The 25th edition of the Ski & Snowboard Australia e-news provides an insight into how SSA funds and operates many of our sport programs, along with a fantastic opportunity for family and friends of SSA to benefit from a new travel insurance product that provides a rebate back for the development of athletes.

I am delighted to offer to all family and friends heading overseas this Northern Winter, a new competitively priced travel insurance policy designed specifically for recreational skiers and snowboarders. This policy has been developed on the back of the newly acquired competition travel insurance product specifically designed for athletes, which has been extremely well received thus far.

Also in this edition is a brief introduction to SSA’s sport program partners, who assist with the delivery of programs for athletes in all disciplines at the Development and elite levels.

I trust you will find this edition of the Ski & Snowboard Australia E-News informative, and I urge as many of you as possible to circulate this information to all interested parties.

Michael Kennedy
CEO

 

Worldwide Travel Insurance
To compete internationally each athlete must have an International Competition Licence (ICL). The ICL confirms that the athlete is satisfactorily qualified, has completed the required documentation and has adequate insurance for competition and training overseas.

With the development of the new insurance policy as listed above a new combined ICL and insurance form has been created. The one form will now serve all four disciplines, streamlining the process.

Ski & Snowboard Australia (SSA) together with Comprehensive Travel Insurance Ltd (New Zealand), are delighted to offer a Worldwide Travel Insurance product for friends, family and supporters of Australian winter sport.

This Worldwide Travel Insurance policy is now exclusively available for purchase via SSA.

SSA would like to encourage as many individuals as possible to take out the cover, as each policy will provide for a rebate back to SSA development programs.

We believe you will find the pricing very competitive compared to other travel cover. Also be aware that aside from the rebate, the more policies we as a sport are able to purchase, the better chance of keeping premiums down for all athletes in the future.

Worldwide Travel Insurance Policy
Application Form
 

Competition and Travel Insurance for Athletes
Ski & Snowboard Australia reminds all athletes intending to compete overseas this summer, that they require an International Competition license and competition travel insurance.

SSA has a Worldwide Competition and Travel policy that provides for full travel insurance, and covers athletes for claims arising from competition and training activities. This level of cover is extended to athletes of all ages and all abilities from regional competitions right through to World Cup and World Championships. The policy is available to athletes of all disciplines under the auspices of Ski & Snowboard Australia.

Competition and Travel Insurance Policy
Application Form

Ski & Snowboard Australia Program Partners

The Olympic Winter Institute (OWI) is Ski & Snowboard Australia’s major high performance program partner, operating elite level programs in Mogul Skiing, Snowboard Half Pipe, and Aerial Skiing.

The Australian Olympic Committee formed the Australian Institute of Winter Sports (AIWS) after the Nagano Winter Olympics in 1998, to enable the development of elite performances in winter sports by Australian athletes, through the provision of adequate funding, world-class sports programming and technical coaching.

On July 1st 2001, the organisation was renamed to become the Olympic Winter Institute of Australia (OWI). The Australian Olympic Committee provides over 50% of the total funds for the operation of the OWI.

The OWI is a partnership program of the Australian Institute of Sport (AIS) and receives considerable support from the Australian Sports Commission and benefits from the sport programs and from the many experts based at the AIS in Canberra.

At present, the OWI employs seven coaching staff and provides sport program opportunities for up to 37 athletes across six winter sport disciplines:alpine skiing, mogul skiing, aerial skiing, half pipe snowboarding, short track speed skating and figure skating.

The OWI also works closely with Ski & Snowboard Australia and the State Institutes of Sport, to supply an overall National technical direction for the individual sport throughout the athlete pathway in Australia.

While it is clearly the role of the OWI to operate elite programming, the OWI will provide technical assistance to SSA for the task of developing the elite athletes of tomorrow with the very best technical assistance possible.

The clear objective of the OWI in 2006 is focusing resources on the areas where the best results and medals can be achieved at the Torino Olympic Winter Games in 2006. Also important is the provision of experiences and fundamentals during the OWG quadrennial period, which may increase the possible medal tally at the 2010 Olympic Winter Games.

The OWI spend in excess of $900,000 each year on elite snow sport programs in SSA disciplines excluding the contribution to NSWIS for Alpine Skiing . SSA contributes over $400,000 of Australian Sports Commission High Performance funding to OWI each year.

The OWI during the Northern Winter months, produce a regular electronic newsletter which provides the latest results and information on all high performance program activities.

All current SSA members will be receiving the OWI sport reports as part of their membership benefits. For those who wish to be removed from the OWI sport report distribution list, an unsubscribe function is available.

 

The National Alpine Team program is operated by NSWIS under a joint agreement between SSA, NSWIS & the OWI.

SSA, together with the OWI, contributes in excess of $250,000 in cash and kind to the National Alpine Team program, with a further $50,000 contributed by SSA for Mogul Development and Snowboard Half Pipe development each year.

SSA is also in partnership with the NSW Institute of Sport (NSWIS) to operate National High Performance development programs in Mogul Skiing and soon Snowboard Half pipe.

NSWIS contributes over $180,000 in cash and kind per annum to operate and manage the development and elite level programs on behalf of SSA.

The sport program operations are managed by Andrew Logan and based out of Jindabyne Sport & Rec. The southern hemisphere on-snow training is conducted at Kosciusko Thredbo and Perisher Blue ski resorts.