SMWOC graduates head for snow

SMWOC Graduation L-R: HSMWT CMDR Stephen Dalton, CI, LCDR Stephen Hussey, DSMS, CAPT Toff Idrus, LEUT Chris Forward, LEUT James Harrap, CANSG, CDRE Michael Deeks, CSC State Leader, Bruce Dinsdale, dux of course LT CAF (N), Neil Ingram, LEUT Michael Jacobson, LEUT Jonathon Tha, 2001 LEUT Richard Cobb and TA-SM CMDR Bronko Ogrizek.

Late one night in June, the Submarine Warfare Officers Course (SMWOC) 2002 students, with confidence sky high, decided they were ready to accept the challenge of the dreaded Perisher.

After much late night deliberation at the bar over angles, velocity, duration of attack, and collision avoidance, it seemed all were prepared for the challenge ahead. So early the next morning the five SMWOC students packed the car and began the trek into the ski hills of Canberra.

The first issue was whether to obtain wheel chains. Debate raged for hours with the team divided into two camps, those who regarded the use of any safety device as an affront to the SMWOC image of masculinity (coincidentally those members who had never seen snow before) and those who actually knew what they were talking about. Fortunately, further confrontation was avoided by an independent arbitrator (namely the Mt Kozsciosko National Park Warden), who stated that if there were no chains there would be no skiing. In any case there was no stopping the intrepid adventurers who were prepared to forge ahead regardless of the perils.

What the student’s lacked in experience and coordination was made up in overconfidence, bravado and a determination to return in one piece. How hard could it be? At least three out of the five members of the group had seen snow and the other two had read about it. In any case it was believed that too much foreknowledge would only have engendered poor practices and habits that would have to be stamped out. Therefore the advantage definitely lay in the lap of those who had never been skiing before.

Or that was the theory.

More than a few bruises later, sore, tired and dragging what should have been a ski outfit behind them the fallen warriors retreated from the slopes some hours later to the safe and eminently more familiar surroundings of the Perisher Bar. At this point all falls, ignominious disasters and general ineptitude were instantaneously transformed into acts of grace and heroism. That is until the ski instructors turned up with comments such as:

“Are you guys still alive?”

“I think you might have killed that tree. That giant pole has always been there you know; and, I have never seen someone walk away from a crash like that!”

In the end the students of SMWOC 2002 emerged victorious, confident in the knowledge that Perisher was after all just another little hill on the way to Canberra.

.