From breakaway sport to biggest field at Mount Hotham

Thirty years ago, snowboarders had to seek permission to race. The association had been competing since the 1960s, but until 1996 there was only one way down the hill – on skis. This year, snowboarders made up 80 of the 126 competitors at the RAAF Alpine Snowsports Association (RASA) championships recently held at Mount Hotham. Snowboarding emerged in the late 1980s and early 1990s, bringing surf and skate culture onto the snow with it. RASA vice president Flight Lieutenant Daniel Armstrong said the establishment of the day viewed it as a breakaway sport. A small group of aviators pushed to change that. Chief among them was Warrant Officer Steve Medaris, then a corporal, who petitioned then RASA president Wing Commander Glen Campbell to let snowboarders compete alongside the skiers. Approval came at the end of 1995 with a catch. “The association had no idea how to run a snowboard race, so I was told to work it out,” said Warrant Officer Medaris. “They were extremely welcoming and assisting me, showing how ski racing worked. “I had a lot to work out. I was the advocate, looking after safety, race format, team selection, you name it.” The first Air Force snowboarders went to the tri-service competition in 1997 and a European tour followed in 1998 with Warrant Officer Medaris as inaugural team captain. “The boys asked if they could do a demo, and they performed extremely well,” said Wing Commander Campbell. “I said there's no reason you can’t participate – you’ve beaten half the people who’ve already gone down the hill.” Three decades on, the numbers have flipped. This year’s week-long championships in August was dominated by snowboarders - comprising more than 60 per cent of the field, with more than half of this group taking part for the first time. A midweek top-up of snow left the pistes in excellent condition and Flight Lieutenant Armstrong described it as the most competitive snowboard field in recent memory. Snowboarders contested boardercross, parallel giant slalom and slopestyle, while skiers took on giant slalom, slalom, slopestyle and skier cross. Squadron Leader Matt Walker was overall male snowboarder and Squadron Leader Loretta Newton-Hoare the overall female, with Sergeant Meg Macauslan a close second. On skis, Flight Lieutenant Matthew Keil and Flight Lieutenant Zara Dinning took the overall titles. At the tri-service championships that followed, Army edged out Air Force 2878 points to 2762, though Air Force claimed the champion men’s snowboard and champion female ski teams.

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