What a fantastic day on the mountain! Sunday brought classic Perisher conditions to Front Valley—crisp, clear skies, great snow (well as great as it can be this year), and just a touch of wind to keep everyone on their toes. Thank you to everyone who strapped on skis or a board, brought the high energy, and made this year’s Club Championships such an awesome and fun event!
Attached Race Day Photos
Make sure to check out the attached photos and results from Sunday to relive all the action, high-speed carves, and podium smiles on Front Valley! Thank you to everyone for sharing these.
Couple, Family & Club Captain Highlights
- The Ultimate Snowboard Power Couple: Huge congratulations to Ilea & Conrad Buffier, who pulled off a clean sweep of the board categories! Conrad claimed 1st in Male Snowboard (28.39s) and Ilea took 1st in Female Snowboard (38.17s). Talk about a dominant household on the snow! I hope they remind the kids often of their awesomeness too.
- The Grant Family Double Gold: With Christina taking 1st in Female Ski 18–54 (32.06s) and Georgina Grant taking 1st in Junior Female Ski (29.62s), the Grant family had an incredible day on the mountain!
- A Word to Our Club Captain… : A special mention to our fearless Club Captain. Sam put in a valiant effort in the stacked Male Ski (18–54) category, crossing the line in 4th place with a respectable 36.22s. However, with the Atkinson duo and William Hilton-Thorp setting the pace, word on the mountain is that Sam might need to put in a few extra pre-season lunges to up his game for next year! I blame the streamers slowing me down too much 😛
- Family Battlegrounds: Shoutouts to all our racing families who showed up in force—the Atkinsons (Chris taking 1st in Male Ski 18–54 and Henry taking 2nd!), the Pearces (Jackson, Sam, and Gabriel across boards and skis), the Ellinghausens (Alex and Katherine representing boards and skis), the Hilton-Thorps (Emerald taking 2nd in Junior Female Ski, Ginny, Teddy, and William flying through), and the Cooks (Caroline, Matilda, and Norah showing huge heart across the mountain)!
Full Race Results
Female Ski (18–54)
- 🥇 1st Place: Christina Grant (32.06s)
- 🥈 2nd Place: Virginia Hoy (36.42s)
- 🥉 3rd Place: Katherine Ellinghausen (43.60s)
- 4th Place: Caroline Cook (47.66s)
Male Ski (18–54)
- 🥇 1st Place: Chris Atkinson (30.24s)
- 🥈 2nd Place: Henry Atkinson (32.60s)
- 🥉 3rd Place: William Hilton-Thorp (35.22s)
- 4th Place: Sam Pearce (36.22s)
Veteran Female Ski (55+)
- 🥇 1st Place: Georgina Dudzinski (28.68s)
Veteran Male Ski (55+)
- 🥇 1st Place: Malcolm Utley (27.58s) — Fastest overall time of the day!
- 🥈 2nd Place: Mark Carey (27.59s) — Just 0.01s off 1st!
- 🥉 3rd Place: James Lawrence (29.92s)
- 4th Place: David Cooper (34.20s)
- 5th Place: Gary Buffinton (38.74s)
Junior Female Ski (Under 18)
- 🥇 1st Place: Georgina Grant (29.62s)
- 🥈 2nd Place: Emerald Hilton-Thorp (32.44s)
- 🥉 3rd Place: Matilda Cook (49.78s)
- 4th Place: Norah Cook (85.77s)
Junior Male Ski (Under 18)
- 🥇 1st Place: Theodore Toller (28.10s)
- 🥈 2nd Place: Jackson Pearce (31.73s)
Male Snowboard
- 🥇 1st Place: Conrad Buffier (28.39s)
- 🥈 2nd Place: Alex Ellinghausen (31.52s)
- 🥉 3rd Place: Gabriel Pearce (47.24s)
Female Snowboard
- 🥇 1st Place: Ilea Buffier (38.17s)
- 🥈 2nd Place: Melissa Meaker (42.21s)
Special Novelty Awards
- Metronome Award (Most Consistent Runs): Chris Atkinson — Chris laid down precision runs of 30.24s and 30.27s, a mind-boggling gap of just 0.03 seconds! (Honourable mention to Conrad Buffier with 0.05s and Malcolm Utley with 0.09s).
- Broken Pole Award: Norah Cook — Norah had a little slip out on the course during Run 1, but showed awesome grit and determination to pick herself up, complete her run, and charge right back out for Run 2!
- Youngest Racer: Norah Cook (10 years young) — Way to push the limits on Front Valley!
- Most “Experienced” Racer: David Cooper (66 years young) — Still carving with style and speed! Love the pic too mate. I think you need to teach me a thing or two.
- Shout-out to our DNS racers: Herbert Hilton-Thorp, William Kelaher, and Austin Kelaher — we missed you out on the gates and hope to see you on the course next time!
Thank you again to everyone who raced, cheered, and helped organize such a special day for Brindabella Ski Club.
