E-NEWS EDITION 39 Welcome to the 39th edition of the Ski & Snowboard Australia E-News. In this edition we update you on the latest Mt Buller World Aerials news, which will be held on 3-4 September, including the return to competition of Alisa Camplin after her knee injury last year, we also wrap up all the National Championships which have been contested around the Australian resorts over the last few weeks. We also provide you with the latest news from all disciplines with the E-News Sports Shorts. Also a quick reminder to all Race Clubs, Race Organisers and interested parties that we welcome contributions to be included in the E-News, please email your submission to info@skiandsnowboard.org.au

2005 Mt Buller World Aerials Salt Lake 2002 gold medallist Alisa Camplin returns to aerial skiing World Cup competition at Mt Buller in the first weekend of September, 18 months after her last jump on snow and 11 months after rupturing her anterior cruciate ligament in a training accident. Camplin will lead a six member Australian team that also includes three time World Cup champion Jacqui Cooper, returning to competition after a shoulder reconstruction. For Camplin, the two Mt Buller events are a first opportunity to meet the performance criteria for selection to the Australian team for Torino 2006. For Cooper, who has already met the performance criteria that should see her on the way to her fourth Olympic Games, Mt Buller is the first step back to the triple somersault routines that took her to pre-Games favouritism in 2002. Click here for more. For information on hospitality packages that are available for the Mt Buller World Aerials please click here.

Downhillers refine technique in Monash wind tunnel Australia’s alpine speed skiers AJ Bear, Craig Branch and Luke Deane travelled to Monash University last week to hone their tuck positions with the benefit of the university’s wind tunnel complex. Two weeks after the AIS skeleton team utilised the university’s facilities to test sled position and sliding skins, the New South Wales Institute of Sport alpine squad spent two days in the wind tunnel, fine tuning high and low tuck positions with the aid of the university’s high tech measuring equipment. The wind tunnel testing came a week after Branch had returned to training on snow after an operation on his lower back. The 28-year-old had a procedure to reduce disc swelling that threatened to end his competitive skiing career. Team-mate AJ Bear had returned to the Perisher Blue slopes several weeks earlier, after recovering from his second knee reconstruction. Bear and Branch will head to Chile in September for downhill training with the US speed team – a team that includes World Cup overall and downhill champion Bode Miller – while Deane will travel to New Zealand to secure the Australian/New Zealand Continental Cup GS championship that will again grant him entry into World Cup events next season, a necessary step on his way to qualifying for a place on the Australian Olympic team for Torino 2006. Courtesy OWI/Sportcom Luke Deane in the Monash wind tunnel (Pic: Monash University)

National Championships Alpine Thredbo hosts the Australian National Junior and Senior Alpine Championships. The week starting 15th August saw the start of the traditional FIS week at Thredbo. Athletes from all the Australian resorts as well from USA, Austria, France, Great Britain, New Zealand, Korea and Japan turned out to compete. The first day started with high winds and overcast conditions causing the race to be postponed till later in the day, however this was not the case for the rest of the week where we had perfect racing conditions and great results were obtained. The week was highlighted by no skier injuries and tough courses set. During a week of excellent performances by all competitors the two standout performers were Bradley Wall and Katya Crema. Congratulations to all those who attended and TSRC would like to thank everyone for making the trip as well as the many hard working volunteers. For complete results please click here

Cross Country The 2005 Australian Championships and Australian Junior Championships finished up last weekend at Perisher Valley in NSW. On the women's side Clare-Louise Brumley made a clean sweep of the 5km Classic and 5km Freestyle events, adding to the 10km Freestyle and 15km Classic titles she won earlier this season. Australian Sprint Champion Esther Bottomley showed that she is building in some endurance with much improved distance performances to finish 2nd in the 5km Freestyle and 3rd in the 5km Classic. KT Calder, Australia's remaining female contender for Torino 2006, missed the Australian racing season due to a shoulder injury, but is just able to start adding upper-body training to her program again and should be on track to contest World Cup competition in November. Taking advantage of the absence of Australia's other three World Cup qualified skiers (Ben Derrick, Paul Murray, and Andrew Mock), 20-year-old Ben Sim won both the men's events. The 10km Freestyle win was comfortable, but in the 10km Classic he had to hold off a late challenge from 30km Classic champion Mark Raymond. Former Australian Junior Team member James Rickard stepped up to take 3rd place in the 10km Freestyle and qualify for the Australian Team for the first time, while Ben Sim's NSWIS team-mate Chris Darlington was 3rd in the 10km Classic. On the junior side there were some impressive performances, with the top junior boys reaching the qualifying standard for the senior team, and good depth and close competition among the junior girls. Four Under 16 athletes also qualified for the Under 20 junior team, boding well for the World Junior Championships in several years time. The main event remaining this season is the Kangaroo Hoppet at Falls Creek on August 27, Australia's International Ski Marathon, which is also the last leg of the FIS Australia / New Zealand Cup. Ben Sim has an unassailable lead in the men's ANC standings, while Esther Bottomley holds a 40 point lead over Clare-Louise Brumley and will have a tough time defending it in the 42km Hoppet. A handful of elite international skiers including former Vasaloppet winner Raoul Olle from Estonia will make it tough for the Australian men to make the podium. September will see most of the Australian Team based at the National Team Training Centre at Falls Creek, putting in the last preparation before the World Cup campaign begins in October. Paul Murray, Esther Bottomley, and Andrew Mock will contest the Sprint World Cup season opener in Dusseldorf in Germany, while the distance skiers will have an extra month before the distance World Cup begins in Norway in November. Click here for more For complete results please click here

Freestyle The strongest field seen in an Australian Mogul event since 1998, took on the “Toppa’s Dream” ski run in Perisher Blue, for the Land Rover Australian Freestyle Mogul Championships. The event was a FIS Continental Cup, with two events ran on the Saturday, due to the postponement of Friday’s event with high winds. With World Championship and World Cup medallists on display, the battle for the open division was tight, in the end, Olympic Winter Institute of Australia athletes Dale Begg-Smith, and Nick Fisher came out victorious in the two events. Japanese athlete Aiko Uemura of Japan took out the first event of the Women’s Open division, with World Number one Jen Heil of Canada victorious in the second event. Athletes will head to Mt Buller next Saturday for the 17th ABOM Mogul Challenge at Mt Buller. The event is likely to be held on the Chamois Ski Run. Courtesy www.teambuller.com For complete results please click here

Snowboard In difficult conditions Mt Buller hosted the World Industries Snowboard National Championships. Originally on the schedule were Parallel Giant Slalom, Boardercross and Halfpipe but unfortunately due to difficult snow condition only the Halfpipe could be contested. A strong field of athletes, including Olympic Winter Institute Team Members Andrew Burton and Ben Mates and NSWIS/SSA Development Team Member Ben Johnson, battled for the National Championships title. In a closely fought final Ben Mates edged out Team mate Ben Wordsworth and Marc Baker to take out the Men’s final while Christine Hocking beat Courtney Philipson and Caitlyn Dick to take out the Women’s final. For the complete results please click here

Sports Shorts Alpine 2005 Australia New Zealand Cup SSA Points for August Cross Country Calder out for Australian Season Brumley, Derrick win 3rd Round of Australian Championships Freestyle ABOM Mogul Challenge Lovick’s Finish 1-2 at Mt Buller Junior Nationals Snowboard NSWIS/SSA TID Report Pullin & Hickey win Ballistyx! Snowboard Title OWIA Snowboard Update