushfires that could be a neighbourhood safe area as well as a spot where we could run functions and events, things like music festivals or a venue for car groups to come. “It could also be used to hold the annual polo competition at Easter which is presently run
at Cobungra Station and just a general recreation space for the community including an off-lead dog area.” On top of being an emergency services operating base and community events facility, Mr McDougall said an oval could become a potential venue for high altitude training for sporting teams and professional and amateur athletes. “We did some research and found that a lot of AFL teams travel overseas to do high altitude training for up to two weeks,” he said.
“There is nowhere in Australia above 1500 metres that has enough cleared area for an AFL sized oval that can be used for football as well as other sports. “Dinner Plain fitted the criteria in terms of access with the airport just down the road, there is an abundance of accommodation and with existing facilities like the day spa, gymnasium and treatment rooms the potential is here. “We spoke to a variety of AFL teams and have a letter from the Geelong chief executive officer expressing interest that they
would potentially train up here.” Mr McDougall said consultation with local business owners and operators had been positive with most considering it a great idea and being excited at the prospects. Alpine Shire Council director of sustainable development, Heather Green, said council would support the chamber in its pursuits if they proved viable. “I think the general thing is that the chamber of commerce is thinking big and looking at alternatives to snow and all opportunities for non-snow re-
lated activities and we are certainly looking at doing the same thing,” she said. “One of the things council wants to pursue is a facility for elite amateur sports people like people who do the Tour of Bright and Audax. “We think there is a real opportunity for packaging Dinner Plain’s accommodation and facilities for fitness related things but a village green will obviously also be an opportunity to bring other things to the town and lead to further economic development.”
Life saved on the slopes From page 1
“If you don’t have effective CPR more of the heart muscle tissue can die and the CPR that was performed prevented this from happening.” In the last five weeks, the Mt Hotham Ski Patrol team has responded to 500 call-outs ranging from small lacerations to life threatening injuries, and Mr Barker said despite the seemingly high number, the accident rate on the mountain is still well below the international average all resorts work towards. Mr Barker said he had spoken to the skier in the last week. “The man had an underlying heart condition that caused the arrest but he
seemed to be in good spirits and amazingly good health while awaiting bypass surgery,” he said. “The cardiologists were amazed that he survived the arrest but he is expected to make a full recovery and is looking forward to skiing Hotham again next winter. “He’s lucky it happened where it did, because if it was at home he might not have been so fortunate.” “I take my hat off to all of the ski patrol, medical centre and other mountain departments we work closely with for delivering such a great service to our guests. I am very proud to be part of such a professional team”.
BEST OF THE BEST: Australian Cross Country Skiing Champions 15km Freestyle (from left) second place Callum Watson, first place Philip Bellingham, and third place Valerio Leccardi.
Aussie skiers dominate sprint titles go their way during the final rounds with Victoria’s Katerina Paul and Philip Bellingham taking out first place. 2015 Australian Junior Champion Paul stormed up the first hill and broke away from Graefnings, Slovenia’s Barbara Jezersek and fellow Victorian Casey Wright, but Graefnings and Jezersek made up some ground and gave Paul a run for her money in the final straight. However Paul managed to hang on and win her first Open Australian Championship by just centimetres in a photo-finish. The men’s Classic Sprint saw a number of top competitors double poling on skating skis all the way through, however local Falls Creek skier Bellingham opted for an alternative and ultimately winning strategy.
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10km Freestyle by 35 seconds and Victoria’s Casey Wright came in third place. In the men’s 15km Freestyle event Bellingham managed to catch Callum Watson from 30 seconds behind and Eric Storvall from Finland from one minute behind after the 5km mark. Bellingham and Watson worked together and extended their lead over Storvall and picked up fellow World Cup team skier Paul Kovacs. On the final lap, Bellingham was challenged by Leccardi and Watson and managed to hold on for the win by 13 seconds. Bellingham’s victories pushed him into the lead ahead of Callum Watson in the FIS Australian – New Zealand Continental Cup.
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Bellingham kept his arms and skate skis fresh by using classic skis and wax thorugh the qualification and early final rounds and only switched to double poling for the A-final against Einaste, NSWIS skier Callum Watson and Switzerland’s Valerio Leccardi. Bellingham came from behind with fast skis on the downhill sections and seized the lead from Einaste with 200m to go and held on in the straight by about a ski length. Sunday’s Freestyle events saw skiers race against the clock, starting at 30 second intervals. In the women’s event, Jezersek held a 10 second lead over Graefnings after the first 5km lap and then extended it on the second lap to win the
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AUSTRALIAN skiers dominated the 2015 Australian Championships for Cross Country Skiing at Falls Creek on August 15 – 16. Three out of four victories was claimed by Australian cross country skiers against international competitors from Sweden, Slovenia, Switzerland, Finland and Estonia. The competitions were organised by the Birkebeiner Nordic Ski Club on behalf of Ski and Snowboard Australia, and also counted as stages three and four of the eight-stage FIS Australia-New Zealand Cup. Internationals Maria Graefnings from Sweden and Kein Einaste from Estonia posted the fastest qualification time’s for Saturday’s Classic Sprint qualification, however things didn’t
PAGE 4 — MT HOTHAM FALLS CREEK NEWS — September 2015
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CARVING IT UP: Alex ‘Chumpy’ Pullin (front) took out both races of the recent FIS Snowboard Cross Continental Cup at Mt Hotham.
and awards will only be made to those who resemble a circus member. There will a barbecue at the end of the walk and entry forms are available from the Mt Hotham Resort Management Board office or triples@netconnect.com.au. Entry fees are $20 per person, $10 students, $40 families or $100 for groups/organisations. All donations
to the event will go directly to Camp Quality which will help create a better life for every child living with cancer in Australia. Camp Quality believes that laughter is the best medicine and with your donations you will help children going through a difficult time to smile brightly. For more information about Camp Quality visit www.campquality.org.au.
Event attracts talent
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TWO of the country’s biggest on-snow events were held at Mt Hotham at the end of July and early August with International Ski Federation (FIS) ski and snowboard events taking place at the resort. Both the ski and snowboard races attracted a number of high profile and up and coming talent from the country and around the world. The FIS Racing Festival was the first event to hit the Hotham slopes and included Giant Slalom (GS), Slalom (SL), and Ski Cross (SX) races over four days from July 30 to August 2. In the men’s GS, Ross Peraudo claimed top honours ahead of Austrian Richard Leitgeb and Oliver Thompson. The women’s race was won by Kathryn Parker, while Sophie Wood was second and Matilda Coates third. In the men’s SL the top two positions went to international
athletes with Leitgeb first and USA’s Robby Kelley second while Peraudo rounded out the podium. Wood improved on her GS second to claim gold in the women’s GL, Parker was second and Kendra Etherton grabbed third. The men’s SX was won by Anton Grimus who finishing ahead of William Payne and Douglas Crawford. In the women’s SX Hotham’s own Katya Crema took her fifth national title, Parker capped off a great week with another second while Lilly Speiser finished in third. On the August 5-6 it was the boarders’ turn to carve up the mountain with Hotham hosting the first two FIS Snowboard Cross Continental Cup events of 2015. Over 70 competitors entered across the two days which were dominated by Australian Winter
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Olympians Alex ‘Chumpy’ Pullin and Belle Brockhoff for the second straight year. On the first day of competition race officials were forced to push the races back due to high winds and low visibility. But when the racing got underway it was Pullin who cruised to victory in in the men’s final, winning by four seconds ahead of Matthew Thomas, USA’s Senna Leith and Aussie Adam Dickson. In the women’s final the Aussie competitors dominated with Brockhoff first across the line followed by Georgia Baff, Mollie Fernandez and Chloe McIvor. On day two Pullin fought off a challenge from Cameron Bolton while Adam Bolton was third and Dickson again fourth. Brockhoff again held off Baff in the second final, while Emily Boyce finished third ahead of Brooke Brewer of the USA.
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WALKING FOR A CAUSE:
The annual Camp Quality Fancy Dress Charity Fun Walk is on again at Mt Hotham and folks are being asked to dress up for the circusthemed fundraiser. The event will take place on Saturday, September 5 and begins at Hotham Central at 11.30am and finishes at Jack Frost. Fancy dress is highly encouraged
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MT HOTHAM FALLS CREEK NEWS — September 2015 — PAGE 5
Poma back to work By JUSTIN JENVEY FALLS Creek’s International Poma is up and running again after the lift was temporarily closed following the derailing of its cable at the infamous Tower 9 bend known as “The Corner”. The Poma was derailed just after lunch on Sunday, August 2, when about 280 metres of cable was damaged after a user attempted to propel themselves through the air and around the corner; an action that is not permitted on the mountain’s pomas. As a result the Poma was closed for almost two weeks as Falls Creek Lifts were forced to source a replacement section of cable from Sweden as the damage sustained was more than the length of cable that is kept in reserve for general maintenance. Falls Creek Lifts’ Anthony O’Shea said the cable arrived on the mountain by air freight on Monday, August 10, and repairs were completed by the end of that week with the lift reopening on the Saturday morning. “It took us a day or two to source and then a couple more days to get freight organised, but by the time it arrived we had things ready to go,” he said. “There was a fair bit of work in it, the damaged cable had to be de-tensioned and taken down before it could all be rigged back up.
FAMILY AFFAIR: Three generations of Australian biathletes took part in the National Championships in August (from left) Lynn-Maree Cullen, her daughter Jorja Cullen and Lynn-Maree’s father Bob Cranage. All three claimed gold medals in their races.
Aussies claim gold medals Caduff and Camilla Bormolini of Italy. On Sunday, the Men’s Open Sprint was won by Damon Morton, followed by Paolo Rodigari while Emil Bormetti claimed another third. In the Women’s Sprint Laura Caduff improved on her performances from a day earlier by coming through in first, as did Camilla Bormolini in second while Jillian Colebourn rounded out the podium. Unlike for the Victorian Championships Mother Nature put on glorious weekends weather for the national event with sunshine for much of the two days as well as perfect snow conditions. The Australian Championships was also one of the largest and strongest fields assembled in a number of years with Australia’s best joined again by the Italian and Swiss athletes. Three generations from Australian Biathlon’s founding families the Cranage and Cullen’s of Wodonga also took part.
All three claimed gold medals in Saturday’s Individual events with Bob Cranage winning the Veteran Class, daughter Lynn-Maree Cullen the Women Masters and her daughter Jorja Cullen the U13 Women. Damon Morton won the Open Men Individual and was followed by Daniel Walker and Paolo Rodigari. Third Australian was Dyllan Harmer. The Open Women was dominated by the same three from the Victorian titles with Camilla Bormolini first, Laura Caduff, second and Jillian Colebourn third. In Sunday’s sprints Damon Morton added a second gold with the win while Emil Bormetti placed second and Paolo Rodigari again third. Second and third Australian’s were Daniel Walker and Dyllan Harmer. The women’s podium in the sprints was the same as the day before with Camilla Bormolini claiming a second gold, Laura Caduff another second while Jillian Colebourn took bronze again.
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at about 3-3.5 metres now. “From all reports it was an honest mistake, there are signs along the Poma asking people to stay in their tracks and this is an example of why people shouldn’t try it.” With just under a month remaining in the ski season Mr O’Shea said it was good the Poma was operating again after fears it would be out of action for some time. “It’s the people’s favourite surface lift, it’s the first thing people ask before they come up or when they get here,” he said. “It’s usually a barometer for a great season so if it’s operating you know there is plenty of snow.”
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“We started testing it on Thursday and had it all going properly by the end of Friday.” Mr O’Shea said that although the Poma has the ability to slingshot smaller statured folk around its tight corner the speed in which it now operates was the reason for it derailing. “It’s not uncommon for surface lifts to be derailed but to do this much damage about 280 metres is quite a lot,” he said. “It used to be easier to get air around the corner but we have actually slowed the speed of the Poma. “It used to run at about five metres per second but it runs
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BIATHLETES from across the state and the country hit Mt Hotham’s Whiskey Flat Range over two weekends at the end of July and midAugust for the Victorian and Australian Championships. One of the biggest fields in years turned out for the Victorian Championships on July 25-26 with a nearly 40 athletes braving cold blustery wind and constant snow fall. Included in the field were four athletes from Italy and Switzerland who have spent the winter training at Mt Hotham. Despite the challenging conditions on both days there was plenty of good competition while all races were enjoyed by competitors. Winner of the Men’s Open Individual on Saturday was Paolo Rodigari, he was joined on the podium by first placed Australian Damon Morton and another Italian in Emil Bormetti in third. Winner of the Women’s Open Individual on Saturday was Jillian Colebourn, followed by Switzerland’s Laura
BACK TO WORK: Falls Creeks International Poma was derailed in early August but is now up operating once more following repairs.
PAGE 6 — MT HOTHAM FALLS CREEK NEWS — September 2015
www.nemedia.com.au
Legend farewelled
THE Falls Creek community has paid tribute to their friend and colleague Mike Clarke, who passed away suddenly in late July, at the age of 44. Mr Clarke was a legend at Falls Creek – he won the Junior World Championship in Moguls at the 1989 World Championships in Sälen Sweden, becoming Australia’s first ever skiing world champion in the process. IN 1993, Mike was voted Best Skier by his peers at the Crested Butte Freeskiing Extremes in Colorado and was the stunt double for Jackie Chan in the Falls Creek scenes of the 1996 film First Strike. In 2000, Mike was awarded an Australian Sports Medal by the Australian Governor-General. Mike was also a gifted software developer and website designer and many years ago he created FallsCreekWeather platform, which is still being used on the mountain today. Falls Creek Ski patrol use the system to enter snow depth and weather observations before dawn every morning and it’s the same system used by Mountain Operations. Snowmaking teams use FallsCreekWeather to enter information about the snow they’ve made and the trails they have groomed overnight and it’s also the system Marketing and Communications and the Mountain Office use every day to update lift status, terrain parks open, activities available and to make an-
SENSATIONAL CONDITIONS: Musher Wayne Baker and his team of eight dogs took out second place in the eight dog team race.
Spectacular day of racing
A LEGEND OF THE SNOW: The Falls Creek community remembered Mike Clarke, describing him as a wonderful friend and skier. Creek information. Friends of Mike remembered and paid tribute to him by skiing together in his memory down Mike’s favourite old school bumps on the Summit before celebrating his life at a wake in the Frying Pan on August 6.
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4km, 6km and 8km race for international points, prize money and sponsor’s products. “Throughout race week, many competitors and their families come to Dinner Plain to holiday, train their sleddog teams, compete, spectate or simply volunteer to be a part of this exciting and unique Australian Alpine event,” he said. Saturday saw the day begin with low temperatures followed by sun and throughout the day which generated one of the largest spectator crowds ever. Sunday’s sub-zero temperatures and icy trails were welcomed by participants who enjoyed much faster times, however the trails also delivered some challenges and one or two spectacular musher spill through the tricky downhill trail sections of the S bends next to the Dinner Plain ski run.
Mr Stevens said race organisers Altitude 5000 Sled Dog Group Inc were thrilled with the success of the weekend event. Results: 2 dog teams: First: Simon Clarke, second: Terry O’Connor, third: Steven Blanch. 3 Dog Teams: First: Darren Watson, second: Annie Jackson, third: Andrew Gersbach. 4 Dog Teams: First: Tim Huntley, second: Michael Looney, third: Malcolm Burrows. 6 Dog Teams: First: Peter Dobbs, second: Andrew Gersbach, third: Pete Rose. 8 Dog Teams: First: Darren Watson, second: Wayne Baker, third: Tony Greenway. The 2016 Dinner Plain Sleddog Challenge will be held on August 13 and 14, for further race information contact 0412 327 997 or visit www.sleddogchallenge.com.
Kit care tips with Mr Bumps HAVE you noticed your jackets and pants looking wet when the weather is a little bit damp? Your gear may not be getting wet on the inside, but you may find that the breathability may not be as good as it was. All is not lost - let me explain. Waterproof/breathable outerwear needs maintenance. No matter what happens the waterproof membrane or coating on the inside of the outer fabric usually remains waterproof. If you find yourself feeling damp on the inside it’s likely that the breathability has been compromised. Outerwear has a water repellent coating on the outside that causes water to bead and run off. This coating wears off through abrasion and washing. When this coating is lost the fabric looks wet. This reduces the breathability to the point that it’s like wearing a plastic bag. You get real sweaty. The coating needs to be replaced by using products specially formulated to improve waterproofing and breathability such as the NIKWAX TX Direct in either a spray or a wash in product or a silicone water
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nouncements about changes in conditions or operations. FallsCreekWeather platform also feeds all of Falls Creek’s information out to the Falls Creek app, to the skifalls.com.au website, to fallscreek.com.au and to every weather site and snow reporting portal that runs Falls
SIXTY-FIVE race teams and more than 350 dogs lined up to compete in the 22nd Dinner Plain Sleddog Challenge earlier this month. With Mother Nature preserving enough trail base to enable competitors to compete the challenging 8km race through Dinner Plain’s cross country ski trails on August 8 and 9. The Dinner Plain Sleddog Challenge was recently recognised and sanctioned by the International Federation of Sleddog Sports and the endorsement attracted competitors from as far as Germany and New Zealand, whilst all states of Australia were represented with the exception of the Northern Territory. Race coordinator Robert Stevens said the 2015 race attracted 65 teams and more than 350 dogs that were eager to challenge the
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MT HOTHAM FALLS CREEK NEWS — September 2015 — PAGE 7
ON YOUR MARKS: (from left) Joey competitors Noah Tanzen, Jacob Elliot, James Houghton and Hamish Wilkinson await the starting gun. PHOTO: Chris Hocking
TOP SPOTS: Australia’s Callum Watson, 2nd, Switzerland’s Valerio Leccardi, 1st, and Australia’s Phillip Bellingham, 3rd, were too strong for the competition. PHOTO: Mike Top Shots
FINANCIAL HELP: (from left) Jarrah Forrer, Darcie Morton, Damon Morton, Katerina Paul, Casey Wright, Callum Watson, received the AGL Energy in Action $500 Scholarship from AGL Head of Hydro Simon Kelley. The scholarships are awarded to the first U18 and U14 in the 7km Joey Hoppet, the first U23 in the 21km and the first Australian’s through in the main event. PHOTO: Chris Hocking
Leccardi claims third Hoppet at the Ski & Snowboard Australia National Team Training Centre. Just three seconds separated fourth from seventh, with Montgomery edging out three-time Winter Olympian Anthony Evans, Andy Pohl from New Zealand and Graefnings. The top women barely saw each other during the race. Graefnings had a mishap midrace, snapping off the tip off her pole, however she quickly received a replacement pole from four-time Hoppet winner Ben Derrick, who in turn received a pole from the crowd to ski on for 9th overall. After Jezersek and Wright on the podium Lauren Fritz from the USA was fourth for the second year in a row, and 2015 Australian Junior XC Skier of the Year Xanthea Dewez from Wangaratta was fifth. In the 14km Australian Birkebeiner it was neck and neck all the way between Kat Paul from Taggerty and Gabi Hawkins from Vaucluse. As the 2015 Australian Sprint Champion, Paul may well have held on for a sprint victory anyway, unfortunately this wasn’t put to the test as Hawkins fell with 100m to go and third place went to Ellie Phillips. In the men’s race Damon Morton from Marlo made it three wins in a row after a close race with Liam Burton from Jindabyne, with Seve de Campo from South Yarra third. In the 7km Joey Hoppet the winners were Darcie Morton from Marlo and Jarrah Forrer from Mt Beauty. The Kangaroo Hoppet was also the fifth event in the 2015 FIS Australia New Zealand Continental Cup (ANC). With three races in the series remaining Jezersek is well ahead in the women’s standings, 130 points ahead of Wright. The men’s ANC is much closer with Bellingham now just 16 points ahead of Watson. Full results are available via: www.hoppet.com.au
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OVER 1000 competitors from 24 nations braved the strong winds and early morning fog to compete in the 25th running of the Kangaroo Hoppet on Saturday. The weather conditions caused the 42km main event to be reduced to 34km and the 21km Birkebeiner was reduced to 17km for the safety of participants. Switzerland’s Valerio Leccardi claimed his third Hoppet victory in six years while the first woman Maria Graefnings from Sweden added a second Hoppet title to her win from 2012. Leccardi went to the lead of the main pack early on and pushed the pace and by the 5km mark only Watson was able to follow, with the rest of the pack spread out in ones and twos behind. Sensing that Watson was also on his limit, Leccardi continued to put the hammer down and by the 12km mark had broken away as the solo leader. Bellingham worked together with Australian U23 Team member Nick Montgomery but unable to bridge the gap to Watson switched off the pace and a pack of seven - eight skiers reformed, including the first women Graefnings The men’s 34km podium was rounded out by 2014 Australian Winter Olympians Callum Watson from Sydney and Phillip Bellingham from Mt Beauty and on the women’s side Slovenian Winter Olympian Barbara Jezersek was the runner-up for the second year in a row, ahead of the first Australian Casey Wright from Launching Place. With Leccardi and Watson off the front, the lead of the main pack changed frequently until finally, in the closing kilometres, Bellingham managed to kick away to take third place. Both Bellingham and Wright live and work at the YMCA Howmans Gap Alpine Centre at Falls Creek during the winter, training
PAGE 8 — MT HOTHAM FALLS CREEK NEWS — September 2015
www.nemedia.com.au
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MT HOTHAM FALLS CREEK NEWS — September 2015 — PAGE 9
Olympians share their tips Easier & Safer SKI and Snowboard Australia recently held Futures camps at Mt Hotham with the National Alpine Committee holding the Alpine Performance Camp and Snowboard Committee running their Snowboard Cross (SBX) Sessions. Both camps were held in the lead up to the Alpine, Ski Cross and SBX races with the Alpine Performance Camp being held over five days from July 29. With around 30 young skiers taking part, the camp provided the opportunity for youngsters to work with four athlete mentors including 2014 Winter Olympians Ross Pearudo, Sami Kennedy-Sim and Anton Grimus and former National Alpine Team member Mike Rishworth. The first day of the camp provided Giant Slalom (GS) training as well as an on-snow skills assessment providing valuable insight into the current skill level of our FIS athletes. The young athletes were assessed on linked turns in a wave track, one ski skiing without poles, hop turns, freeski on varied terrain and snow conditions, basic jumps and ski cross starts. Athletes were able to learn a great deal about themselves and better understand opportunities for improvement in their skiing. Following the skills assessment the athlete mentors conducted Q&A sessions with the participants in a relaxed environment where they were told
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FUTURE OF THE SPORT: Young skiers practise their ski cross starts during Mt Hotham’s Alpine Per formance Camp at the end of July. about what it takes to succeed the opportunity to learn from Participants were guided at the elite level. some of the best in the busi- through some of the techniAlso built in to the Alpine ness including Winter Olympic cal and tactical elements of Performance camp were specif- athletes Alex Pullin, Cam Bol- boarder-cross including effecic elements relevant to athletes ton and Belle Brockoff, a num- tive starting, jumping and techvying for selection at the 2016 ber of NSW Institute of Sport nical snowboarding doing so Winter Youth Olympic Games athletes and national team on a course that featured roller(WYOG) in Lillehammer. coaches. packs, box-rollers, step-ups and Following the GS race on day The purpose of the camp step-downs. two, eligible athletes were put was to bridge the gap between Off snow activities included through an abbreviated version interschool competition, par- an introduction to nutrition and of the NAC Physical Testing pro- ticipation and involvement and hydration, tactical approaches tocol. introduce the young boarders to course inspections and the The SSA will now consider to a seasonal SSA Pathway Pro- importance of it, course memresults from the on-snow skills gram. ory as well as competition planassessment, the physical testing It was also an opportunity to ning and mental skills. and results from the alpine and inform athletes of elite sporting Participants then had the SX events to select the athletes opportunities and offer coach- chance to put their skills to the for the WYOG. ing with elite sports people test on the final day in the ofThe SSA SBX camp was held while increasing their knowl- ficial training ahead of the Inon August 3-4 and involved 56 edge of the pathways to the ternational Ski Federation SBX talented youngsters who had top level. series races.
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PAGE 10 — MT HOTHAM FALLS CREEK NEWS — September 2015
Sauer spreads message
ADAPTIVE alpine racer Jason Sauer has had to rebuild his life after a bad decision changed his world forever. Sauer discovered his love of skiing at the tender age of four and has been a regular visitor to Mt Hotham since he was eightyears-old. His passion for the sport saw him begin working at various ski resorts, but Sauer quickly ascended into the darker side of the lifestyle and in 2010 he had a drug overdose and passed out in the snow for 14 hours. Despite many surgeries, doctors were unable to repair Sauer’s legs and in 2011 both were amputated while he was in Canada, and he said the road back was hard. “I’m not going to lie, I spent the first year crying in my beer, but the turning point for me was after I tried bob sledding and I started hanging out with other people like me,” he said. In January 2012, Sauer learned to mono (sit) ski with the National Ability Centre (NAC) in Park City, Utah and raced for the first time one month later and he said he returned to Australia with a determination to race. He calls Mt Hotham home during the winter season and Sauer said the resort management board have been extremely supportive of his goals. “They sponsor me with resort entry and also support me through posts on their Facebook page,” he said.
CARVIN’ IT UP: Despite losing his legs, adaptive alpine racer Jason Sauer hasn’t let life slow him down at all and loves nothing more than hitting the slopes. “While I’m at Hotham I also volunteer with Disabled Winter Sport Australia as a guide and I help new visitors with disabilities to navigate their way around the mountain. “I completed my guide training about two years ago and I also volunteer at other resorts as well.” Sauer is currently the highest ranked Australian Paralympic athlete in the Giant Slalom event and second highest ranked seated male in all other disciplines on the International Paralympic Committee list and he is hoping to get to North America for the upcom-
ing winter season to train. “I race in the Giant Slalom, Slalom, Super G and downhill and I’m really trying my hardest to raise enough funds to get me to Utah for the winter over there so I can train and race,” he said. “I’ve set up a GoFundMe page and I’m hoping people will donate to help me get there. “Unfortunately, this skiing journey has pretty much exhausted my life savings and I don’t qualify for support from the National Governing body, so I really need people to get behind me and even donate
the cost of a coffee.” Sauer also shares his story with people undergoing rehabilitation for drug and alcohol dependencies and he said he hopes hearing his story might give people the strength to quit for good. “I made a bad decision, one I can never take back and if my story helps prevent anyone from making the same mistakes then it’s worth it,” he said. “I’d also love to tell my story to high school students so they can hear from someone who’s been through a drug addiction.”
www.nemedia.com.au
Local skiers among best MORE than 100 athletes took part in the 2015 Australian Junior Cross Country Championships earleir thsi month. Both Australian and International skiers aged nine to 19 competed in the races at Falls Creek which were organised by Birkebeiner Nordic Ski Club on behalf of Ski and Snowboard Australia. The races count towards selection for both the Australian Junior Team and 2106 Winter Youth Olympic Games. A number of local skiers produced impressive results during the competition on August 1 to 2, including Mt Beauty’s Jarrah and Ash Forrer, Bright’s Nicola and Callum Smith and Falls Creek’s India Zwar. Saturday’s Classic Sprint was a rain-filled event and the afternoon’s Cross Country Cross (XCX) was unfortunately cancelled due to rain-soaked competitors and officials. In the Classic Open Junior (U20) Sprint women’s A-final Katerina Paul was pushed all the way to the finish line by Lilly Boland to the win the gold medal, with Ella Jackson overtaking Stella Ajani in the final straight to take the bronze. The Open Junior Men was more
spread out, with Damon Morton winning the gold ahaead of Norwegian Markus Wirstad and Finlay Clarke, with Seve de Compo round out the final as the third Australian. Maysen Duffy and Will Middlemiss won the U16 A-finals while Thomas Ingliss and Heli Laajoki won the U12 finals. Sunday’s Freestyle events saw athletes race over distances from 1.5km to 7.5km and the Open Junior Men 7.5km was won by Liam Burton in a close race with Damon Morton and Seve de Compo. Katerina Paul won the Open Junior Women 5km ahead of Lilly Boland and Laura Caduff from Switzerland. Freya Clarke and Mt Beauty’s Jarrah Forrer took out the U16 classes and Bright’s Nicola Smith and Yackandandah’s Tommi Silvester were the fastest in the U14. The closest race of the day was the U12 Junior men with Bright’s Callum Smith winning ahead of Jayden Spring by just 0.2 of a second. Canberra’s Heli Laajoki was first over the line in the U12 Junior Women. To see the full results visit www. ausxc.com.
TEAM POWER: Musher E’vette Levett and niece Alicia Broad (left) had a great time at the Falls Creek Sled Dog Challenge on Saturday. PHOTO: Jiri Cech
Conditions no deterrent
THE wet and snowy conditions didn’t deter almost 30 teams from competing in the fifth annual Sled Dog Classic at Falls Creek on Saturday night. Falls Creek marketing and communications manager Jo Prothero said the resorts trails and streets came alive with the sound of howling as teams took to the lit streets with two, three, four and six dog classes of Alaskan Huskies, Siberian Huskies, Eurohounds and Alaskan Malamutes to compete in the unique “Monaco” grand prix style event. With a well-managed system, night skiers were enjoying skiing down in the opposite direction and the sled dog teams then headed up onto the aqueduct trail, down onto Parallel Street where they were greeting by spectators lining the street back up on to the aqueduct to the Village Bowl - with an amazing return
to the finish line via Falls Creek Road and Slalom Street. Peter Dobbs defended his winning title in the six dog class during the Classic and in an amazing win, he was well over 10 minutes ahead of the rest of the field. Darren Watson from Victoria also managed to retain the two and four dog classes with his Alaskan Huskies. Myrtleford local Tamara Murphy competed for the fifth time with her team of Siberian Huskies, and Malamutes after become hooked after the exhibition race in 2010. This year’s event saw the inclusion of a Junior Challenge event, to promote the sustainability of sled dog sports in Australia. Josh Winther from Victoria won the three dog class and Blake Potter, all the way from New Zealand, took out the two dog class.
Falls Creek Medical Centre Winter Consulting Hours Daily: 10.00am - 12noon & 2.00 - 5.00pm After Hours Ring 03 5758 3238 or if an emergency call 000 Email enquiries@mbmc.com.au Web www.mbmc.com.au This is a private trauma clinic and general practice. Fee for service will apply. This practice is fully Accredited by Quality Practice Accreditation Pty Ltd and staffed by fully qualified Rural Medical Practitioners
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MT HOTHAM FALLS CREEK NEWS — September 2015 — PAGE 11
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Based on 7 nights accommodation in a 2 bedroom condo including a 6 day lift pass for 2 adults and 2 children 12 years and under. Valid 3 Jan – 13 Jan.
Based on 7 nights accommodation in a 2 bedroom condo including daily breakfast & an EPIC Local pass for 2 adults and 2 children 12 years and under. Valid 2 Jan – 11 Jan.
EARLYBIRD SPECIAL – Save 40%* LIFT SPECIAL – Kids 12 and under ski FREE with paying adult*
EARLYBIRD SPECIAL – Save 30%*
EARLYBIRD SPECIAL – Save 30%* LIFT SPECIAL – EPIC Local Pass*
1800 335 724 reservations@mogulski.com.au mogulski.com.au IATA Accredited *conditions apply please contact Mogul Ski World for all details