Alpine Skiing
This page is concerned with the development of alpine skiing in the Kosciuszko area. Alpine skiing commenced in 1909 with the opening of the Hotel Kosciusko. At that time none of the skiers had any idea about how to ski down a slope other than to ski straight down (schuss). It was five or six years before anyone could make a turn and these were skiers who had been to Europe, a very small number. The Kosciusko Alpine Club (founded in 1909) had only one alpine race, a downhill, until the 1930s when alpine skiing really got under way. It is worth mentioning that alpine skiing was not a part of the first (1924), second (1928) or third Winter Olympics and only made its appearance at Garmisch Partenkirchen, in 1936.
Alpine Skiing Timeline
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Alpine Skiing at the Hotel Kosciusko, the Kerry Course
Most of the skiing around the Hotel Kosciusko was very gentle but, within 600 metres of the Hotel, in the direction of Perisher, was the Kerry Course, named after Charles Kerry. In a heavily timbered area the Kerry Course was very unusual in that it did not need to be cleared of timber. It was...
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R F Angus
The first person recorded as being able to make a turn at the Hotel Kosciusko was R.F. Angus from South Australia. He astonished everyone by being able to climb up the Grand Slam on skis and being able to do a telemark turn, initially solely as a means to stop.
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KAC introduces proficiency tests
The Kosciusko Alpine Club (KAC), the only club at Kosciusko introduces the first skiing proficiency tests in Australia modelled on the Third Class Test of the Ski Club of Great Britain. There were three parts to the test. The first part consisted of climbing a steep grade within a given time. The candidate had to...
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Ski Council of NSW runs the first 4-event Australian Championship
The Ski Council of NSW runs the first 4-event Australian Championship. The Slalom and Jump were run at Pipers Gap (Smiggin Holes) and the Downhill and Langlauf (Cross-Country) at Charlotte Pass.
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John Collins, first 4-event Australian Champion
The first 4-event Australian Championship was won by John Collins from Beaudesert, Queensland. Collins had studied at Cambridge and skied in Switzerland in the late 1920s. He was the first skier in the Kosciuszko area who could turn and slalom properly.
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Australian 4-Event Championship 1930
The Australian 4-Event Championship 1930 is held at Charlotte Pass and Smiggin Holes. The Langlauf (Cross-Country) and Downhill were held at Charlotte Pass with the Downhill on Pulpit Rock hill under appalling conditions. The Slalom was held on the Burke-Wills T-bar slope at Smiggin Holes. The reason for holding the events in two locations was...
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First Interstate Race
The first interstate race between NSW and Victoria was held at the Chalet, Charlotte Pass in conjunction with the National 4-event Championships. Representing NSW were L-R: Venn Wesche, Cam McFadyen and John Collins.
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Sverre Kaaten
Sverre Kaaten emigrated to Australia from Norway in 1929 and lived initially in Victoria before moving to NSW. He was Australian 4-Event Champion in 1931 and 1932. Kaaten was predominantly a nordic skier and was particularly strong in the Jump and Langlauf (Cross-Country). However, his Slalom was adequate and strong enough for him to win...
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Australian 4-Event Championship 1931
The Australian 4-Event Championship 1931 is held at Charlotte Pass with the Slalom on Pulpit Rock hill and the Downhill from the top of Mt Stilwell to the Chalet.
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The Kosciusko Ski School is established at the Hotel Kosciusko
The Kosciusko Ski School, the first in Australia, is established under George Lamble at the Hotel Kosciusko.
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Tom Mitchell
Tom Mitchell was Australia’s outstanding slalom skier during the 1930s and was Australian Alpine Combined Champion (Slalom plus Downhill) from 1931-1935. In 1931 he competed in the first FIS Downhill at Murren and again in the FIS races in Innsbruck in 1933. The photo shows him competing in Innsbruck.
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Kit Tinsley
In the same way that Tom Mitchell dominated men’s alpine skiing during the 1930s, Kathleen (Kit) Tinsley dominated the women’s events. Kit also competed in the FIS events in Innsbruck in 1933. The photo shows Kit competing in Innsbruck.
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Australian 4-Event Championship 1933
The Australian 4-Event Championship 1933 is held at Charlotte Pass with the Slalom on Pulpit Rock hill and the Downhill in two parts, one from the cornice under Mt Stilwell to the Chalet and the second through the Woodrun to the Chalet.
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George Lamble
George Lamble was the first Australian-born-and-trained skier to win the Australian 4-Event Championship. He also started the Kosciusko Ski School in 1933 and competed in the FIS Races at Innsbruck in 1936. George continued instructing at the Hotel Kosciusko and the Chalet until the outbreak of World War II.
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Australian 4-Event Championship 1934
The Australian 4-Event Championship 1934 is held at Charlotte Pass with the Slalom held on the slope adjacent to Mt Guthrie Trig and the Downhill in two parts, one on the Slalom slope and one from the top of the present Guthrie Poma lift to the bottom of the hill.
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Ernst Skardarasy instructs at Kosciusko
The NSW Government brings Ernst Skardarasy (Austria) to Australia to instruct the Arlberg technique. Skardarasy was the first overseas qualified instructor brought to Australia and, in the three years he was at Kosciuszko, he was responsible for enormous improvement in our skiing.
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Frozen Lessons
The Kosciusko Alpine Club (KAC) publishes ‘Frozen Lessons’, a handbook of the Arlberg Technique, demonstrated by Ernst Skardarasy and assembled by Arthur Stone and Bob Ward. Further reading: Lesson 8, The Stem Turn, Frozen Lessons.
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Australia selects its first Interdominion team to compete in New Zealand
Australia selects its first Interdominion team to compete in New Zealand. L-R: Dorothy Tickle, Derek Stogdale, Beth Davy, Tom Mitchell, Pat Farquharson, Olive Lamble, Reg Gelling, Curly Annabel. Stogdale and Mitchell were alpine skiers, Gelling and Annabel were cross-country skiers.
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First Open Meeting
The first open races in Australia are held at Charlotte Pass on the October Long Weekend, 1936. Purely amateur skiers and also instructors took part. Franz Skardarasy set the courses and all four events were won by Ernst Skardarasy. For the first time the Slalom was set on the eastern slope of the Foxhole (then...
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The First International Skiing Competition in Australia
The first international skiing competition in Australia is held at Charlotte Pass between teams from Australia, New Zealand and the USA. Pictured are the USA Team L-R: David Bradley, Steve Bradley and Dick Durrance (USA Captain). Durrance, who was the US Slalom and Downhill Champion, won the Slalom and the Jump, was second in the...
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The Mt Townsend Downhill Course
The Mt Townsend Downhill Course is used for the first time for the Open Meeting in 1936 and again in 1937 for the Australian Championships and International Meeting at Charlotte Pass.
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Ski Heil
Australia’s greatest skier during the 1930s was Tom Mitchell and in 1937 he wrote the second (after ‘Frozen Lessons’) Australian text-book on skiing, ‘Ski Heil’.
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Instructors at the Hotel Kosciusko
L-R; Ted Shields, Friedl Pfeiffer, George Lamble and Roland Cossman (seated).
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Australian Championships 1938
Due to the burning down of the Chalet at Charlotte Pass, the Slalom and Downhill (actually a Giant Slalom) of the 1938 Australian Championships were held on Mt Perisher. Due to a lack of snow the Langlauf (Cross-Country) was not held.
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Hotel Kosciusko Instructors
L-R; George Lamble, Bill Harris and Johnny Abbottsmith.
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The Allied Services Meeting
The Allied Services Meeting, the second international competition held in Australia, is held at Charlotte Pass between teams from Australia, New Zealand, England and Norway and individuals from China, France, Canada and the USA. Further reading: The Allied Services Meeting 1945 Aust New Zealand Ski Yr. Bk., 1946, pp.12-17.
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The Australian Championships 1946
The Australian Championships of 1946 are held at the Chalet, Charlotte Pass. The Slalom was held on the south eastern slope of the Foxhole (the Trapyard Course) and the Downhill on Mt Clarke The Interstate races were held in conjunction with the Championships. The NSW Team is shown L-R: Bill Day, Johnny Abbottsmith, George Day...
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Patsy Finlayson instructs at the Chalet
Patsy Finlayson becomes the first ever female instructor in the Kosciuszko area.
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Australian Championships 1947
The Australian Championships, originally intended for Mt Hotham, are transferred to Charlotte Pass because of bad weather. The Slalom was held on the Foxhole (‘Trapyard’) and the Downhill on Mt Perisher. The Langlauf (Cross-country ) course was very similar to that first used in 1933.
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First Post-War Inter-dominion Competition
The First Post-War Inter-dominion Competition is held at Coronet Peak in New Zealand. The Australian Men’s Team was L-R: C. Sloane, R. Tilley, T. Aslangul, G. Chisholm (Capt), T. Alston, J. Pattinson, R. Arnott.
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Australian Women’s Interdominion Team 1949
L-R: Mrs J. MacDonald, Miss E. McEvoy, Miss O. Lamble, Mrs M. James.
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Australian Championships 1950
Both the Australian Championships and the Interstate Match are held at Charlotte Pass. The Slaloms for both competitions were held on the Foxhole (“Trapyard”) and the Downhills for both events were held from Mt Little Twynam down to the Snowy River. The Langlaufs (Cross-country) were held on the 1933 course.
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Tony Sponar and Rudi Würth instruct at the Chalet
Tony Sponar and Rudi Würth instruct at Charlotte Pass. The photo shows Tony Sponar (left) and Rudi Würth free skiing together at Charlotte Pass.
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Summer Races begin
On December 29, 1951 the Ski Tourers Association inaugurates the Summer Races on the South America drift on Mt Northcote.
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Sasha Nekvapil instructs with Tony Sponar at the Chalet
Sasha Nekvapil instructs with Tony Sponar at the Chalet and remains until 1957.
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Bill Day selected for the first of his three Winter Olympic Games
Further reading: Billy Day: A Profile by Donald Maclurcan.
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Australian Championships 1953
The Australian Championships are held at Charlotte Pass. The Slalom was again held on the Foxhole (‘Trapyard’) while, for the first time, the Downhill was run on the George Chisholm Course in the Thredbo Valley. The George Chisholm Course is reached from the Chalet by climbing the Foxhole (behind the Chalet) and crossing Wright’s Creek...
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The Perisher Cup begins
The Kosciusko Snow Revellers Club (KSRC) inaugurates the Perisher Cup for inter club competition initially in the Perisher Valley. Four clubs were involved in the first Cup, KSRC, Cooma, Telemark and University. Each club entered a four man team competing in three events, Giant Slalom, Jump and Cross-country relay. Cooma Ski Club won the first...
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Australian Championships 1954
The Australian Championships are again held at Charlotte Pass. The Slalom was held on the Foxhole (‘Trapyard’) and the Downhill on the George Chisholm Course in the Thredbo Valley. The Cross-country course was again similar to that of 1933.
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Christine Davy selected for the first of her two Winter Olympic Games
Further reading: Christine Davy by George Chisholm, Aust Ski Yr Bk, 1962, p.56.
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Australian Championships 1957
The Australian Championships are held at Charlotte Pass and Thredbo. The Slalom was held on the Foxhole (Trapyard) and the Downhill at Thredbo. This was the first National event to be held at Thredbo. Competitors in the Downhill trekked across to Thredbo (2.5 h) from the Chalet and stayed there several days to look over...
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Australian Alpine Championships 1958
The Australian Alpine Championships were held at Thredbo for the first time.
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Australian Winter Olympic Team at Squaw Valley 1960
Australian Winter Olympic Team at Squaw Valley 1960. L-R: Christine Davy, Bill Day, Donald Maclurcan (Manager), Hal Nerdal, Peter Brockhoff, (Mr Bell, proprietor of Dawsons Ski Shop, which supplied the team with equipment and clothing), Dick Walpole.
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Charlotte Pass Interclub competition begins
Charlotte Pass Interclub competition begins initially involving Kosciusko Alpine Club, Southern Alps Ski Club and the Chalet Social Ski Club.
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Geoff Nott and Rex Cox start Charlotte Pass Race Carnival
Geoff Nott and Rex Cox start Charlotte Pass Race Carnival which consisted of a Slalom, Giant Slalom, Downhill, Cross-Country, Jump, KAC Open 10 km Cross-Country and the Stilwell Downhill. The carnival continued annually until 2004 before relocating firstly to Perisher and later to Thredbo.
More articles covering the history of Alpine Skiing
Dry skiing: Onion grass, seaspray and toothbrushes
Two members of Snow Revellers at Long Reef, 1936 by Wendy Cross The history of dry skiing in Australia is a chequered one, with almost every type of ‘dry’ surface promoted at some stage and new ones invented almost every decade. Some forms of dry skiing, such as the classes held on grass during the…
Frozen Lessons
This small handbook of ski technique was published by the Kosciusko Alpine Club in 1936. It was prepared by Bob Ward and Arthur Stone with the help of Ernst Skardarasy. Skardarasy was from Austria and arrived at the Kosciusko Chalet for the 1935 season as a ski instructor. The handbook was a great success and…
Teaching Blind Skiers, 1970
Although this was not the Perisher Range, the Royal Victorian Institute for the Blind Ski Club started in 1970. It was arguably the first ski club specifically for the sight impaired in the world.