Welcome Archive!

Perisher X Country (PXC) is all about promoting the activity of Cross Country Skiing so that one of the best-kept secrets around is not a secret anymore. Please encourage everyone to go to the PXC website (Contact Us page) and subscribe to PXC NEWS and daily XC Trail Reports during winter.

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Enough to wet your appetite, let's hope soon

Pre-Season Winter 2024 Newsletter

This being a bumper newsletter with the following items included:

A Change at the Nordic Shelter
Perisher XC: A Note on Our Journey and Current Status
NSWACT XC Athletes Program
Australian Masters Preparing for Masters World Cup in Klosters 8-15 March 2025
New Track Setter coming to Perisher
Sponsors/ Supporters of PXC
Skiing Overseas: Matching the Competition – Why Do They Ski So Fast?
Events
Working Bee Roundup - 2023/24 Work Parties
Nic's Masters Project
Donations

A Change at the Nordic Shelter

This winter will see some new faces at the Nordic Shelter. An innovative arrangement utilises the voluntary skills of two couples who aim to manage the Shelter almost as well as Geraldine did for the last seven years, with Arnold’s assistance.

John and Sonja Sim, along with Andy Nicholls and Carol Healy, will be on a rotating roster. Andy and Carol will be in residence from the season opening in June. John and Sonja will be there throughout July. Then the managers will alternate fortnightly until the end of the season. Arnold will be around throughout to provide backup and information.

Nordic Shelter Mangers tasks include ensuring the daily grooming reports are distributed (perhaps not quite as early as previously), co-ordinating the grooming of the XC trails, keeping the Shelter welcoming and supplied, support fundraising and events and encouraging cross-country skiers to enjoy their time in and around the Shelter.

You can contact the managers via a dedicated email address nordicshelter@perisherxcountry.org.

Perisher XC: A Note on Our Journey and Current Status

In November this year Perisher XC (PXC) has been operating for 12 years. Despite the challenges of trying to grow XC skiing our mission remains the same, to promote this special activity and encourage more people to get involved. Critical to helping to achieve this mission is to use social media, to not just talk to the converted, but to spread the word to new people.

To find out more about (PXC) and how you can help, CLICK HERE

NSWACT XC Athletes Program

The Snow Australia NSWACT XC Committee proudly manages a successful year-round cross-country skiing program. This initiative is run by Olympic-level Head Coach, Alexei Sotskov. Alexei is supported by his wife, Victoria, also an experienced coach, and William Haig, who has recently arrived from the USA to serve as the 2024 NSWACT XC Winter Coach and other coaches as required.

Participants in NSWACT XC training programs receive the latest in ski techniques and training methods, as Alexei, Victoria, and William are well-versed in current global standards.

The programs cater to all ages with all kinds of goals, especially recognizing the importance of inspiring young skiers to love their sport with one of Australia’s most beautiful and unique environments as their sports ground. A few might even aspire to become future Olympians, which takes a long-term approach, understanding that it requires time, experience and growth to compete with the world's best. Additionally, coaching is available for Masters skiers who want to continue improving as they age.

Typical Year-Round NSWACT XC Training Program for all age groups, including Masters:

Dryland (school terms 4, 1 and 2):

Canberra: Coached Sunday mornings – Rollerski and some strength and conditioning training
Sydney: Coached Sunday mornings – Rollerski and other training techniques
Jindabyne: Mondays and Thursdays at 4:45 pm, and Saturdays at 9 am at the running track at Jindabyne Sport and Rec – some sessions are coached and some are for self-training and practice.
Occasional Training Camps and Come & Try Days in all three regions.

Winter (school term 3) On-snow and Dryland in Perisher and Jindabyne:

Intensive School Holidays Camps – 1, 2 or 3 weeks, including the private school holidays
Weekends – Training and competition
Weekdays (Tuesday-Friday) – Before-school sessions and other training sessions during the days.
Competition and other events – these occur throughout the season. There is something for everyone amongst the variety of activities. The Local, XC Week and National event calendars can be found here - www.perisherxcountry.org
Special camps and Come & Try Days

General Prerequisites:

At least a basic level of XC skiing competency
10 years of age
Have Stack Team App on your computer or device

This coming weekend (June 8-10) is the Jindabyne June Long Weekend Camp, a weekend of fun, rollerskiing, practicing training techniques for strength, endurance and XC skiing skills. Additionally, this Saturday features the Snowy Mountains Nordic Rollerski Challenge – to enter, go to https://www.snow.org.au/events/237870/

On a national level, Alexei is coaching a significant group of National XC Team athletes based in Victoria, NSW, ACT and overseas. Some of these athletes are aiming to compete for Australia in the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan Cortina, Italy. Their performances in the 2024/25 Northern winter World Cup and World Championship events will help determine the number of athletes Australia sends to the Olympics.

For more information about NSWACT XC programs and activities contact nswxc1@gmail.com

Australian Masters Preparing for Masters World Cup in Klosters 8-15 March 2025

Here we have a special report by Peter Lambert, World Masters competitor and manager, on how you can become a part of the next World Masters Cup in Klosters in 2025.

To find out how, CLICK HERE

New Track Setter Coming to Perisher

Before you get to hear the exciting news about the new tracksetter:

DONATIONS WANTED - 10 kg cast-iron round gym weights or thick (e.g, approx 25 mm) steel plate to be used as changeable weights on the machine (see photo below).

Now for the story:

For all you classical skiers, Snow Australia NSWACT XC has ordered a new track setter. It is currently being air freighted from Canada, so with luck, it will arrive at the Perisher XC Centre before it snows.

This track setter does not replace the classical tracks cut by our grooming contractor but is available if the weather has filled in the earlier groomed tracks and to make touch-ups as needed.

It was purchased to replace the older track setters, with the aim of cutting a better-quality track overall. Additionally, it can be lifted off the snow when classical tracks do not need to be cut. This unit runs off the 12-volt system on the Skidoo to power the lifting and lowering of the track setter. The design is unique and was found after a worldwide search for a reasonably priced, robust, and mechanically effective machine.

Please call Wayne Pethybridge on 0481 268 598 if you have some weights to donate.

Sponsors/ Supporters of PXC

PXC extends heartfelt thanks to all of the sponsors and advertisers who contribute to XC skiing through financial support, prizes, and services. Their contributions help fund promotional items, events like XC Ski Week, website maintenance, printed materials, and essential equipment such as the new track setter.

A special thanks to the following supporters:

Wilderness Sports
Rhythm Snowsports
K7 Ski School
Sundeck
Lake Crackenback Resort & Spa
Jai Yoga
Foodworks - Perisher
Sydney Clock Company
LendSure Finance
Eiger Chalet
Corroboree Lodge

Particularly acknowledgement goes to Wilderness Sports and Rhythm Snowsports for providing ski hire and retail equipment sales. These are the only businesses in NSW/ACT that offer the gear we need. Click here for WILDERNESS SPORTS and here for RHYTHM SPONSPORTS

Ski instruction is another vital area. Please refer new skiers to Wilderness Sports and K7 Ski School for their instructional needs. These services are essential for teaching and growing the XC skiing community. Click here for WILDERNESS SPORTS and here for K7 SKI SCHOOL

This winter, as you go about your activities, please be generous in supporting and referring to our highlighted sponsors and all the other supporters.

Skiing Overseas: Matching the Competition – Why Do They Ski So Fast?

There is an article worth reading if you would like to ski a faster race. The observations were witnessed firsthand while overseas, with the subject matter getting the green light from those who should know, our coaches.

Believed to be appropriate to both young and old skiers, CLICK HERE to read the article in Latest News

Events

To see the National Race Calendar, CLICK HERE

Find the activities that suit you amongst the busy winter schedule of events in XC Ski Week. All the usual events are running both on the trails and off, with the Mystery Coffee Tours planned for Tuesday and Friday.

Working Bee Roundup - 2023/24 Work Parties

A big thank you to all the volunteers who helped at our work parties over the summer.

The past summer was busy with five main monthly work parties and several smaller ones, thanks to our diligent volunteers. The weather ranged from beautiful blue skies to heavy rain and even snow, testing our workers' resilience.

Main tasks completed on the ski trails included:

Replacing damaged snow poles
Vegetation control and slashing
Part realignment of the Porcupine Trail pole line

Additional major efforts included:

The NPWS erected several new snow fences in strategic locations.
A major project saw the start of stage one of steel bridge construction over wet areas on the sprint loop and its surroundings. Two modular steel bridges (12mx5m and 9mx5m) were completed, which should ease grooming in these critical areas. This project is funded by a $79,000 grant from the NSW Office of Responsible Gaming, with more bridges planned for next summer.
We continued our rock mitigation program, which has been running for several years. This involves leveling nuisance rocks to prevent groomer damage by drilling into problem rocks, injecting expanding grout to crack them, and then removing the broken pieces. This program is also funded by the Dept of Responsible Gaming grant. A total of 12 rocks were addressed during the past summer.

Summary of volunteer hours:

Trails: 260 hours
Bridge construction: 843 hours
Rock mitigation 50 hours
Nordic Shelter: 138 hours
TOTAL = 1295 hours

Special thanks to the Canberra Alpine Club for providing free accommodation to our work party volunteers.

Nic's Masters Project

Nic Bendeli, is the man behind the poster that show-cases World Loppet skiing, including Kangaroo Hoppet, and all the Australians who have competed here and overseas. The poster particularly highlights those who have received Gold Medals.

Below is Nic's request to anyone who can make a contribution to the poster. To see the original poster CLICK HERE .

First review the poster with the aim to have one photo of you per Gold Medal that you have achieved. Please spread the word when you are communicating with other World Loppet skiers so that they view the poster. If you would like to send your image, please do so to bendeli.anumc@gmail.com.
Image size to be >1MB if possible, otherwise it may be poor resolution.
Preferably an action shot to show skiing.
If there is no action/skiing photo then anything that shows the skier helpful to maximise the "completeness" of the poster.
Some description of the shot => name of skier and other gold medallists in the photo, location, date.

Nic, keep up the good work. We hope you get plenty of photos coming your way.

Donations

The Nordic Shelter is facing significant increases in running costs this winter, with the cost of building insurance nearly doubling. Support the volunteers by making Tax Deductible Donations to help with the development, running expenses and maintenance of the Shelter - https://asf.org.au/projects/snow-australia---northern/nordic-shelter-development/