ALL generations of Australian Ski Cross and Snowboard Cross athletes converged at Mt Hotham Alpine Resort for a full week of development, training and racing opportunities in mid-August.
The week kicked off with the Ski Cross and Snowboard Cross FUTURES, with 72 athletes in attendance, focusing on high performance training and preparation techniques for heat racing.
After two days of training and development under the guidance of the NSWIS and OWIA Teams, the athletes had a chance to put their newly-honed skills to the test in the Youth, Groms and FIS Junior races on Wednesday.
Harriet Fuller won the Female Grom’s race, with Lucy Evans taking home the gold in the Youth Female race and Alexander Frost in the Men’s Youth event.
Wednesday also saw the 2023 return of the FIS JNR SBX Series, powered by the Chumpy Pullin Foundation.
Australia’s best emerging Snowboard Cross racers went head-to-head on Mt Hotham, with Australia’s Mia Clift coming out on top in the women’s event, ahead of Abbey Wilson in silver and Maya Billingham in bronze.
Japan’s Daisuke Muraoka won gold in the men’s event, ahead of James Johnstone and William Martin.
The Ski Cross FIS Australia and New Zealand Continental Cups (ANC) were also contested with World Cup athlete Doug Crawford winning the first men’s event, ahead of Alfred Wenk in second and Emerson Facer in bronze.
Lin Nakanishi from Japan won the women’s first ski cross event, with Jesse Quinn second and Koko Kawashima in third.
Crawford returned to the podium in the second ANC event, in the silver medal position, behind Liam Michael in first, with Duncan Cowan third.
April Wynn won the women’s ski cross ANC 2 event, with Nakanishi and Kyra Wheatley joining her on the podium.
NSWIS athlete Amber Essex edged out World Cup gold medallist Josie Baff for the top spot on the podium in the first Women’s SBX ANC race, with Abbey Wilson in bronze.
Czech snowboarding Olympian Jan Kubiík won the men’s SBX final, ahead of Australia’s Declan Dent in second and Japan’s Kenshin Kiyota in third.
• Go to Snow Australia’s website for full results of respective events.
