A Scholarship to Support Talented Young Snowsports Athletes
Moguls is one of the three ski disciplines featured in the Interschools. Image:: Steve Cuff
Interschools | Tess Cook
Two talented young Interschools Snowsports athletes will be heading off to Canada in January with the inaugural Mountainwatch.com Interschools Snowsports Scholarships.
Wanting to support developing skiers and snowboarders, Mountainwatch.com created the scholarships, which in 2011 will send one skier and one snowboarder, selected from Interschools Snowsports Championships competitors, to Big White and Silver Star Mountain Resorts in British Columbia, Canada for two weeks training with the Interschools Canada and Australian Race Camps programmes.
“At Big White and Silver Star we’ve been involved in teaching and coaching Australian athletes on our ski slopes since 1985 and as the former Director of Skiing, I am delighted with our involvement in the scholarship,” says Jim Loyd, Director of Sales for Big White and Silver Star Ski Resorts, which are generously providing the training opportunities, including lift tickets and accommodation, Air Canada is providing the airfares.
“It’s wonderful to be able to give two deserving young athletes the opportunity to develop their talents through our world class programmes here in Canada Big White and Silver Star Ski Resorts,” Loyd says.
“The scholarships are a great opportunity to identify and support talented young snow sports athletes,” says Peter Topalovic, Head Coach of Ski and Snowboard Australia/ New South Wales Institute of Sport and the Australian Development Mogul Team, who will be on the scholarship selection committee.
There is a large pool of talent in the Interschools. Image:: Steve Cuff
“Mountainwatch.com is helping to contribute to the growth of our elite snow sports teams as the kids awarded these scholarships could go on to perform at an elite level,” says Topalovic. “As a selector I will be looking for kids who best represent the qualities of athleticism, sportsmanship and potential,” says Topalovic.
The scholarships will be awarded to the athletes who exhibit strong potential but are not as yet a member of a national or state team or significantly sponsored. “New racers to the seasoned professionals enter the Interschools competition,” says Steve Cooper, Chairperson of the NSW Interschools Snowsports Management Committee, also a selection committee member. “Amongst the entries, there are many talented athletes who may not know that they have the potential to compete in competitions outside of Interschools.”
Cooper will be looking for competitors with the determination to improve their racing skills and with a competitor field of nearly 10 000 across regional, state and national levels in Victoria, NSW, ACT and South Australia there will be plenty of potential to choose from.
Scots Collage, overall Interschools School Champions 2009. Photo:: John Adams
At regional level in NSW/ACT and state level in Victorian and South Australia, Interschools entry is unrestricted, meaning all kids with an enthusiasm for skiing or snowboarding can have a go. Most compete in a school team of four, which removes the pressure of individual competition, but sole competitors are also welcome to enter.
The selection committee, which will also include representatives from Interschools Victoria and Mountainwatch.com, will assess performances in all 2010 Interschools events. The two successful athletes will be announced at the final Australian Interschools Championships presentation at Perisher on September 12.
NSW regional Interschools Championships are taking place right now in Thredbo. Check out the weather and snow conditions with the snow reports, live snow cams and forecasts
Learn more about Big White Ski Resort at www.bigwhite.com
Learn more about Silver Star Ski Resort at www.skisilverstar.com
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Thredbo forecasts,
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Silver Star forecasts,
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