AUGUST ISSUE, 2019
www.nemedia.com.au
inside
FOCUS ON WOMEN Both resorts encouraging P4 women to push their boundaries on the slopes
BIG MOUNTAINS: Skiers Drew Jolowicz (right) and Toshi Pander living the dream at Mount Hotham. PHOTO: Chris Hocking
KANGAROO P13 HOPPET PREVIEW Australia’s biggest ski race and a Falls Creek tradition since 1991
TACKLING RUBBISH P14 ON ALPINE ROADS Local team clean up
index 40 years at Falls for Barry Jones Britt Cox new run
P3 P10
Serious winter, serial fun AFTER a cautious start to the season, and everyone on-mountain holding out for that ‘big dump’ required to kick start a real winter, a prolonged cold front in mid-July delivered. It started off poorly however, as many big cold fronts do, with rain. But all week the clouds remained, and the snow started to fall. Falls Creek and Mount Hotham were both blessed with more than 60cm of fresh snow across seven days. At Falls, the Summit Chair and Lakeside Poma started to whir and further terrain opened up at Hotham. The Victorian school holidays brought thousands of visitors to the resorts, which elapsed into the South Australian and New South Wales school holidays. By mid-July, almost 40,000 visitors had headed to Falls Creek this season – two per cent higher than the
BY STRUAN JONES sjones@ nemedia.com.au
bumper season of 2018 and eight per cent higher than the 10-year visitation average. At both mountains, a focus on women and girls in snow sports has risen to the surface. While Olympians Alisa Camplin, Britt Cox or Torah Bright may be household names, the reality is female participation in competitive snow sport is below that of male athletes. Both mountains have programs that look to encourage women towards new parts of the mountain, such as the terrain park, to spark their inter-
ests and nurture their talents. At Hotham, Park Chics is a weekly program that opens up the terrain park on Saturday nights to women who want to improve their skills or just check it out for the first time. The grassroots Chix with Stix program in September is a female-only weekend run by a group of like-minded, passionate snow loving women keen to share their excitement about snow sports. In July at Falls Creek, the Nikita Girls Who Ride Day and the Yuki Birds Ride Day were all about getting women together with a supportive group to go snowboarding. The annual Mim Sodergren Women’s Ski Program is also on again at Falls Creek, with two more programs schedules for late August and early September. In other news, a daughter of Falls
Creek has been honoured with a run named after her. Britt Cox’s Cut Through will now be etched into the memories of all mountain-goers who know that every run, every bizarre or mysterious name, represents a whole new world of experience on snow. The names of runs, and chairlifts, can become synonymous with some people’s greatest and lasting memories of their times on snow. August is the peak season for both resorts. At Falls Creek the cross-country scene begins its crescendo towards the Kangaroo Hoppet (Aug 24), the country’s largest ski race and a celebration of Nordic skiing, Falls Creek and Mount Beauty. At the mountain resorts, where a week is a month and a day on snow is a gift, enjoy every moment of every turn.
LARGEST RANGE OF SKI BOOTS IN AUS U Ă•>Ă€>Â˜ĂŒii` VĂ•ĂƒĂŒÂœÂ“ LÂœÂœĂŒ wĂŒĂŒÂˆÂ˜} LĂž ÂŤĂ€ÂœviĂƒĂƒÂˆÂœÂ˜>Â?Â?Ăž ĂŒĂ€>ˆ˜i` LÂœÂœĂŒ wĂŒĂŒiĂ€Ăƒ U 7ÂœĂ€ÂŽĂƒÂ…ÂœÂŤ ĂœÂˆĂŒÂ… ˜iĂœ 7ÂˆÂ˜ĂŒiĂ€ĂƒĂŒiˆ}iĂ€ iĂ€VÕÀÞ ĂƒiĂ€Ă›ÂˆVˆ˜} U >ĂƒÂ…ÂˆÂœÂ˜] ĂŒiV…˜ˆV>Â? ÂœĂ•ĂŒiĂ€Ăœi>Ă€ E >VViĂƒĂƒÂœĂ€ÂˆiĂƒ U ÂˆĂ€i ĂƒiĂ€Ă›ÂˆVi ˆ˜VÂ? `i“œ E ĂŒÂœĂ•Ă€ÂˆÂ˜} }i>Ă€ U œ˜ˆ} -Â˜ÂœĂœ Â…>ÂˆÂ˜Ăƒ
BUMPS.COM.AU ! 03 9528 2701 !
PAGE 2 — MT HOTHAM FALLS CREEK NEWS — August, 2019
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RACE READY: National downhill and Hotham Race Squad members Louis Muhlen-Shulte and Harry Laidlaw (middle) with school holiday participants.
PHOTO: JJ
Record numbers for Hotham Race Squad record numbers and the addition of Hotham Snowboarders sharing the facility. “It’s been crazy, this year we’ve got more kids than ever before and actually had to turn people away, it’s been challenging logistically but exciting at the same time,� administrator Sue Hunter said. “We’ve got a member base of 200 and during the school holidays have 120 skiers out on the slopes most days, of that 80 are seasonal skiers and 40 are in the school holiday program. “Ideally the school holiday kids will have been all the way through to level
six at ski school and are now looking to take their skiing up a notch and get a taste for racing.� For more than 40 years Hotham Race Squad has worked to encourage and foster growth in skiers, building a reputation as one of Australia’s leading race training organisations. They aim to teach members correct technique and give each person the ability to ski any terrain in all conditions but also to develop individual potential to compete nationally and on the world stage. Most recently, Winter Olympians Greta Small and
Harry Laidlaw and Australian teammate Louis MuhlenShulte have come out of the program with all three still closely associated. Under the guidance of Race Squad coaches and instructors employed by the Mount Hotham Skiing Company, kids spent six hours a day progressing and refining their skiing during the holidays. Despite being winter fulltime participants also continue to complete their dryland training and strength and conditioning workouts in the recently renovated teamHOTHAM gym. In addition to their train-
ing, the current crop of Race Squad skiers had the chance to share the slopes and get up close and personal with rising star pair Laidlaw and Muhlen-Shulte. The two were regulars around the clubhouse, and even skied with some groups, offering tips and advice all the while giving the youngsters a sense of what it’s like to be an elite ski racer. While the ultimate goal is to produce skilled skiers, race director Stefan Moser, said Hotham Race Squad also aims to shape the many young lifes that come through its doors.
Mt Hotham Falls Creek News Est. 1997
Serious about targeting the ski industry this Winter?
AUGUST ISSUE, 2019
www.nemedia.com.au
inside
FOCUS ON WOMEN Both resorts encouraging P4 women to push their boundaries on the slopes
BIG MOUNTAINS: Skiers Drew Jolowicz (right) and Toshi Pander living the dream at Mount Hotham. PHOTO: Chris Hocking
KANGAROO P13 HOPPET PREVIEW Australia’s biggest ski race and a Falls Creek tradition since 1991
TACKLING RUBBISH P14 ON ALPINE ROADS Local team clean up
index 40 years at falls for Barry Jones Britt Cox new run
P3 P10
Serious winter, serial fun AFTER a cautious start to the season, and everyone on-mountain holding out for that ‘big dump’ required to kick start a real winter, a prolonged cold front in mid-July delivered. It started off poorly however, as many big cold fronts do, with rain. But all week the clouds remained, and the snow started to fall. Falls Creek and Mount Hotham were both blessed with more than 60cm of fresh snow across seven days. At Falls, the Summit Chair and Lakeside Poma started to whir and further terrain opened up at Hotham. The Victorian school holidays brought thousands of visitors to the resorts, which elapsed into the South Australian and New South Wales school holidays. By mid-July, almost 40,000 visitors had headed to Falls Creek this season – two per cent higher than the
BY STRUAN JONES sjones@ nemedia.com.au
bumper season of 2018 and eight per cent higher than the 10-year visitation average. At both mountains, a focus on women and girls in snow sports has risen to the surface. While Olympians Alisa Camplin, Britt Cox or Torah Bright may be household names, the reality is female participation in competitive snow sport is below that of male athletes. Both mountains have programs that look to encourage women towards new parts of the mountain, such as the terrain park, to spark their interests and
nurture their talents. At Hotham, Park Chics is a weekly program that opens up the terrain park on Saturday nights to women who want to improve their skills or just check it out for the first time. The grassroots Chix with Stix program in September is a female-only weekend run by a group of like-minded, passionate snow loving women keen to share their excitement about snow sports. In July at Falls Creek, the Nikita Girls Who Ride Day and the Yuki Birds Ride Day were all about getting women together with a supportive group to go snowboarding. The annual Mim Sodergren Women’s Ski Program is also on again at Falls Creek, with two more programs schedules for late August and early September. In other news, a daughter of Falls
Creek has been honoured with a run named after her. Britt Cox’s Cut Through will now be etched into the memories of all mountain-goers who know that every run, every bizarre or mysterious name, represents a whole new world of experience on snow. The names of runs, and chairlifts, can become synonymous with some people’s greatest and lasting memories of their times on snow. August is the peak season for both resorts. At Falls Creek the cross-country scene begins its crescendo towards the Kangaroo Hoppet (Aug 24), the country’s largest ski race and a celebration of Nordic skiing, Falls Creek and Mount Beauty. At the mountain resorts, where a week is a month and a day on snow is a gift, enjoy every moment of every turn.
LARGEST RANGE OF SKI BOOTS IN AUS U Ă•>Ă€>Â˜ĂŒii` VĂ•ĂƒĂŒÂœÂ“ LÂœÂœĂŒ wĂŒĂŒÂˆÂ˜} LĂž ÂŤĂ€ÂœviĂƒĂƒÂˆÂœÂ˜>Â?Â?Ăž ĂŒĂ€>ˆ˜i` LÂœÂœĂŒ wĂŒĂŒiĂ€Ăƒ U 7ÂœĂ€ÂŽĂƒÂ…ÂœÂŤ ĂœÂˆĂŒÂ… ˜iĂœ 7ÂˆÂ˜ĂŒiĂ€ĂƒĂŒiˆ}iĂ€ iĂ€VÕÀÞ ĂƒiĂ€Ă›ÂˆVˆ˜} U >ĂƒÂ…ÂˆÂœÂ˜] ĂŒiV…˜ˆV>Â? ÂœĂ•ĂŒiĂ€Ăœi>Ă€ E >VViĂƒĂƒÂœĂ€ÂˆiĂƒ U ÂˆĂ€i ĂƒiĂ€Ă›ÂˆVi ˆ˜VÂ? `i“œ E ĂŒÂœĂ•Ă€ÂˆÂ˜} }i>Ă€ U œ˜ˆ} -Â˜ÂœĂœ Â…>ÂˆÂ˜Ăƒ
BUMPS.COM.AU
Don't miss out on being part of the next edition of Mt. Hotham/Falls Creek News. If you wish to promote your business or service please contact:
Jenny Zamperoni jking@nemedia.com.au
03 5731 3305
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“We want to produce athletes but more importantly great people ready for life either as members of the community here at Hotham or somewhere else,� he said. “We’ve grown the past two years with our numbers up 25 per cent on last season and hopefully that’s partially due to our success in racing at all age levels. “We hope more people are coming to us because they see this as a good place for their kids and a reliable and safe environment to grow up in racing and to build a lifelong enjoyment for skiing.�
NEXT EDITION: September Booking deadline: August 18, 2019 GROUP EDITOR: Jeff Zeuschner ADVERTISING: Jenny Zamperoni EDITORIAL: Struan Jones ADVERTISING SALES EMAIL: jking@nemedia.com.au Telephone 0427 495 309 EDITORIAL EMAIL: sjones@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 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. or email jjenvey@nemedia.com.au
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THE Mount Hotham Race Squad members and coaches are used to going fast, whether it’s in training or competition but for everyone involved, the pace picks up even more during the school holidays. Over that period season programs are run for full-time and part-time members and five-day-aweek school holiday participants, with the clubhouse a hive of activity during the recent school break. Located at the base of The Summit chair, teamHOTHAM headquarters was literally bursting at the seams with
Photos courtesy of Mt Hotham Ski Company & Falls Creek Resort Management.
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MT HOTHAM FALLS CREEK NEWS — August, 2019 — PAGE 3
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ALMOST A LOCAL: Barry Jones moved to Falls Creek for a three year stint and seeking new challenges. That was 40 years ago. PHOTO: Nathan Fenton
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By ASHLEIGH PILES BARRY Jones celebrated his 40th season at Falls Creek by pouring a beer behind the bar at the Cock n Bull and he wouldn’t have it any other way. Mr Jones, originally from Sydney, moved to Falls Creek in 1978 in what was supposed to be a three-year stint but instantly fell in love with mountain gazing. “I was after a new challenge actually and I was working for myself and going pretty well financially but I wanted to move out to the country and enjoy country living,” he said. “I initially came for three years but I guess my mathematics isn’t too good, I’m still here. “I’d like to think I’m enjoying it as much as I did when I first came here, the body is getting old but the enthusiasm is still there.” Mr Jones bought the Pretty Valley Alpine Lodge in late 1979 and later started iconic English pub, the Cock n Bull, which is celebrating 24 years this season. “One of my interests is rock and roll music so we first set it up as a rock and roll cocktail bar called Christie’s and we had an old jukebox,” he said. “We operated that until 1995 and then it was transformed into the Cock n Bull and it’s pretty much been the same since then.” Aside from its natural beauty and mind-blowingly beautiful landscapes, Mr Jones said Falls Creek is a class above other Victorian mountains because it is a ski in, ski out village. “Falls Creek has the advantage because it’s a real homely, family resort – that’s what I think the appeal is,” he said.
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HERE’S CHEERS: Barry Jones behind the jump at his popular Falls Creek English style pub, the Cock n Bull. PHOTO: Nathan Fenton “We’re in the lap of the gods here and we always want a good ski season and thankfully the last two seasons Mother Nature has been kind to us. “There are times in the year that you can ski right up to your door which is brilliant.” Over his time on the mountain, Mr Jones has seen the control of Falls Creek change several times but admitted it has never lost its year-round charm. “When I first came here there were three or four commercial lodges that were built and in the last 20 years there’s been a lot of redevelopment and renovations of
properties up here,” he said. “The advent of snowmaking has been so advantageous for us, we’re very fortunate to have a wonderful water supply. “Falls Creek is looking as good as it’s ever been.” In his ripe old age of 69, Mr Jones still enjoys a run on the slopes whenever he gets the chance. “It’s good to get out on the slopes and get the cobwebs out of the body,” he said. “I did go over to the dark side for a while there and learnt to snowboard when I was 50 but I did it quite badly.
“I have since seen the light though and I am back skiing, I don’t ski as much as I should I suppose but I’ll be out this season. “The fresh air, which is sometimes too fresh, makes you a free spirit – you can’t beat it.” Asked if he would ever consider leaving the mountain, he simply grinned. “There are few options on how you leave and I don’t like to think of some of them,” he said. “I didn’t think I’d be here for 40 years but I just enjoy this as my home base and while my health is good I will continue to live here. “There is no better place to live.”
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PAGE 4 — MT HOTHAM FALLS CREEK NEWS — August, 2019
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SNOWSPORTS: Snowboarders Hannah Beard (in black) and Katey Page about to hit the slopes on a bluebird day at Mount Hotham. PHOTO: Chris Hocking
Fast and Femme:Women pushing the envelope on mountain By STRUAN JONES SNOWSPORTS is not a traditionally gendered activity. Anyone can ski, and anyone can shred. Some of this country’s most well-known and wellloved winter athletes are women. Think of Olympic medalwinning aerial skiers Alisa Camplin, and Lydia Lassila, snowboarder Torah Bright or moguls skier Britt Cox. At the 2014 Sochi winter
Olympics, Australia’s 31 female athletes outnumbered the male athletes, and two of the three medals won at those games were won by women. In Sochi, Torah Bright became the first Olympic athlete (male or female) to qualify for all three snowboarding disciplines; halfpipe, slopestyle and boarder-cross. She went on to win a silver medal in the snowboard halfpipe and is now this
country’s most successful Winter Olympian. Mogul skier Britt Cox from Bright was the youngest athlete at the Vancouver Games when she made her Olympic debut in 2010. At 15 years of age, Cox was also Australia’s youngest Winter Olympian since 14-year-old Aileen Nash competed in Figure Skating at the 1960 Games in Squaw Valley. Snowboarder Joany Badenhorst and alpine skier
Melissa Perrine were this country’s flag bearers at the Peong Chang Winter Paralympics and in crosscountry skiing, Mount Beauty’s Esther Bottomley has been to an impressive three Winter Olympics. And everyone in the country now knows who Winter Olympic alpine skier Zali Steggall is (she nudged Tony Abbott’s out of his seat in the Federal Parliament). The list of over-performing female winter athletes goes
on, however turn up to any rail jam, big air or freestyle comp and you’ll see many more men than women with bibs on. The story is the same with female participation in the nation’s largest ski race, the annual Kangaroo Hoppet ski marathon at Falls Creek, which sees a many more men competing in the ultimate 42km race than women. At both mountains, specialised women’s programs have been created
to encourage women to push beyond their comfort zones, particularly in testosteronecharged areas of the mountain like the parks and in competitions. There is no shortage of extremely talented female skiers and boarders on mountain, and Mount Hotham has a number of women-only programs through August and September. Check out page 6 for more details.
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
Falls Medical
Creek Centre
THE FUTURE: Mini ‘Shredder’ Willow Latimer, 5, has been loving the snowboarding at Hotham Alpine Resort over the school holidays. The mini maestro might be pint-sized but is an expert in the terrain park taking to rails and jumps on the Summit at Mount Hotham. PHOTO: Chris Hocking
Bogong High Plains Road, Falls Creek 3699 Phone (03) 5758 3238 c15D15055/23-18
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MT HOTHAM FALLS CREEK NEWS — August, 2019 — PAGE 5
Image: Carmel Boyd
Tasmanian Tourism - Your own Ski Lift Company, 7 Lifts !! Ben Lomond, Tasmania - World Class
Expressions of Interest Close: Monday 30th September 2019 at 5pm
7 lifts to be sold as a going concern. Fully compliant and ready to go. This extremely rare opportunity to capture the booming Tasmanian tourist market. Winter and summer tourism icon - Ben Lomond is position perfect and spectacular in every sense. Information Memorandum available on request. Offers over $1.75m will be considered.
John Castran
0411 502 424 john@castran.com.au
www.castran.com.au
Maltese Cross T-Bar
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Business / Development Opportunities Mt Baw Baw Alpine Resort Site 11, 2 Frostii Lane | Alpine Hotel - Bistro & Accommodation Southern Alpine Resort Management Board is seeking expressions of interest from suitably qualified individuals/businesses to develop Site 11, 2 Frostii Lane, Baw Baw Village. It is envisaged this Site could be redeveloped to take advantage of its outstanding proximity to the toboggan park and Maltese Cross T-Bar. Further opportunity is available to operate the Alpine Hotel, which incorporates food and beverage together with accommodation. The EOI campaign is for Site 11 or both locations - further details are provided within the information memorandum.
*Image for illustrative purposes only
www.castran.com.au
Expressions of Interest Close: Friday 30th August 2019 at 1:00pm John Castran
0411 502 424 john@castran.com.au
PAGE 6 — MT HOTHAM FALLS CREEK NEWS — August, 2019
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ALL MINE: Falls Creek skier Zoe Neilson carving up some beautiful, ankle-deep powder. PHOTO: Jeremy Richardson
Women hit the park FOR the rest of the season Mount Hotham have a range of programs to get women out onto the slopes, into the parks, strapped in and pushing their own boundaries. With female participation in most rail jam, park comps and even crosscountry skiing below that of males, the mountain is pushing to nurture women’s talent. Two of these programmes are Park Chics and Chix with Sticks. On Saturday nights at Hotham, women can join a team of female snowboard coaches for Park Chics sessions. Let’s be honest, the park can be a scary place, and intimidating when you’re surrounded by skiers and boarders who have made it through
their own baptism of fire of hard landings and come out the other side with a level of confidence and poise you may think is unreachable. So whether you’ve always wanted to try riding park, or you want to brush up your freestyle skills the sessions cater to all levels of park riders. Park Chics is run by women for women. Riding with girls only, and of similar abilities, the coaches will get you comfortable riding park and hitting new features in a fun and relaxed environment. The drop-in sessions cater for beginner park riders through to advanced, but a minimum level of snowboarding ability to be able
to confidently turn on easy runs is necessary. The sessions take place every Saturday evening in July and August, 6.00pm to 8.00pm. Meet your coach at Ski School in Hotham Central and then head to the Basin Rail Park to start training. Chix with Stix, a free ski and board freeride, freestyle and park program for women, is on over the weekend of Friday, September 13 to Sunday, September 15 at Mount Hotham. Chicks with Stix is a grass-roots organisation founded in 2010 by a group of like-minded, passionate snow-loving women for a weekend to get girls together to learn new tricks and make new friends.
Beer to warm your soul
t year ’s r Shayla Cook at las cted 53 JAM: Snowboarde tra at t en ev al ur e inaug Furphy Rail Jam. Th ing 18 females – and featured a competitors – includ $5000 prize purse.
Any women confident on blue runs and looking to progress their skills could slide ride into a Chicks with Stix session. Each session is based around the groups learning interests, so with both skiing and boarding, the sessions can get quite specific. This may include teaching a group some new tricks in the park or helping finesse skills. Other times, you may learn mogul technique, short turns, long turns
and how to read a slope. Their aim is to provide encouragement and opportunities for girls who ski and snowboard by offering a chance to ride with some of the best female snow-sports athletes in Australia, and to have fun improving skills in the park, freestyle, slopestyle and big mountain. For more information on both programs check out mthotham.com. au.
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MT HOTHAM FALLS CREEK NEWS — August, 2019 — PAGE 7
PAGE 8 — MT HOTHAM FALLS CREEK NEWS — August, 2019
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MIDWEEK 3 FOR 2 Midweek Magic is back You can’t beat midweek at Hotham for great value for money. Enjoy more space, less queues and more snow time when you ride 3 days for the price of 2.
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MT HOTHAM FALLS CREEK NEWS — August, 2019 — PAGE 9
50 ski seasons for Attunga Lodge
FAMILY AFFAIR: Falls Creek family of Olympic and World Cup skier Steve Lee, Paddy Dowd, Kerry Lee Dowd, Layla Lee and Nolene Lee at Attunga Alpine Lodge. The lodge was one of the first premier lodges on the mountain, built in 1968 by Steve Lee’s parents, and last week celebrated its 50th birthday. PHOTO: Nathan Fenton will be her 66th winter. With three generations of your family still at Falls Creek, how important has this community been to your family? Of huge importance, as it is for all the past and current families here. It’s a great community to bring up a family in.
What are some of your memories of the early days at Falls Creek? Best memory is freedom and winter skiing with your mates from a young age, like five or so with no parents, summer camping on the High Plains, fishing, and riding bikes. Being free as a kid to roam, learn to look after yourself and
your mates. That continues today with current families. It’s a rarity in this day and age. How have you seen things change since then? Yes and no, life and the work around us changes, but the freedom kids enjoy here seems to have remained. What are some great
highlights of your time at Falls Creek? Oh, that’s hard to say. It’s just a very happy place for me, and all the family. What would you say is Attunga’s legacy in the village? It was the first lodge to have en suite rooms, a big game changer for the village.
As well as 50 years of solid trading providing for the four families that have owned and operated it. What does the future hold for the Lee family at Falls Creek? Plenty I’d say, with three generations being active in work and community, it’s a win-win for all.
Old electronics? No longer working or wanted? If it’s got a plug, battery or cord it’s e-waste and it’s no longer accepted in any bin.
To find your nearest drop off point contact your Alpine Resort or visit ewaste.vic.gov.au
E/2113785/3019
THE Falls Creek community celebrated a significant milestone last week with the 50th anniversary of Attunga Alpine Lodge. Attunga, a Falls Creek institution, is notable for being built and managed by ski legend and Winter Olympian Steve Lee’s family. To celebrate the occasion Falls Creek’s Nathan Fenton sat down with Steve Lee. NF: Give us a brief history of Attunga Lodge and your family. SL: Mum (Nolene) came here in 1954 on a ski holiday, kicked off the snow bug for the family. Mum and dad managed the club and commercial lodges here through the early 60’s, then build Attunga in 68. How are you and your family involved at Falls Creek today? Most of us are here, I own the Back Country tours, my daughter Layla is a retail supervisor with the Lift Co and does snow reports for Mountain Watch. My sister Kerry runs the Alpine academy, coaches with the race club and is with the ski school, her sun Patrick has a regular DJ gig at The Man. Our younger sister’s two kids are also here, Jamie is working at Stingrays, Angus at Central sports. Noelene at 85 still spends her winters here, and intends to ski again later in the winter after a successful hip replacement over summer. It
PAGE 10 — MT HOTHAM FALLS CREEK NEWS — August, 2019
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SUMMER AND WINTER: Falls Creek snowboarder Summer Van Der Helm enjoying some sun on the south side of Falls Creek. PHOTO: Jeremy Richardson
Falls Creek honour women that shred
THE 2019 season at Falls Creek is all about the ladies. In July, the mountain hosted their Nikita Girls Who Ride Day – a women-only day that was all about riding with a supportive group of girls and trying new things on the mountain and in the Terrain Park. Also in July the Yuki Threads took over the slopes with their Yuki Birds Ride Day. The Yuki Birds are another initiative all about getting girls together to shred the mountain and make new friends. Both days are about progression across the whole hill and particularly in the terrain parks. For women who want to progress their skills but don’t care to hit the Terrain Park then the Falls Creek Mim’s Women’s Ski program is all about coaching women to improve their skiing in an all-female environment. Run by some of Falls Creek’s best female instructors, the program is run three times per year with remaining programs in late August and another in early September. All the details are available online at www.skifalls. com.au
NAME ETCHED IN MEMORY: Olympian Britt Cox in front of her own ski run at Falls Creek.
PHOTO: Jarryd Sinclair
Britt Cox cuts through FALLS Creek has honoured one of its local legends by naming a new run after Olympic mogul skier Britt Cox. Cox, 23, and already a
three-time Olympian and 2017 Women’s World Mogul Ski Champion, calls Falls Creek home, grew up in the village and attended the Falls Creek Primary School.
And still today, when she’s not busy training abroad she still considers Falls Creek home with her parents Graham and Karen both residing here during the
winter and working for the Falls Creek Ski Lift Company. The new run, Britt Cox’s Cut Through, will takes guests from Lakeside Poma to Towers Chair.
Travel to the snow with
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CHAIRLIFT TO HEAVEN: After a prolonged snow storm swept over the mountains in mid-July, Falls Creek’s famous Summit area was opened, increasing the moderate to advanced terrain on offer for skiers and boarders. PHOTO Jezzalanko Creative
Email: reservations@fallscreekcoachservice.com.au www.fallscreekcoachservice.com.au
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MT HOTHAM FALLS CREEK NEWS — August, 2019 — PAGE 11
— FALLS CREEK 2019 —
winter events CROSS COUNTRY SKI EVENTS JUN 23 | Snow Trek & Travel
SKI & SNOWBOARD DOWNHILL EVENTS JUL 6 | Falls Creek Junior
Mini Series #1
Agility Race
JUL 6 | Fast & Female
JUL 6-7 | Falls Creek Demo Ski Festival
Snow Trek & Travel Mini Series #2 FIGHT MND ICE PLUNGE June 1
WINTER SEASON OPENING WEEKEND | June 8−10
JUL 12 | Rossignol Cup
JUL 7 | Birkebeiner Classic JUL 13-14 | Interschool XC Trials JUL 13 | Snow, Trek & Travel
Cranky Charlie Cup
JUL 15-19 | South Australian Interschools Championships (SAKSI)
High Plains Tour
JUL 14 | YMCA Howman's Gap
JUL 26 | Wombats Rambler Night Race
Vic Relay Championships
JUL 20 | Vic Junior Championships JUL 21 | Vic Junior Sprint Championships WOMBATS RAMBLER NIGHT RACE | July 26
XC NIGHT SPRINTS August 22
JUL 27 | Australian Open Sprint
JUL 26-28 | Vic Masters Championships AUG 6-8 | ASSSTC AUG 29 | Pendl Cup AUG 30 - SEP 2 | Australian Police
Championships
Winter Games
JUL 28 | Australian Open Distance
AUG 30 - SEP 3 | SSA Aus
Championships
Alpine U16's
AUG 4 | Snow Trek & Travel Mini Series #3
SEP 8 | FCFS - Summit Masters GS
AUG 7-9 | ASSSTC AUG 10 | Ski De Femme
FREESTYLE EVENTS
AUG 11 | Rocky Valley Rush/ Sun Valley Ramble KANGAROO HOPPET August 24
LIGHT THE NIGHT August 31
AUG 15 | No h East Primary School Relays
AUG 22 | Falls Creek Invitational Night Sprints
AUG 8-14 | Nitro Good Times Weekend
Australian Birkenbeiner
AUG 10 | FCFS - Big Air Competition
Kangaroo Hoppet
AUG 24 | FCFS - Slopestyle Series
AUG 31 | Australian Junior Sprint Championships FALLS CREEK OCTOBERFEST October 5
JUL 27 | FCFS - Rider X
AUG 9 | FCFS - Rails Under Lights
AUG 24 | Joey Hoppet
GAY SKI WEEK September 3−8
JUL 12 | FCFS Board Lounge Throwdown
SEP 1 | Australian Junior Distance Championships
SEP 7 | FCFS - Summit Masters Moguls SEP 14 | FCFS - Banked Slalom SEP 15 | FCFS - The Dreamer
WEEKLY EVENTS TUESDAY | During Jul/Aug Twilight Tuesdays (featuring Pete the Snow Dragon), Village Bowl
WEDNESDAY | Night Skiing, Wombats Ramble THURSDAY | During Jul/Aug Night Show Spectacular, Village Bowl MCKAYOS October 5
THE BIG DIG/POND SKIM October 5
SATURDAY | Night Skiing, Wombats Ramble Weekly events subject to change. Dependent on weather and snow conditions.
Scheduled events are subject to weather conditions and may be subject to change or cancellation
MORE INFO (03) 5758 1202 | WWW.FALLSCREEK.COM.AU | #ADVENTUREYOURWAY
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PAGE 12 — MT HOTHAM FALLS CREEK NEWS — August, 2019
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MT HOTHAM FALLS CREEK NEWS — August, 2019 — PAGE 13
LOCAL: Mount Beauty’s Phillip Bellingham (number 13) will again compete for the Kangaroo Hoppet men’s title at Falls Creek on Saturday, August 24.
Hottest Hoppet in years By ALLAN MARSLAND THE 2019 Kangaroo Hoppet is shaping up to be one of the most hotly contested events for many years. A strong international contingent, supported by an experienced Australian team, will provide a great spectacle for all participants and spectators in the Falls Creek Nordic Bowl on Saturday, August 24. In the men’s field a trio of Swiss stars including Olympian and fourtime Hoppet champion Valerio Leccardi, marathon specialist Lauro Braendli and World Cup Sprint final-
ist Fabian Schaad will be looking for a team advantage on the start line. However, competing with the Swiss will also be a trio of Italian Olympic and World Championship athletes including Enrico Nizzi, world junior medallist Giacomo Gabrielli and Italian junior sprint champion, Francois Vierin. A very strong domestic team will be alongside the internationals with the intent to retain the big prize in Australia. Four-time runner up, and local Falls Creek dual-Olympian, Phil Bellingham will be looking to finally get
his name on the trophy after being so close for so many years. However, it might be the rising stars in Mark Pollock and Seve de Campo that can bring it home for the locals. The women’s event will be equally closely contested with a great mix of local and international athletes showcasing the elite field. Canadian Erin Yungblut and Russian Arina Kalinina are both looking great on paper to challenge a strong Australian contingent including Asian Games medallist and PyongChang Olympian Casey Wright.
mley, winter r local, Esther Botto 42KM FL AT: Anothe s winner of the Kangaroo iou Olympian and prev Hoppet.
Wright is fresh from a four-year stint on the North American National Collegiate Athletic Association for Alaska University and will be looking for a big result down under. Perennial favourite, Aimee Watson, will be back for another crack and will draw on her strength if the conditions become tough. Both the women’s and men’s events will be a spectacle to delight everyone. AGL are again supporting our
up-and-coming Australian skiers with eight $500 scholarships in the 21km and 7km events that will support winners in age classes progressing through the XC athlete pathways. The Hoppet is the biggest snowsports event in the southern hemisphere and with 7km, 21km and the premier 42km event, there is a wonderful experience for skiers of all ages and abilities. More information can be found at www.hoppet.com.au
Omeo
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PAGE 14 — MT HOTHAM FALLS CREEK NEWS — August, 2019
F
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AIN’T NO MOUNTAIN TOO HIGH: Robyn Joy cleans up rubbish along the Hotham Road. More than 90 per cent of the discarded litter collected was recyclable plastic. PHOTO: John Gertsakis
Mountain Trash Team clean up Alpine road by hand
By STRUAN JONES
A L P I N E C O N V E YA N C I N G & P R O P E R T Y L AW P
1300 788 168
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IMAGINE more than 2200 pieces of litter - 95 per cent of it recyclable plastic – strewn out along a roadside. Then imagine that roadside is one of the most picturesque Alpine roads in the country – the road from Harrietville to Hotham. It’s a lot of rubbish, and it’s hard to understand the mindset of people who, while driving in such a pristine national park, wind down their windows to fling rubbish out of their cars. So in four sessions in July a volunteer group of mainly Harrietville locals, but stretching as far as Porepunkah, have formed the Mountain Trash Team and have hit the roadsides to collect other people’s rubbish. The final session involved 10 locals making a last ditch effort to clean the final kilometres on the upper reaches of the Hotham Road. Organiser and Smoko local
ALPINE MARKET SOARING
Rolf Schönfeld said the idea came to him after spending time walking his dog in Wangaratta with a friend, who introduced him to the app, and between the two of them, started collecting litter. “After a while I thought oh bugger, let’s just do it,” he said. “We decided everyone needs a high-vis vest, and we’d put a sign up at the top and at the bottom, and we’d do it. It took us four sessions to do up to the resort boundary.” Mr Schönfeld said almost all the litter collected was recyclable bottles, including beer, soft drink, and water bottles. But also prominent were gel packs commonly used by cyclists. The plan for the Mountain Trash team is to return to the Hotham Road in spring after the winter ski season to assess just how much rubbish gets left behind by snowgoers.
And while it might sound like a dirty job, Mr Schönfeld said it’s been a fantastic time for chit chat. “Everyone said it was a great community activity, and we make sure you’re paired with someone you don’t really know so you can chat and get to know them. I thought it was really good,” he said. Mr Schönfeld hopes the work will encourage more people or groups to get out and do something similar, but also wants to see accommodation providers address the issue of litter to visitors to the towns in the region. “There were a lot of beer bottles, cans, drink bottles… you can see where little tourist buses have pulled over and all of a sudden there’s 10 water bottles on the side of the road,” he said. “Hopefully we can create change from the bottom up rather than waiting for something from the top down.”
Mt Hotham and Dinner Plain Rob Ford 0430 749 701 rob@zirkyrealestate.com.au Falls Creek Christa Smit 0402 277 808 christa@zirkyrealestate.com.au
Alpine Specialists
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MT HOTHAM FALLS CREEK NEWS — August, 2019 — PAGE 15
UPCOMING EVENTS Oakley Prizm Weekend | 27- 28 July Demo the latest eyewear and join top snow athletes at the Oakley Prizm Party for a chance to win prizes. Australia and New Zealand Cup (ANC) Championships | July to August Watch World and National Champions battle it out ƃɰ ɽȃljʰ ɨƃƺlj ǹɁɨ ɽȃljȈɨ ɥɁǁȈʍȴ ˎȶȈɰȃljɰӝ Furphy Night Rail Jam | 3 August Participate or spectate at the Rail Jam within the Basin Rail Park. Compete for $500 prize money and celebrate with a Furphy Tap Takeover at Swindlers. Yuki Birds | 3 August An all-girls park session for snowboarders who are intermediate level riders or above. Hotham Banked Slalom | 16 - 17 August Celebrate 30-years of snowboarding in Australia with the exciting open Banked Slalom course. Chicks with Stix | 13 - 15 September Australia’s top female skiers and snowboarders Ǽljɽ ǼȈɨȢɰ ǹljljȢȈȶǼ ƺɁȶˎǁljȶɽ Ɂȶ ɽȃlj ɰȶɁʥ ƃȶǁ ȢljƃɨȶȈȶǼ new skills. Retro Day and Sunset Party | 14 September Gear up in your most outrageous retro gear for a day of prizes and summit sunset party vibe.
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PAGE 16 — MT HOTHAM FALLS CREEK NEWS — August, 2019
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