Illabunda Ski Lodge

You Are Here: Home > Competition > Race Reports

Race Reports

2012 Juniors

by Lisa Askie, Junior Club Captain

The Illawara Junior Interclub (Brian Donegan Memorial Trophy) races were again contested this year on the Upper Rollercoaster course at Blue Cow on Saturday 1st September. It was another sunny day with good snow coverage.

As has been the case for the past couple of years we were a little lean in terms of older racers especially for the boys, with 13 year olds Asher Fitzgerald and Oliver Howden being the most senior males in the team!! Nevertheless, the youthful team did a wonderful job with many great performances resulting in a very credible overall result of second in the Combined Championship rankings (the large Illawarra Alpine Club team were again placed first).

The Junior team welcomed two new members this year, Flynn Kellner and Thomas McMenamin, both of whom trained very hard, keeping up well with their more seasoned team mates. With no Junior team members due to move exclusively to Seniors next year, we hope to have a full contingent of current Junior members for the 2013 season. We also welcomed back the services of our specialist Cross Country coach, Ben Salon, who did a marvelous job of getting the whole team out for several afternoon training sessions despite some pretty chilly weather. The significant improvement in the Illabunda cross country race times was and important factor in our overall second place team result.

It was Illabunda?s turn to host the Illawarra Interclub presentation this year. A great night was had by all, with many comments on the excellent Illabunda hospitality. Special thanks to Debbie McCulloch for supplying the Olympic-themed decorations and to Lodge Managers, Matt and Lou, who ensured there was plenty of great food to go around. I would also like to give a special mention to Alan Ritchie (from Steelmakers Club) and Mark Howden both of whom did much work behind the scenes to ensure the race results were processed in a timely manner enabling the presentation evening to run very smoothly.

Thanks also again this year to Rhythm Snowsports in Cooma who continued their support for Illabunda via special assistance with ski hire and donations of gear for our presentation lucky dip. Finally, but very importantly, thanks to all the parents, without whom neither the training nor racing would be possible.

Illabunda?s results in the Illawarra Interclub Junior Races in 2012 were as follows:

The Illawarra Interclub race results also determine our club championships results. These were as follows:

Image Credit: Boston Globe

2011 Seniors

by Terry Dryburgh, Club Captain

The Brian Donegan Memorial Illawarra Interclub Race series was contested on the Upper Rollercoaster Race Course at Perisher on Saturday the 13th August in fine weather. Congratulations to our team who did the club proud with some very commendable results. We have a very strong team that was boosted by some from our junior ranks. Thanks to Jared Dryburgh, Paige Davis and Lara Edmonds who all stepped up to the senior level admirably.

Our Giant Slalom team picked up a first place with Ben Dryburgh, Jared Dryburgh and Ben Zeller combining to out do the opposition. Five of our team finishing in the top ten

Likewise in the Snowboard event with four Illabundans in the top ten, with our best performers on the day Jared Dryburgh, Thomas Williams and Todd Fairbrother securing first place.

In the Cross Country event we improved significantly on last year?s result to finish in second place with some good individual performances. Liam Zeller led the charge for us here and along with Matt Egle Marshall and Ben Dryburgh, who all finished in the top ten

Our first place in Giant Slalom and Snowboard with second in the Cross Country secured the overall victory and we were crowned 2011 Champion Club.

Congratulations to Ben Dryburgh who finished second in the Male Individual Combined event, Lara Edmonds who finished 4th in the Female Individual Combined Event and also to Robert McCulloch who showed everyone that he still has what it takes in the Male over 50 combined category with a 4th place overall.

The Illawarra Interclub results are as follows:-

The Illawarra Interclub Race results also determine our own Illabunda results. These are as follows:-

Image Credit: Perisher

2012 Seniors

by Terry Dryburgh, Club Captain

The Brian Donegan Memorial Illawarra Interclub Race series was contested on the Upper Rollercoaster Race Course at Perisher on Saturday the 11th August in fantastic weather albeit a little windy initially.

Illabunda was host club this year and we received some good feedback on the whole day including the presentation back at our lodge. We finished off the event with the party to end all parties. I would like to thank the committee, everybody who assisted me in the running of the event prior to and on the day. Special thanks to Matt and Luanne for their extra effort for our racers and also for their preparation for the presentation. Thank you to Debbie McCulloch who decorated the lodge in an Olympic theme for the presentation. We once again raised the bar.

Congratulations to our team who did the club proud with some very commendable results. We are currently enjoying a very strong team right across the ranks. Our Giant Slalom team picked up a first place with Liam Zeller, Tyson Marshall and Ben Dryburgh combining to out do the opposition. Seven of our team finishing in the top ten.

Likewise in the Snowboard event with three Illabundans in the top ten, with our best performers on the day Jared Dryburgh, Ben Dryburgh and Jonathan Williams securing first place.

In the Cross Country event we matched last year?s performance to finish in second place with some good individual performances. Liam Zeller led the charge for us here and along with Jonathan Williams and Matt Marshall, who all finished in the top ten.

These placing?s in all three disciplines were once again the right recipe. The first place in Giant Slalom and Snowboard with second in the Cross Country secured the overall victory and we were crowned 2012 Champion Club.

Congratulations to Liam Zeller who finished second in the Male Individual Combined event, Paige Davis who finished 3rd and Alex McCulloch finished 10th in the Female Individual Combined Event.

The Illawarra Interclub results are as follows:-

The Illawarra Interclub Race results also determine our own Illabunda results. These are as follows:-

Image Credit: Perisher

2012 Seniors

by Terry Dryburgh, Club Captain

The Brian Donegan Memorial Illawarra Interclub Race series was contested on the Upper Rollercoaster Race Course at Perisher on Saturday the 11th August in fantastic weather albeit a little windy initially.

Illabunda was host club this year and we received some good feedback on the whole day including the presentation back at our lodge. We finished off the event with the party to end all parties. I would like to thank the committee, everybody who assisted me in the running of the event prior to and on the day. Special thanks to Matt and Luanne for their extra effort for our racers and also for their preparation for the presentation. Thank you to Debbie McCulloch who decorated the lodge in an Olympic theme for the presentation. We once again raised the bar.

Congratulations to our team who did the club proud with some very commendable results. We are currently enjoying a very strong team right across the ranks. Our Giant Slalom team picked up a first place with Liam Zeller, Tyson Marshall and Ben Dryburgh combining to out do the opposition. Seven of our team finishing in the top ten.

Likewise in the Snowboard event with three Illabundans in the top ten, with our best performers on the day Jared Dryburgh, Ben Dryburgh and Jonathan Williams securing first place.

In the Cross Country event we matched last year?s performance to finish in second place with some good individual performances. Liam Zeller led the charge for us here and along with Jonathan Williams and Matt Marshall, who all finished in the top ten.

These placing?s in all three disciplines were once again the right recipe. The first place in Giant Slalom and Snowboard with second in the Cross Country secured the overall victory and we were crowned 2012 Champion Club.

Congratulations to Liam Zeller who finished second in the Male Individual Combined event, Paige Davis who finished 3rd and Alex McCulloch finished 10th in the Female Individual Combined Event.

The Illawarra Interclub results are as follows:-

The Illawarra Interclub Race results also determine our own Illabunda results. These are as follows:-

Image Credit: Boston Globe

2011 Juniors

by Lisa Askie, Junior Club Captain

The Illawara Junior Interclub races were again held this year on the Upper Rollercoaster course at Blue Cow on Saturday 3rd September. It was another sunny day and the snow coverage was quite good on course despite being very patchy elsewhere in the resort.

As was the case last year we were a little lean in terms of older racers, with the added disadvantage of the unavoidable late scratchings of Jared Dryburgh (who had to attend his footy grand final) and Lara Edmonds. The team captains, Paige Davis and Jonathon Chicaro, led the team by example with some great individual performances. The more ?junior? juniors also did a wonderful job and raced their hardest, putting in some fantastic (and often ?personal best?) times. Overall, our club placed third in the combined Championships after a very large and strong Illawarra team and the Maranatha club.

The Junior team welcomed a new member this year, Rory Fairbrother, who trained hard and kept up with his older team mates without any problems. We wish to thank the outgoing Junior Race Team members, Jared Dryburgh, Paige Davis, Jonathon Chicaro and Lara Edmonds, for all their outstanding contributions to the team over many years. We hope to see them continue their racing in the Seniors next year.

A special mention for the bravest team member this year, Remy Condran, who, despite breaking her arm on her first snowboard run (which required an evacuation by the ski patrol on a banana boat), returned for the evening presentations with her arm in a plaster caste! Evidence that the Illabunda team spirit is very much alive and well!!

Thanks again this year to Rhythm Snowsports in Cooma who continued their support for Illabunda via special assistance with ski hire and donations of gear for our presentation lucky dip. Importantly, thanks to all the parents, without whom neither the training nor racing would be possible. And finally, this year there is a very special thank you to Terry Dryburgh who served his final year as Junior Race Team Captain. His untiring efforts over many years has kept the team going from strength to strength. Terry will continue as Illabunda Club Captain next year, with Lisa Askie and Todd Fairbrother assisting him with the Junior Race Team duties during training week and race weekend.

Illabunda?s results in the Illawarra Interclub Junior Races in 2011 were as follows:

The Illawarra Interclub race results also determine our club championships results. These were as follows:

Image Credit: Perisher

2010 Juniors

by Terry Dryburgh, Club Captain

The Illawarra Junior Interclub races were held at Perisher again this year on the 28th August on the popular Upper Rollercoaster course.

The summery conditions were very welcomed and with a great cover of snow made for a fantastic day for both competitors and spectators alike.

Our younger racers had to step up this year after the departure of some senior bound racers and the late scratching of Will and Alice Gracie. And that?s exactly what they did. They are all a credit to the club.

First time racer Jonathan Chicharo was welcomed into the team and he contributed well with some good performances in all three disciplines.

Trying to secure the major trophy again this year was always going to be a tough assignment against some very strong teams, especially the contingent from The Illawarra Alpine Club. They were too strong and have the major trophy sitting in their trophy cabinet. However we were far from disgraced and came in second in the overall point score.

I would like to thank Elloise Smith and Alice Gracie for their contributions to the juniors over many years. They are both eligible for seniors next year and we wish them well.

As usual I would like to thank the parents for their efforts throughout the season and for their assistance on race day.

A special mention must also go to Rhythm Snowsports who are supporters of Illabunda and look after us when it comes to hire equipment and for their donation of prizes for our after presentation lucky dip.

Illabunda?s results in the Illawarra junior Interclub 2009 were as follows:-

The Illawarra Interclub Race results also determine our own Illabunda results. These are as follows:-

Image Credit: Perisher

2010 Seniors

by Terry Dryburgh, Club Captain

Congratulations to our 2010 senior race team. They have given their all for this proud club and the results on race day are indicative of their commitment to Illabunda. We have a very strong team, with the core being graduates of the junior program.

The team spirit and camaraderie is phenomenal and I am proud to be associated with them.

This year two of our top juniors raced in the senior campaign as guests and performed admirably. Lara Edmonds and Jared Dryburgh competed in all three disciplines and finished amongst the top end in their events. Next year, both can compete in juniors as well as seniors and will be a force to be reckoned with.

The racecourse on Upper Rollercoaster was used again this year for the Giant Slalom and Snowboard events in very pleasant conditions

Our Giant Slalom team picked up a first place with Liam Zeller, Ben Zeller and Ben Dryburgh doing the job for us. Six of our competitors finishing in the top ten

Likewise in the Snowboard event with six Illabundans in the top ten, with our best performers on the day Matthew Geercke, Ben Dryburgh and Thomas Williams securing first place.

However, in the Cross Country event we were dominated by some stronger clubs and finished in fourth place regardless of some good individual performances.

It?s not hard to see where we need to focus some additional training in the future to secure the combine trophy.

Our first place in two of the three events was unfortunately not enough to get us over the line for a combined team win. We finished a very close third in what was one of the closest finishes ever contested in the Interclub series.

Congratulations to Liam Zeller and Ben Dryburgh who finished second and third respectively in the Male Individual Combined event and also to Robert McCulloch who secured second place in the Male over 50 combined category.

I had the privilege of sitting with club present Ross Livermore on the bus to the presentation in East Jindabyne and he expressed his pride in being at the helm of the club with such a determined and team orientated group of racers. He was particularly impressed with the interaction between the youngsters and their older team members.

The Illawarra Interclub results are as follows:-

The Illawarra Interclub Race results also determine our own Illabunda results. These are as follows:-

Image Credit: Perisher

2009 Seniors

by Terry Dryburgh, Club Captain

The 2009 Illawarra Interclub Senior races were fought out on August 15th on the popular ?Upper Rollercoaster? race course at Blue Cow in fine weather.

We went into this year?s races reasonably confident of a victory due to the strength of our team in the multi discipline format and the depth of which comprises many of our recent junior competitors.

Sixteen year old William Edmonds was eligible to race both juniors and seniors this year and performed very well as expected.

The Snowboard event was run first with Matt Geercke missing out by 0.04 of a second of winning the individual boarding event. However, Matt, Ben Dryburgh and Todd Fairbrother lead our team to victory in the team event for an early points lead.

The Giant Slalom followed with Graeme Williams posting the fastest time at the end of the first run. However a spectacular crash in the second run ended his campaign for 2009. Mick Livermore was also ruled out of contention by a nasty crash in his first run which left him bleeding but far from disgraced as he backed up to post a very fast second run time. Todd Fairbrother, Liam Zeller and Ben Dryburgh with two great runs each, won the GS event for us to further extend our lead.

After lunch, the 2.5 km Cross Country event was conducted over on the Nordic track. We knew that the red hot Maranatha contingent were going to be extremely hard to beat. And they were. Although we played hard we could only manage a third placing in the Cross Country team?s event.

This was still good enough for us to take out the overall Champion Team Trophy which will hang proudly on the wall at Illabunda until next year.

There were some fantastic individual performances from some of our team which will be highlighted in the results listed in this report.

Thank you to our entire Senior Team for 2009. Our team spirit and behaviour at the presentation was outstanding. Go the Bunda!

Thank you to Rhythm Snowsports who equip many of us out for the races and also to Matt and Luanne for their outstanding tucker and effort that they put in for the race weekend.

The Illawarra Interclub results are as follows:-

The Illawarra Interclub Race results also determine our own Illabunda results:-

Image Credit: Steve Cuff

2009 Juniors

by Terry Dryburgh, Club Captain

This year?s Illawarra Junior Interclub races were held on Saturday 5th September.

The weather was fine and sunny with a cool breeze and a softish cover of snow. This formula must have been just right because WE ARE THE 2009 JUNIOR CHAMPIONS!!!!

The Giant Slalom and Snow Board events were contested on the ?Race Course? at Blue Cow in the morning followed by the Cross Country contest which was fought over at the Nordic Shelter on a revised track due to limited snow cover in the afternoon.

Our team was mentally prepared for a tough day. Two of our skiers were representing the junior?s for the last year and will be sorely missed in 2010. William Edmonds and Lauren Carr were good role models for the younger crew and were very proud captains when lofting the major trophy at the presentation.

William competed for the seniors as well this year are showed what he is capable of by finishing well in the mix in all events. He will be valuable to our senior team for many years.

The recruitment phase continued this year with Grace and Emily Dawson joining the team as well as young Olivia Gracie.

Thanks you to the parents / helpers who provided me with great assistance on the training and race periods. Also thank you to our Illabunda managers, Luanne and Matt who looked after us with fine food and great hospitality.

I must also praise the Juniors who trained and raced for the club this year. I?m sure they all had a great time and fostered the team spirit we are renowned for at Illabunda. I look forward to seeing them all next year.

Our team spirit was again commended on the race course by many onlookers for their very vocal encouragement of each other and for their gracious and well mannered behaviour at the host club for the presentation.

We at Illabunda, continue to enjoy a very good relationship with Rhythm Snow sports at Cooma. Mick, Rolph and Nick who kindly donated many items for our presentation night as they have done now for many years. Let?s show our appreciation by continually supporting Rhythm in the future. Tell them you?re from Illabunda.

Illabunda?s results in the Illawarra junior Interclub 2009 were as follows:-

The Illawarra Interclub Race results also determine our own Illabunda results. These are as follows:-

Image Credit: Unknown

2008 Seniors

by Terry Dryburgh, Club Captain

This year's Illawarra Senior Interclub races were held on Saturday 16th August and it was shaping up to be a very hotly contested battle up on the Upper Rollercoaster race course at Blue Cow. The snow condition was excellent, the sky was clear but it was very cold and the wind was increasing by the minute.

2008 was a fairly satisfying year for us. We took first place in the Giant Slalom and the Snowboard events and finished third in the Cross Country. These efforts put us in second spot for the overall trophy by less than a whisker. Well done Illabunda!

We welcomed three of our ex juniors to the senior squad this year. Emma Gracie, Thomas Williams and Ben Dryburgh. Thomas was back after a long spell from racing but proved that you can't keep a good lad down. He competed in the snowboard but has hinted at a return to the skis in '09. Emma and Ben are seasoned campaigners and weren't at all fazed by competing against the older opposition. Yours truly even padded up this year for my maiden run down the course in the GS but soon realised that some training next year is a must (see photo). Mick Livermore crawled from his bed after being struck down with the flu but kept reciting the Illabunda creed of never give up. He put it all on the line as usual which inspired the rest of the team to dig deeper. Matt Geerke gave the field a lesson in getting down the hill fast on a snowboard in his first run but was brought back to the field after a tactical error on his second run. The old man of the team, Graeme Williams defied age to post some very competitive times in the GS to finish well up the standings and easily take out the over 50's section. Well done Graeme.

The cross country component of the three discipline series is where we might need to aim up a bit better next year. We came in third in the teams but are assured of a better place next year with extra training planned.

Thank you to all of the Seniors who trained and raced for the club in 2008. I hope they all had a great time and enjoyed the team spirit of the club. They all performed very well and I look forward to seeing them in 2009.

We at Illabunda, continue to enjoy a very good relationship with Rhythm Snow sports at Cooma. Mick and Rolph kindly donated many items for our presentation night as well as the benefits we enjoy when hiring our equipment on each venture to the snow. Let's show our appreciation by continually supporting Rhythm in the future. Tell them you're from Illabunda. Special thanks to Nick who is always very courteous and attentive when it comes to our hire equipment.

Illabunda's results in the Illawarra junior Interclub 2007 were as follows:-

The Illawarra Interclub Race results also determine our own Illabunda results. These are as follows:-

Image Credit: Perisher

2008 Juniors

by Terry Dryburgh, Club Captain

The Illawarra Junior Interclub races were held on Saturday 30th August.

The weather was fantastic. We were blessed with lovely sunshine and no wind on a great cover of snow. It just doesn't get any better. Oh yes it does......WE ARE THE 2008 JUNIOR CHAMPIONS!!!!

The Giant Slalom and Snow Board events were contested on the Upper Rollercoaster Race Course at Blue Cow in the morning followed by the Cross Country contest which was fought over at the Nordic track in the afternoon on a fast but tough course.

Our team turned up ready to race full of the passion and grit that they are renowned for. We had four skiers going around in the junior ranks for the last time this year before heading for the seniors next year. Thomas Williams, Emma Gracie, Katherine Smith and Broden Condran all performed extremely well in their last junior campaign. They are good role models for the younger generation coming through. They guided their young troupe into battle as well respected leaders.

Thomas and Emma both competed for the seniors as well this year which is very common for sixteen year olds to give them a taste of senior competition.

Both did very well and they will both be valuable to our senior team for many years.

The recruitment phase continued this year with William and Lara Edmonds joining the team. They participated in all three disciplines and should be very proud of their efforts. William was inspiring. His determination to rise from the sick bed and race speaks volumes for the ethic he possesses. They both blended in well with the team and posted some credible results. They will both be very important to the team next year.

Another youngster joining the team was Asher Fitzgerald who looks like following in his mother's (Kate) and uncles (Brendan) footsteps in racing for Illabunda. He produced some good results and was unique with his trademark blue light helmet.

A special thank you to the parents / helpers who provided me with great assistance on the training and race periods. Also thank you to our Illabunda managers, Luanne and Matt who looked after us with fine food and great hospitality.

Thank you to all of the Juniors who trained and raced for the club in 2008. I hope they all had a great time and enjoyed the team spirit of the club. They all performed very well and I look forward to seeing them in 2009.

Once again our team was congratulated for team spirit at the Interclub presentation and were very recognisable in their team shirts which matched their performance. Red Hot!

We at Illabunda, continue to enjoy a very good relationship with Rhythm Snow sports at Cooma. Mick and Rolph kindly donated many items for our presentation night as well as the benefits we enjoy when hiring our equipment on each venture to the snow. Let's show our appreciation by continually supporting Rhythm in the future. Tell them you're from Illabunda. Special thanks to Nick who is always very courteous and attentive when it comes to our hire equipment.

Illabunda's results in the Illawarra junior Interclub 2007 were as follows:-

The Illawarra Interclub Race results also determine our own Illabunda results. These are as follows:-

Image Credit: Unknown

2007 Juniors

The Illawarra Junior Interclub races were held on Saturday 1st September in brilliant sunshine.

Our considerably young team turned up ready to tackle their more fancied rivals from the big budget clubs but were certainly not intimidated.

The Giant Slalom and Snow Board events were contested on the Upper Rollercoaster Race Course at Blue Cow on a testing layout with softening snow in the morning followed by the Cross Country contest which was fought over at the Nordic track in the afternoon on what was described by experts as a tough course.

Our little tackers not only looked the goods in their team attire but performed admirably on all fronts and did us proud with their efforts.

Lauren Egle Marshall skied her last race for the Juniors this year but also raced for the Seniors as a 16year old. She has served the Juniors well over the years and showed that she will be a force to be reckoned with for years to come by being crowned 2007 Female Combined Champion in the Senior competition.

Ben Dryburgh also heads to the Seniors next year after a very successful reign in the Junior competition. Ben had to unfortunately miss this year's Junior races due to other commitments.

Thank you and good luck to both of them.

The recruitment phase continued this year with Oliver Howden joining the team. Oliver padded up for all three events and did well.

I would like to extend my thanks to the parents / helpers who provide me with great assistance on the training and race periods. Also thank you to our new Illabunda managers, Luanne and Matt who looked after us with fine food and great hospitality.

Thanks to Vicki Smith, who because of her fabulous effort with designing the results program last year, received a plea to assist the Snow Country Club this year. She saved the day again. Well done.

Thank you to all of the Juniors who trained and raced for the club in 2007. I hope they all had a great time and enjoyed the team spirit of the club. They all performed very well and I look forward to seeing them in 2008.

We at Illabunda, now enjoy a very good relationship with Rhythm Snow sports at Cooma. Mick and Rolph kindly donated many items for our presentation night as well as the benefits we enjoy when hiring our equipment on each venture to the snow. Let's show our appreciation by continually supporting Rhythm in the future.

Illabunda's results in the Illawarra junior Interclub 2007 were as follows:-

The Illawarra Interclub Race results also determine our own Illabunda results. These are as follows:-

Terry Dryburgh, Club Captain

Image Credit: Unknown

2006 Juniors

This year was always going to be a bit of a struggle to seal three consecutive titles in a row after losing three of our top performers of last year to the senior ranks. However the never say never attitude of the Illabunda juniors was on our side and a very credible second overall result was achieved.

As we all know, the season was a poor one, with not quite enough snow for the juniors to exhaust themselves on the mountain after coaching sessions and fine-tune the techniques learnt.

The training week was held in early July with all three disciplines on the agenda. The Perisher Blue race coaches ensured our kids received the best tuition possible on our limited budget. The snowboard training was popular again with even more participation this year from the girls and the younger ones. The future looks good in this department with a certain keenness to do well evident within the camp.

The Cross Country training received it's usual "do we have to?".."yes we do!" start to the week but to their credit the kids did very well on those skinny, hard to control excuses for skis. Two of our ex juniors, Liam Zeller and Jonathan Williams were kind enough to provide tuition in this area.

We welcomed some new blood into the team this year and these future stars performed admirably and should be very proud of themselves.

The time has come to farewell this year's junior captain Alexandra McCulloch from our junior roster as she has come of age and is off to the seniors. We thank Alexandra for her contribution over the years. Good luck Alex!

As a bonus this year, one of the GS Race coaches, Dave Bale, attended our lodge one evening free of charge and gave our charges a lesson on how to tune up their ski's for racing. This gave the kids a real buzz and proved to us that Dave has a genuine interest in seeing the student's he coaches, do well in racing. Or maybe he was just enjoying drinking my beer???

Illabunda was the host club for the Illawarra Interclub Races in 2006 and were held on September 2nd. I would like to thank everybody who had a hand in the entire process, from the organising, to the execution on race day. Well done parents! A special thankyou must go to Vicki Smith who re-wrote the record books with time spent in front of a laptop with a goal of rewriting the results calculation program that all clubs seem to have issues with each year. Thankyou Vicki. Thanks also to Bob McCulloch who ensured his back-up program kept Vicki's results honest. Debbie McCulloch out did herself this year by transforming the lodge with her Snowman theme, covering the place in balloons and streamers and pi?ata's for the kids to belt the hell out of, for a lolly bag. Poor Snowman.

The after race presentation was a success and we were very pleased with the favourable feedback we received on the venue, the organisation, the hospitality our club showed to the visiting lodges and the team spirit our kids demonstrated while decked out in their team shirts. Three cheers to all of you!

Thankyou to the committee, whose continued support of racing within the club ensures that the racers receive the valuable, necessary training required to achieve the good results and fly the club flag.

And last but not least, thanks to Jochen and Suzette who padded up again this year to face one of the toughest, but most enjoyable I'm sure, periods of the season, surrounded by youngsters to keep them on their toes. They're dearly loved by all!

Rhythm Snow Sports at Cooma continued their support of the Illabunda Juniors in 2006 by once again looking after us with discounted ski equipment hire and by providing us with many valuable items of ski gear and clothing for the kids to pick from in the after presentation draw from the hat where each child is a winner. Rhythm support us!!!! Let's support Rhythm!!!!

The GS and Snowboard races had to be moved from' Upper Rollercoaster' to the 'Blue Cow Race Course' due to poor snow cover but the weather was fine which makes it far more enjoyable for spectators and the competitors. The tough course proved to all, that concentration was required from start to finish and any lapses here meant crash!!! The Cross Country course was only decided on the morning of the races and pretty well had to be held in the only place that had enough snow, which was up amongst the trees to the east of the Piper T-bar. It was still a very testing course.

The Illabunda team once again did us proud and demonstrated that the coaching they receive during the season is appreciated and pays dividends. The talk on the street is that everybody is keen to do well next year with more kids wanting to hop on the Snowboard and Cross Country skis and add to their GS talent.

Illabunda's results in the Illawarra Junior Interclub 2006 are as follows: -

The Illawarra Junior Interclub Race results also determine our own Illabunda results. These are as follows:-

I hope all of the Juniors had a wonderful time racing for the club in 2006. Their efforts were greatly appreciated and we look forward to catching up with them all again in 2007.

Signing off for 2006 . . .

Terry Dryburgh
Race Captain

Image Credit: Perisher

2006 Seniors

Illabunda wins the 2006 Illawarra Interclub Senior Championship!

The Illawarra Interclub Championships (Kevin Donegan Memorial Competition) has been held annually for the past 25 years and is a hotly contested competition amongst all the Illawarra based ski clubs. The format is a 3 person team event across alpine giant slalom, snowboard giant slalom and cross country. The team with the best finishes in each wins the Championship. Overlaid across events are individual awards in each discipline and a combined champion award for males, females and over 50.

The key to success is outstanding ability in the three events. The pleasing aspect of the results is the outstanding success of the new members to the Illabunda team, unfortunately displacing some of the older skiers. These racers, Alexandra McCulloch, Liam Zeller, Jonathan Williams, Ben Zeller, Matt Egle-Marshall and Peter McCulloch are recent graduates of the Illabunda Junior Training program which has emphasised articipation in all three disciplines (Alpine, Snowboard and Cross Country).

The results speak for themselves, this year Illabunda cleaned up!:

Teams Championship

  1. Illabunda
  2. Maranatha
  3. Illawarra
  4. Steelmakers
  5. IMBAC
  6. Snow Country

Individuals Combined

The individual combined event rewards excellent skiing across all disciplines. Illabunda racers took out all major places with each racer competing in all three events.

Males

  1. Liam Zeller
  2. Jonathan Williams
  3. Ben Zeller

Females

  1. Alexandra McCulloch

Over 50

  1. Graeme Williams

Alpine GS

Teams

  1. Illawarra
  2. Illabunda (Liam Zeller, Michael Livermore, Ben Zeller, Bob McCulloch)
  3. Maranatha
  4. IMBAC
  5. Steelmakers
  6. Snow Country

Individual - Illabunda had 5 skiers in the top 9, with Liam Zeller obtaining a 3rd in the males.

Snowboard GS

Teams

  1. Illabunda (Todd Fairbrother, Liam Zeller, Jonathan Williams, Ben Zeller)
  2. Illawarra
  3. Maranatha
  4. IMBAC
  5. Steelmakers
  6. Snow Country

Individual - Illabunda had 2 boarders in the top 5, with Alexandra McCulloch obtaining 3rd in the females.

Cross Country

Teams

  1. Steelmakers
  2. Maranatha
  3. Illabunda 3rd(Liam Zeller, Jonathan Williams, Matt Egle-Marshall, Ben Zeller)
  4. Illawarra
  5. IMBAC
  6. Snow Country

Individual - A very hotly contested event with many current and ex- NSW Ski Team members racing for other clubs. Liam Zeller was placed 3rd in the males and Alexandra McCulloch was 2nd in the females.

This report provided by Bob McCulloch

Congratulations to all competitors, and thanks to our coaches and officials. Special thanks to Jochen and Suzette for their efforts as Illabunda hosted the championships party this year.

Image Credit: Unknown