Bases ski together to beat colleagues

LAC Adam Bland, above, gets some air at the ADF alpine snowsports championships.

Photo by FLTLT Christine Bradley

SGT Ewan Campbell speeds along in the advanced slalom.

Photo by FLTLT Christine Bradley

FLTLT Karen Reid referees in the giant slalom.

Photo by FLTLT Christine Bradley

SQNLDR John Keily powers through the powder during the interservice Nordic and biathlon competition.

IN A novel twist to this year’s RAAF Alpine Sports Association Championships at Mount Hotham, some bases joined forces to overcome the absence of those who were fighting a battle of a different kind on Exercise Pitch Black.

It was one of these alliances, made up of RAAF Bases Williams and Edinburgh, that had a runaway win of the advanced alpine ski trophy – Flight Lieutenant Davin Johnson, Sergeant Andrew Braun (both from RAAF Base Edingburgh) and Warrant Officer Bob Hawke (from RAAF Base Williams).

Building on his lead in the slalom, FLTLT Johnson also finished the competition in first place to take the men’s individual advanced alpine trophy.

In a showdown between the women from RAAF Base Richmond, Wing Commander Karon Millett managed to hold on to her lead over Leading Aircraftwoman Vanessa Hill and reclaimed the women’s advanced alpine prize.

In the advanced snowboarding, it was another blitz year for RAAF Base Amberley as Corporal Tim Seager romped home to another victory in the men’s individual competition and led his team from Queensland (Leading Aircraftman Troy Vanderplas and Flight Lieutenant Christine Bradley) to a second consecutive win.

FLTLT Bradley also managed to make it second in a row in the advanced women’s individual snowboarding. A RAAF Base Amberley teammate, Flight Lieutenant Janice Cudmore, won the intermediate division of the swomen’s alpine championship in her first competition.

Leading Aircraftman Adam Bland, from RAAF Base Richmond, also a newcomer to the championship, led the way through the gates to win the men’s event and contribute to Richmond’s triumph in the intermediate teams competition (made up of Leading Aircraftman Daniel Smith and Squadron Leader Andrew Daley).

With more snowboarders outnumbering skiers for the first time this year, the intermediate competition was extremely strong from the riders.

Officer Cadet Amanda Gosling took the women’s trophy home to ADFA while Corporal Andrew Miller from RAAF Base Williamtown won the men’s competition.

However, it was the Canberra team who eventually showed the rest how it was done with the teams trophy.

The team was Officer Cadet Simon Beckenham, Squadron Leader Matthew Colbert and OFFCDT Amanda Gosling.

Sixty-six Air Force alpine skiers and snowboarders took part.

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