The Australian Secondary Schools Snowsports Team Championships (ASSSTC) will return to the Falls Creek Resort in the final week of July this year, as part of a week-long Falls Creek Schools Events Carnival. This Schools Carnival will involve not only the ASSSTC Event, but also a NSW Regional Interschools Championships, a Falls Creek Regional Schools Event, and for the first time in over 10 years, the Amelia McGuiness Snowsports Development Foundation (AMSDF) will host its annual Amelia Time Trials at the beginning of the week on Monday 29^th July, with that Time-Trial targeting school aged competitors, as well as their parents and teachers!

The small but dedicated group of teacher volunteers who organise the ASSSTC Event, led by Ann Bellingham and Heath Matheson from the Mt Beauty Secondary College, are optimistic that 2024 will see a resurgence in ASSSTC school entry numbers from across the nation, following the challenges that COVID closures created in recent years. Whilst final event details are yet to be released, the ASSSTC Event is confirmed to run for three event days from Tuesday 30^th July to Thursday 1^st July, with competing athletes also encouraged to hone their ski & board skills on Monday 29^th July through participation at the Amelia Time-Trials.

School Snowsports Coordinators across all States will receive specific event operational and cost details during the final weeks of April / early May, as the Falls Creek Resort Management, the ASSSTC Management, and the Snow Australia Participation & Development Management Groups collectively work together on the development of this exciting new collaboration to deliver the Falls Creek Schools Events Carnival Week.

The Snow Australia National Interschools & Sport Development Committee (NISDC) Chairperson Steve Cooper, welcomed this emerging collaboration as a significant boost to Snow Australia’s objective to increase Snowsports participation and competition involvement for young Australians, and in a supportive Teams-based and cost effective manner.

Current Information on the Falls Creek Schools Events Carnival Week, for School Snowsports Coordinators

Monday 29^th July 2024: The Amelia McGuiness Australian Snowsports Development Foundation (AMASDF) Time-Trial event day will move to the Falls Creek Resort (from Perisher) and will precede the ASSSTC, NSW Regional Interschools and Falls Creek Regional Schools Events.

The AMASDF has had a long involvement in providing scholarships to junior athletes. The Foundation was established in 2010, in honour of Amelia McGuiness, a gifted and talented athlete and Year 10 student, with $221,960.00 in Snowsports Scholarships being awarded over the past 13 years. The foundation is dedicated to supporting developing athletes that have shown commitment to their training and sport, as they move up through the pathway to become possibly elite athletes in snow sports in the future.

Of importance, the McGuiness family enjoy a long-term connection with the Falls Creek Community, and have agreed (with Snow Australia / Perisher / Falls Creek Ski Lifts), to re-locate this event from Perisher to Falls Creek for an initial 5-year period commencing this year. Athletes from Victoria, NSW and other states who participate in this Time-Trial will have the opportunity to apply for 2025 AMASDF scholarship, with all proceeds from this Time Trial dedicated to the AMASDF scholarship program.

Historically, the Amelia Time-Trial Event has operated in NSW in the Alpine GS & Snowboard Cross disciplines. We are exploring options with Falls Creek Ski Lifts to expand this to Alpine GS & Snowboard GS (Monday AM) + Ski Cross & Snowboard Cross (Monday PM), with more details to-be-released in early May.

Tuesday 30^th July to Thursday 1^st August: The ASSSTC Events will run alongside the NSW Regional Interschools & Falls Creek Regional Schools Events in Alpine GS, Ski Cross, Snowboard GS, Snowboard Cross, and Cross Country. The Ski & Board events are planned for the Tuesday & Wednesday, with the Cross Country event to be held on the Thursday. There may be some operational need to hold some ASSSTC Alpine and/or Snowboard Events on the Thursday as well, but this remains unlikely, with final details to-be-released in early May.

Friday 2^nd August: The final day in the Falls Creek Schools Events Carnival Week will involve a Moguls Freestyle Competition for NSW Regional Interschools, and Falls Creek Regional School Competitors, to be held on the Friday morning.

Participation Clarification/s for School Coordinators

We are currently planning for the three Events involved in this Falls Creek Schools Events Carnival Week to run simultaneously, but with three separate sets of results generated from the same “best of two runs” approach.

The ASSSTC Event will maintain all traditional/historical competition elements, and related ASSSTC results generation. All competitors will have their “best of two runs” times count in the Alpine Ski & Snowboard events, and their Cross Country event placing count, in the overall School Team results generation, and the subsequent determination & award of the ASSSTC Team Trophies.              

NSW Regional Schools who enter either/both the ASSSTC Event, and/or the NSW Regional Interschools Championship Event, will have their (same) “best of two runs” times / placings count in the results generation for both events if/as applicable.

Separate NSW Regional Interschools results will be generated, and medals will be awarded daily to NSW Regional athletes. PLEASE NOTE that in this initial year of the revised and collective competition approach, only Individual Medals will be awarded.  PLEASE ALSO NOTE THAT the NSW Regional Interschools results in all events, including the Moguls on the Friday, will be reviewed for qualification invites through to NSW State Interschools Championships to be held at the Perisher Resort in late August.

Separate Falls Creek (VIC) School results will be generated, and medals (Individual Only), will be awarded daily to Falls Creek (VIC) Regional athletes. PLEASE NOTE that for Victorian schools entering this Falls Creek Regional Schools Competition, the event serves as an ideal Snowsports training opportunity for the Victorian State Interschools Championships, to be held at Mt Buller in late August.

School Coordinators should anticipate further update bulletins on the Falls Creek Schools Events Carnival Week, in late April & early May, including all costings and event entry details.

We look forward to welcoming you to the Falls Creek Resort in 2024.

Yours Sincerely,

Amy Hodge – Falls Creek Ski Lifts Resort Services Manager

Ann Bellingham – ASSSTC Event Management Chair

Steve Cooper – Snow Australia NISDC Chair