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Friday 17 June 2011

The Opening of the Snow Season Marks 150 years of Skiing in Australia

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Did you know that Australia is home to the world's oldest ski club?  The Kiandra Ski Club (now known as the Kiandra Pioneer Ski Club in Perisher) was founded by three Norwegians during the gold rush days in 1861.

One hundred and fifty years later and Australia's skiers and snowboarders enjoy access to nine world class ski resorts including Thredbo, Perisher, Charlotte Pass, Selwyn Snowfields, Mount Buller, Hotham, Falls Creek, Mount Baw Baw and Lake Mountain.

To celebrate, Snow Australia's new www.snow-australia.com website has created a historical blog and online video documentary on Australia's snow play heritage. Dedicated Australian skiers Andrew Ramsay and Norman Clarke are at the blog writing helm sharing their own stories and telling the tales of those who skied before them.  Norman is the author of the historical book "Kiandra: from gold fields to ski fields" and there's not much he doesn't know about the founding of Australia's snow sports industry.

Andrew Ramsay also has an impressive personal ski history that spans cross country and telemark skiing to alpine downhill. He's been a major player in the management of the ski and snow industry in Australia including stints as president of the Victorian Ski Association. Andrew is also a founding member of Skiing Australia and was the founding president of the Australian Ski Institute.

Snow Australia has sourced both images and footage from the bygone era of skiing and snow play down under when skis were thin and made of wood and strapped to the feet with leather, chairlifts were non-existent and ski pants made from tweed. Watch historical footage at http://blog.snow-australia.com/2011/05/history-of-australian-skiing-documentary-part-1/ .

Skiers and boarders are also adding their own numbers of years skiing on the Snow Australia online counter to create a combined years of experience total.

Join in the snow trip down memory lane at http://blog.snow-australia.com/ and 'Discover Our Winter' for the best Australia has to offer at the snow.

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