 The third Falls Creek Telemark Festival was held in superb snow conditions. The event is not about who was the fastest down the respective race courses, but about having fun and a golden opportunity to check out the latest boots and telemark skis which are now much ‘fatter’ and quite similar to alpine skis.
Peter Cranage from Snowgums Wodonga said:”This is the future (wider skis) where it is heading, The Holy Grail! The manufactures are producing big fat skis and state-of-the art bindings which are revolutionizing the sport.
Justin Hams the event coordinator is also upbeat about the future of telemark skiing. The weekend’s Telemark Festival at Falls Creek enticed a healthy number of participants who gave the spectators (and like-minded skiers) a display of one of the iconic forms of skiing.
Whilst there was some friendly competition the event is more of a fun weekend and the screening of Winter Dreaming, a locally produced film shot over the last three winters, created even more interest in the enormous amount of backcountry skiing around Falls Creek and other Australian alpine areas.
The Red Room at The Man was awash with enthusiastic proponents (and possible newbies to the sport of telemarking) who gave the Australian-made flick a very positive response. Hams said:”This winter has probably been one of the best, particularly for those who venture out back on their tele skis. The last two weeks has been very cold and the snow quality unbelievable for Australia.”
Saturday’s Randonee Race, on a very challenging course,. next over the finishing line was won by Jarrod Paine with a time of 27.09.75, second home was Adam Gidson 27.27.22 and third place went to Stuart Richardson with respectable time of 30.21.10. The women’s race was taken out by Kath Cashion in 36.31.04.
Sunday’s Giant Slalom on Father Fosters was an easier event with a twist. It wasn’t the skier with the fastest two times that won it was the participant who completed two runs with the minimum amount of time difference. For example Stuart Richardson (who was declared the winner) clocked 41.12 for his first run and 41.23 for his second, giving him 0.11 time difference between his first and second run down a course set by the Falls Creek Race and Events team. Second with a time differential of 0.51 was Tim Benne and third place, with a time difference of 0.79 was Doug Wilson.
The Women’s Giant Slalom results were also close. Faye Xintaropoulos was the winner recording the least time difference (0.20) between her two runes on tele skis through 17 gates on the Father Fosters Race Course. Sabine Glissman-Gough was second (0.37) and third, with a time differential of 0.91, was Kath Cushion.
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Pics above: Taken by Falls Creek Telemark Festival organiser, Justin Hams.
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