AUSTRALIA/NEW ZEALAND CUP

Member Nations

AUS, NZE

Basic Information

The first FIS cross country skiing races in Australia were conducted in 1994. Though the Continental Cup series officially started in 1996, it wasn’t until 2005 that the first New Zealand FIS races were held and made it a true Australia – New Zealand Cup.

Over the years Australian skiers have dominated the series, with current 2011 ANC female champion Esther Bottomley holding the record of four series victories. New Zealand skiers have topped the podium twice, Samantha Bondarenko in 2006 and Katherine Calder in 2009. The only skiers from outside the region that have won the overall cup are from Switzerland – Andrew Jungen in 1996, and Thomas Diezig in 2009. The current 2011 male ANC champion Callum Watson was also the first Australian skier to contest the FIS Tour de Ski.

Since 2005 the ANC has been held at three venues – Falls Creek and Perisher Valley in Australia, and the Snow Farm in New Zealand, each of which have homologated FIS courses. ANC races have also been held at the Australian resorts Mt Hotham and Lake Mountain, however the FIS courses at these locations need to be re-homologated.

Perisher Valley is the highest of the ANC venues, with the top of the FIS 5km course climbing over 1750m. All events at Perisher start and finish outside the Sverre Kaaten Nordic Shelter. Perisher’s 25km of regularly groomed trails are complimented by access trails up onto the Snowy Mountains Main Range. FIS events at the Perisher are jointly organised by the New South Wales and Australian Capital Territory Cross Country Committees. Perisher is 5 hours drive from Sydney and 2.5 hours from the Australian capital city Canberra

Falls Creek is the home of the Kangaroo Hoppet and the official training centre of the Australian Cross Country Ski Team. The 42km Hoppet is traditionally the closing race of the ANC series and at the same time the opening race of the Worldloppet series. FIS events at Falls Creek are normally organised by the local Birkebeiner Nordic Ski Club, which was established in 1977. Falls Creek is 5 hours drive from Melbourne and 1.5 hours from Albury, the nearest domestic airport.

Constructed on a former sheep farm by John and Mary Lee in 1990, the Snow Farm is New Zealand’s only cross country ski resort. The characteristic Snow Farm Lodge sits atop 50km of trails winding through a moon-like treeless landscape. Snow Farm events are organised by the Snowsport New Zealand Cross Country Committee. The Snow Farm is situated on the Pisa Range on the New Zealand south island, 55km from the Queenstown international airport.