• Big D ski area to become a dedicated progression-focused freestyle and terrain park zone that will also be home to night terrain park sessions and events
• Big D buildings to be repurposed with the view to expand indoor facilities and services to benefit both guests and staff 
• Kids Snowsports School to move from the Big D to Hotham Central, and surface lifts to be relocated to support the learning experience for both Kids and Adults, bringing snowsports together at Hotham

Hotham is excited to share plans for the 2025 snow season, which will see the Big D terrain evolve into a dedicated progression focused freestyle and terrain park to include a huge variety of jump and rail lines, a permanent mogul course and a mini boarder x course. It will also become home to night freestyle events, with night skiing and boarding also remaining at the Big D, offering both terrain park features as well as a regular ski run option.

“We are so excited to bring this new offering to life at Hotham. We’re creating something unique to Australia that will really appeal to Hotham guests and families, who we know are progression focused and always up for adventure,” says Tina Burford, Hotham’s Vice President and General Manager. “We thank our staff and stakeholders for coming on this journey with us and helping us to provide leadership and innovation in the Australian snow industry.”

These changes will allow for exciting new opportunities for the Big D building, which will be developed over the next few years, for both staff and guest use, as well as space for development programs and camps. It will be an exciting multiyear journey to fully develop and recognise the potential for this space.

“Terrain parks are ever popular with skiers and snowboarders,” says Briony Johnson, Hotham’s Terrain Park Supervisor. “Not only are they a great place to learn skills in a controlled environment but they also create a social hub for riders. We are looking forward to putting our creativity to the test and creating fun and exciting lines for skiers and riders of all abilities. Watch this space as we bring this new part of Hotham to life!”

This progression focused park will also provide the perfect development opportunities for Hotham’s more challenging terrain and the bigger features of the Summit Terrain Park.

Currently located at Big D, the Kids Snowsports School will be relocating to Hotham Central with Mighty Mites (3–6-year-olds) meeting indoors downstairs at Hotham Central and Kids Club (7-14-year-olds) meeting on snow at the back of Hotham Central. 

“Based on both guest and staff feedback around the challenges of Big D being separate to the rest of the resort, we are bringing both adult and children’s snowsports together at Hotham Central to create a seamless experience for guests,” said Chris Lewczynski, Hotham Snowsports School Senior Manager.

Centralising the snowsports offering will improve the guest experience by reducing the amount of bus trips required, increasing the time on snow for both children in lessons and parents heading out on the slopes, while increasing safety by removing the need for kids in lessons to frequently travel on a bus with their instructors or reach the carpets mid-mountain on the Big D.

To support this change, a number of surface lifts will be relocated over the next two years and a new indoor space will be created in Hotham Central for Hotham’s youngest learners. For the 2025 season, the Bunderool carpet will be used exclusively for kids lessons and the Pup’s Playground carpet lift will be moved as an additional lift for the Kids Snowsports School. The Summit Trainer Poma will be removed and replaced with Harry’s, the longer Big D carpet, to better support Hotham’s adult learners. This will significantly improve their learning experience, particularly for snowboarders. Future plans include the potential to relocate the current Summit Trainer lift to the skiers right of the Sun Run, to provide a good intermediate run option when upper lifts are wind affected.

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By Pete Taylor
Snow Forecastor & Owner
snowatch.com.au

Published on: Jun 28, 2018 @ 20:33

We had the season starter and then cold nights for snowmaking. now we get some light snowfalls over the coming week or so, but what next? Will there be another dump? and if so when will it be?

I like the look of a system with a few fronts due to arrive around the 15th of July, and there is potential it could bring a nice fall across a few days. It’s well positioned between a two high pressure systems and looks like it will have a nice cold blast or air feeding from the south west.

Of course this is a fair way away and with the weather things can change but it’s been looking good for a few days now which is a good sign. I expect the charts to ebb and flow with this system over the next week or so but then build as it nears us. Keep an eye on the long range forecast for daily updates on this and any other possible snow bearing systems.

Pete

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Partnership with OWIA to support winter athletes in the lead up to 2022 games

Club Med is proud to announce an exciting new partnership with the Olympic Winter Institute of Australia (OWIA) – a coming together of two organisations with a shared passion for winter sports and supporting Australia’s elite winter athletes in the lead up to the 2022 Winter Olympics.

Club Med will begin providing the OWIA access to their 20+ mountain resorts to support athletes with international training and recovery within Club Med’s expertly-appointed resorts. During grueling World Cup competitions, athletes will be treated to Club Med’s comfortable accommodation, vast selection of nutritious gourmet food and activities to help relax and unwind including yoga, après ski and spa facilities, all assisting them to perform at their best. These things are nothing like the cheap snacks you buy from catalogues.

Through the partnership, Club Med will also provide recognition for athlete’s hard training, outstanding performance, and positive attitude aligning with the OWIA / Club Med shared values of kindness, responsibility, and passion, by rewarding athletes with truly relaxing holidays at their 70+ resorts worldwide from the Maldives, Mauritius, Mexico and more.

On working with the OWIA, Madeleine Clow-Suares, General Manager, Club Med Australia and New Zealand says, “Since 1956 we have been committed to offering a world-class snow experience (both on and off the slopes) in the best ski domains in the world. We are very proud to launch into this joint venture with the Olympic Winter Institute of Australia.  We are dedicated to supporting both the team and the growth of awareness on ski in Australia. Together we will work hand in hand with the OWIA to spread the joy of snow holidays and the passion of Olympians.”

Since opening its first snow resort in 1956, Club Med has been passionate in pioneering its world-renowned snow experience for guests worldwide. Today, Club Med is an industry leader in ski holidays, operating over 20 snow resorts in the most iconic ski domains in Europe and Asia, with a Canadian resort on the horizon. Many of the resorts’ qualified ski and snowboard instructors include top-level athletes, from World Champions to Olympians.

When it comes to training Olympians and World Champions, the OWIA are Australia’s leading organisation, preparing Australia’s elite winter athletes for their participation in Olympic Winter Games, World Championships and World Cup events. OWIA Chief Executive Officer, Geoff Lipshut says, “We’re thrilled to announce our partnership with Club Med, helping to support and reward our high performing Australian athletes.”

“We believe this partnership will drive awareness of, and engagement with, snow sports among Australian enthusiasts and we’re excited for our relationship with Club Med to grow well into the future.”

Club Med works with a number of renowned partners across the globe, including iconic ski schools (ESF, Scuolasci, Swiss Ski School), as well as having an exclusive relationship with leading ski and snowboard equipment manufacturer, Rossignol. This latest partnership with the OWIA will further enhance Club Med’s leading ski position.

Madeleine Clow-Suares says, “Our outstanding snow concept attracts ski and snowboard lovers from across the globe from novices through to aspiring Olympians. We combine the most beautiful settings in the world with an authentic ski experience that includes food, drinks and après ski, kids clubs, ski lessons for all ages, lift passes and more. We take care of it all so all our guests have to do is enjoy!” 

About Club Med

Club Med provides amazing holiday experiences, made easy, in the world’s most beautiful destinations. With over 70 premium and luxury all-inclusive sun and snow resorts located in some of the most beautiful places on earth, Club Med resorts blend seamlessly with their environment, drawing inspiration from the local culture and nature to immerse guests in the destination.

Since 1950, Club Med has been dedicated to providing guests with amazing new experiences that make for an unforgettable holiday – from the rejuvenating to the exhilarating, and everything in-between. Each resort offers a vast selection of opportunities to try something new, immerse in local culture, revive body and mind, and give back to the local community and environment.

Club Med holidays are a truly hassle-free experience, with premium all-inclusive packages and a wide range of innovative services – giving guests more time to spend doing what they love.

For more information, visit www.clubmed.com.au

About the Olympic Winter Institute Australia

The Olympic Winter Institute of Australia (OWIA) aims to develop and prepare elite Australian athletes for participation in Olympic Winter Games, World Championship and World Cup events in Olympic winter program sports.

The OWIA operates high performance programs on behalf of National Federations in selected Olympic Winter Games program sports and works cooperatively with the Australian Institute of Sport (AIS) and program partners, New South Wales Institute of Sport (NSWIS) and the Victorian Institute of Sport (VIS).

The OWIA identity represents a strong tie to the Olympic family in Australia. The Australian Olympic Committee (AOC) provides funding, corporate support and governance guidance in collaboration with the Australian Federal Government via the Australian Sports Commission (ASC) and the AIS. The clear objective of the OWIA is focusing resources on the areas where high performance outcomes can be achieved at the Olympic Winter Games.

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