FOREWORD

This photo of Mt Buller was taken on June 11th, 2022, the first day of last season, a winter that kicked off with a bang, two strong storms dropping more than a metre of snow in the fortnight leading into the long weekend.

The result was the best “official opening weekend” in years, with all resorts rolling multiple lifts accessing plenty of terrain on June 11th; pretty well the best start to a season since 2000.

After the Covid disruptions and lockdowns of 2020 and 2021 and overseas travel restrictions it was the start we needed, anticipation was high and as a consistent season unfolded, Australian skiers and snowboarders flocked to the mountains.

As usual for Australia, last winter season delivered a bit of everything with some good winter storms, quite a few 10-15cms top ups but also a massive rain event in early August that dropped 175mm of rain over a three-day period. While mild temps kept the snowline hovering between 1500-1600m, higher elevations held a good snowpack well into October. Snowy Hydro’s reading at Spencer’s Creek (1830m) sat at 166.2cms on October 5th after reaching a season peak of 232cms on September 20th.

There were plenty of good days last winter with a handful of really good powder days, one of which was on the Saturday of the June long weekend. Like anything that relies on nature, skiing is unpredictable. It pays to be flexible and grab the opportunities while they are there and when it comes to snow, luck plays a big part!

The content in this issue reflects this; be it enjoying dry powder during a late September tour of the Main Range, turning up in Japan to catch a cold storm cycle after a lengthy dry spell or scoring powder days at each destination during a Colorado road trip.

On the other side of the coin you have to make decisions and be ready to go when the snow dictates. For Tony Harrington that meant pulling the pin on an intended two month stay in Chamonix as the French Alps endured a dry January and flying back across the North Atlantic to the US where it was dumping. Fair to say Harro scored, hooking up with Buller skier Max Bardas and a core group of locals in Jackson Hole and Grand Targhee for day after day of deep powder.

Coen Bennie-Faull was in a similar situation in Revelstoke in January where the tide was low thanks to a well below average December. Then a rare cancellation in an in-demand backcountry hut called Fairy Meadow gave Coen the opportunity to score some interior BC powder, but he only had a day to organise a crew and head for an area they knew little about. It turned out to be a week of exploration and self-discovery in the wilderness, one that they will remember for a long time.

Our feature interview is with Toshi Pander, a freeskier, photographer and film maker who is also the manager of the terrain parks in Mt Hotham. Toshi grew up skiing a small club field in New Zealand and in Japan each summer where his dad was a groomer. His skiing took him to Japan as an adult, ending up in Niseko where skiing for the camera lead him to picking up a camera, and has evolved into a new profession. Toshi just won the best film award at the Niseko Shootout, but not for a film about skiing or snowboarding – he tells the story of Shigeru Tokumaru, an 88-year-old artist in Niseko, and takes a deeper look at another side to Niseko’s culture. Through his skiing, different doors have opened for Toshi and he has embraced what’s on the other side.

Anyway, winter is just around the corner, hope the magazine inspires you to get out there to enjoy as many days as you can on skis and make the most of whatever snow you find. As we like to say, Live, Love Australian Skiing. See you on the hill.

- Reggae Elliss