2024 INTERSCHOOLS – DONE AND DUSTED
The wind got the best of many skiers and both of Archie Landon-Smith’s poles as well.
How many young skiers can compete in two XC races in one morning, classic and freestyle relay, in gale force winds with raging gusts? Apparently, nearly 350 school children from Kindergarten-age through Year 12, with their families and friends hanging on to support them. These were the conditions on Friday 6 September for the Snow Australia National Interschools XC Championships at Blue Cow.
Volunteers and Perisher staff starting early on XC competition day at Blue Cow with bags of salt to combat the expected high temperatures.
Perisher snowgroomers worked all night to create a race course out of very little. NSWACT XC volunteers and Perisher mountain staff turned up at dawn to salt the course and prepare the Start/Finish area, install timing equipment and trackset the course. More volunteers and Interschools staff met competitors in the Blue Cow Terminal to fit them with their transponders and keep them organised and in shelter until it was their turn to race. The end result was that the XC events ran like clockwork. Competitors, organisers and workers all were justifiably proud of their efforts.
NSWACT XC volunteers setting multiple classic tracks on a race course that had been magically recovered rebuilt at Blue Cow by Perisher snow groomers overnight.
This successful result came from hours of planning, organisation and the efforts of dozens of volunteers and workers. AND the XC event was only one section of the behemoth that is Interschools!
The 2024 Snow Australia Interschools Championship series of events conducted over the winter finished in style on Sunday with accolades from competitors, families, schools, stakeholders and volunteers.
Interschools has a long history of nurturing children’s participation in snowsports on levels that are more than winning medals. It is also about supporting schoolmates, involving families, volunteering and doing it all in one of Australia’s most extraordinary natural environments - which presents its own challenges, of course, The Weather.
More than 1700 competitors took part in the just-completed National competition from 335 schools. The six-day competition saw over 3,500 event starts.
The National events mostly avoided the great nemesis of snowsports, rain, but made up for it with wind and gusts so severe that organisers wondered if the competitors were actually going to be able to race off forwards when the clock said “GO!” It all worked in the end.
More than 1700 competitors took part in the just-completed National competition from 335 schools. The six-day competition saw over 3,500 event starts.
Local schools and students competed in all sections of the Interschools events throughout winter. There were many podiums and many, many more competitors who had a lot of fun.
For all of the 2024 Snow Australia Interschools results, go to https://www.interschools.com.au/results/
Sincere thanks go to the Interschools organisers and staff, Perisher and volunteers - surely some time to recover is in order. Then, bring on 2025!
