It is difficult to believe, but the end of the 2004/2005 International season is rapidly drawing near. Only a handful of World Cup events remain for our elite athletes, and as our Freestyle athletes prepare for the World Championships in Finland next month, SSA Cross Country athletes are in the middle of their World Championships in Oberstdorf, Germany. The Alpine and Snowboard World Championships were held earlier in the month. The majority of our development and junior high performance programs have concluded, with promising reports from coaches and program operators regarding the healthy state of our snow sport disciplines for the future. You can read up to date information and track the progress of our athletes overseas by continually logging on to the SSA website. Articles, photos and general information are updated daily. Plans are well underway for the 2005 Domestic season, and this edition of the SSA e-news announces several exciting new events, initiatives and opportunities in the months ahead. As always we welcome your feedback on the web site and I urge you to forward this e-news to anyone you think may be interested in Winter Sport. Regards Michael Kennedy CEO

2005 Australian Ski & Snowboard Awards Saturday April 30th 2005. Mark this date in your diary and start putting a table together for the 2005 Australian Ski & Snowboard Awards, to be held at the Melbourne Sofitel Hotel on Collins St. The Australian Ski & Snowboard Awards is the annual gala dinner at which Australian snow sports athletes are formally recognised by the industry for their efforts during the past 12 months. This is a unique opportunity to rub shoulders with Australia’s current and former world class athletes. All 2005 National team members will be formally recognized on stage during the evening. With the Winter Olympics less then 12 months away, the awards will be the last opportunity to see our athletes together in person before they head to Torino, Italy in February 2006. Tickets will be on a first come first serve basis, and are strictly limited. Tickets will go on sale soon. Check the SSA website in the coming days Corporate members and stakeholders can support SSA athletes and programs by becoming a category sponsor of the 2005 Ski and Snowboard Awards. A limited number of categories remain available and category sponsors receive a complimentary table of 10 to the awards dinner along with formal recognition as a sponsor of the 2005 Ski and Snowboard awards and supporter of the Australian Ski and Snowboard Team. For further information regarding the awards and category sponsorship please contact: Kate Jones at the SSA office on (03) 9696 2344 or kjones@skiandsnowboard.org.au

Inaugural SSA Autumn Discipline Conference SSA is pleased to announce the first ever SSA discipline conference, set for Saturday 30th April to coincide with the awards dinner to be held later that evening. This will be the first time that the four discipline committees will conduct their pre-season meetings at the same venue at the same time. The conference will provide an opportunity for the discipline committees to have interaction not only with each other, but also with board members and peak bodies such as the AOC and the ASC who are not usually able to attend each meeting in person. It is anticipated that the disciplines will have a first hand presentation on the Australian Olympic Team operations for the 2006 Winter Olympic Games, by a representative of the AOC. It is hoped that the discipline conference will become a bi-annual event with meeting locations alternating between the major cities and regional snow sport centres such as Jindabyne. The SSA Autumn Discipline Committee Conference will take place at the Sofitel Melbourne on Saturday 30th April and if necessary will continue on Sunday. Further information regarding these meetings will be sent shortly by the various discipline chairs.

World Cup Aerials at Mt.Buller - September 3rd & 4th 2005 SSA together with Mt Buller and the Seven Network are looking forward to presenting one of the most exciting series of World Cup Aerial events ever staged in Australia, as our very own Flying Kangaroos compete for a place on the Australian Olympic Team. Alpine Exposure, who has been the underwriting sponsor for the past three seasons, has agreed to refocus its support from the event to athlete programs. In particular, Alpine Exposure will no longer be sponsoring the Aerial events at Mt Buller. Rather, Alpine Exposure will continue to support the development aerial program, to ensure the future generation of Australian Aerial athletes will be as competitive as the current crop. SSA is delighted to have the continuing support and involvement of such a loyal and generous partner as Alpine Exposure. The search is now well on the way for a new naming rights sponsor who can step in to ensure the 2005 event goes ahead. The Seven Network (with four hours of National free to air coverage) has pledged their ongoing support for the event to ensure a new sponsor receives maximum exposure and value in return of their sponsorship investment. Sponsorship opportunities are available at all levels and SSA would welcome all companies and organisations interested in supporting our athletes in their pre-Olympic qualifying campaigns. Any queries can be directed to: Michael Kennedy mkennedy@skiandsnowboard.org.au

E-Learning Helps Winter Sport Athletes Build a Post Competitive Career SSA is set to become one of the first National Federations to offer a unique e-learning opportunity to its FIS registered athletes of all ages and ability. The FIS Academy has developed an educational programme to give the FIS family, including athletes, coaches and administrators the opportunity to pursue their education and career training. For the athlete, it provides a pathway of flexible education, and if they undertake and successfully complete all levels culminates in the possibility of attending a FIS Academy Associate University. “The establishment of the FIS Academy is a natural extension of FIS’ ongoing responsibility to ensure athletes in particular are able to perform to their highest potential in all aspects of their life”, Mr. Gian Franco Kasper, President of FIS, stated. As the primary focus of the Academy, its Athlete Certificate has been established on a CD-ROM to take into account the unique travel and lifestyle requirements that are part of a hectic sporting life. The athlete will be able to progress through the eight modules within the Athlete Certificate in a timeframe and basis that suits them. All the athlete will need is access to a computer from time to time and the internet to complete the assessment. SSA will be funding the level 1 course for all Australian FIS registered athletes in 2005. For further information please visit the FIS Academy website www.fis-academy.org