Snowsports – ACT Schools Cup 2024
By Mr Jonathan Mandl
The ACT Schools Cup is an honoured tradition for our Snowsports team to contest every year in August. It's an invitational event coordinated by Snow Australia Interschools that allows snowboard and ski athletes from across Canberra to compete on a giant slalom course at Perisher.
This year marked 14 years since the first run in 2010 and a record 260 athletes competed in 2024.
The Cup was founded by Radford College through the initiative of the leadership team in the Friends of Radford Snowsports (FoRS) in 2009, who presented a proposal to the then ACT peak body, Snowsports ACT requesting an event occurring between the Regional Interschools Championships in July and the National Championships in September.
This would allow athletes from ACT schools to benefit from an important 'training' race for those invited to attend the National event or for those not attending.
With thanks to the support of Snowsports ACT Executive Director Wendy Olsen, her much loved late mother Kerry Pinkerton and Wendy's father John Pinkerton (all tireless supporters of Snowsports in the ACT) the proposal was accepted, and the new event was initiated in 2010.
Andy Nichols of Straight Line Sports in Fyshwick kindly donated the first two Cup trophies, which he presented at the first ceremony in August 2010 to a delighted Radford College team led by Captains Shauna Rigby and Matt Hall.
The Radford College Snowsports team continued to dominate for five consecutive years, winning both the Boys and Girls Cups before the addition of two additional Cups were introduced for Primary Boys and Primary Girls. The event now awards four Cups annually, covering both Secondary and Primary teams to reflect the large participation in both junior and senior students in the ACT.
Fun fact: In 2011 Radford College was also presented with Snow Australia's national award for Snowsports School of the Year for the most outstanding offering of a Snowsports program in an Australian school.
In 2024 Snowsports Captain Euan Greig was proud to lead the team to another victory, securing the Secondary Boys Cup, which was also won by our boys in 2023.
Congratulations to all our athletes performing new personal bests in 2024 on a challenging course held under tricky lighting and wind conditions.
It was a disappointment to all athletes that for safety reasons the event was restricted to one run only. The snow conditions were heavily affected by rain and high temperatures and the course needed much salt applied to freeze the surface.
It's a mark of great respect that everyone gave their best and left nothing in reserve on the day. A racer's job is to push their capabilities to the limit on the course and take much risk to achieve their fastest possible time. Sometimes that results in a bobble, fall or disqualification from missing a control gate on course. That's never a reflection on ability, but rather a compliment on the courage to push individual athletic skill to the limit, as the best Snowsports athletes in the world do in FIS World Cup and Olympic events.
As our instructors often say: "If you're not falling from time to time, you're not learning!"
Here are some highlights of performances on the day:
Secondary Boys Cup
1st Radford College (44pts)
2nd CGS (24pts)
3rd Daramalan College (22pts)
Secondary Girls Cup
1st St Clares (52pts)
2nd Radford College (36pts)
3rd CGS (22pts)
Primary Boys Cup
1st CGS (24pts)
2nd Curtin Primary (12pts)
3rd Marist College (10pts)
Primary Girls Cup
TIED 1st - CGS & CGGS
TIED 2nd - Radford College & Red Hill Primary
Alpine Giant Slalom (GS)
Team 1st - Division 1F
Emily Hinchcliffe * (Individual 3rd place)
Amber Smith
Isabella Keeling
Nicola French
Division 1M
Charlie Seddon * (Individual 3rd place)
Team 1st - Division 2F
Charlie Lee
Amelia Grant
Zali Napthali
Team 1st – Division 2M
Darcy Barlow * (Individual 1st place)
Connor Kruger
Tom Georgalis
Sam Witheford
Team 3rd – Division 3F
Taya Napthali
Laila Te Moananui
Georgina Grant
Team 3rd – Division 4F
Tahlia Smith
Marley Brown
Sofia Durbanov
Annabelle Yin
Division 5F
Billie Zeng * (Individual 2nd place)
Snowboard Giant Slalom (SBGS)
Team 1st – Division 1M
Liam Waldren
Bailey Purvis-Smith
Finlay Stewart
Team 1st – Division 2F
Charlie Lee
Aanya Te Moananui
Team 2nd – Division 2M
Miles Greig
Elijah Porfirio
Georgina Grant was unfortunately injured while competing and we all wish her a speedy recovery and look forward to seeing her back in action soon!
Congratulations to all our participating athletes for once again giving your very best representing Radford College in the 14th year of the ACT Schools Cup!