Australian ski resorts go to extremes

Improvements at Australian ski slopes are mainly aimed at the board-riding and youth market, as FLIP BYRNES reports.

For those waiting for the snow to fall on the other side of the Tasman, the big news in resort improvements will make you jump. Literally.

A host of new parks and pipes with railings to slide on, jumps to launch from and features to hit upon will bring visitors into the new era of free-riding.

New South Wales

Perisher Blue

Perisher Blue has officially become Australia's baggy pants-wearing, "yo bro" ski resort. Like all major resorts it has a half-pipe and now it will have a Super-Pipe, like a half-pipe but bigger.

The old school won't be left out with a new mogul-dedicated run which will benefit from additional snowmaking.

The resort will be constructing a kids' terrain park in Happy Valley for mini-mes and trialling the first Snow Deck Park on Front Valley. A snow deck is like a skateboard on snow, attached by leash. What will they think of next, mini-snow-deck super-pipe mogul parks?

Thredbo

Thredbo has gone one step further to satisfy the new school of snow sliders who want to do tricks galore and have turned the entire mountain into a park. The Merritts Area will now be known as the Cruiser Area with the advanced snow park features replaced with a beginner section featuring a double rail to slide on, a table-top to fly over and rollers to glide through.

Elsewhere, the mountain will be loaded with berms, banks, rollers, half-pipe, Snowcross, slope style, fun boxes and natural hits. High Noon will now be the site of the half-pipe and intermediate terrain park, while the N-Gage Park will have a multi-rail combo course.

Selwyn Snowfields

Selwyn Snowfields, the family getaway for beginners and those on a budget, has no blistering news to report, but offers a killer deal. From A$190 ($210) per adult, A$119.50 ($132) per child under 15 and A$77.50 ($86) per child under 6, a Two Day Family Snow Getaway includes two nights' self-contained accommodation, two-day lift tickets, and two days' equipment hire.

Victoria

Falls Creek

Falls Creek had the biggest increase in visitors of any resort last year and is riding the wave by installing the only new chairlift in Australia this year.

The 710m high-speed quad, "Drovers Dream", will be located in the beginners and intermediate Towers/Panorama area of Sun Valley and will add 7.4ha to the resort's terrain.

Mt Hotham

Nothing will eclipse the introduction of Dinner Plain airport in 2000, but at Mt Hotham they are still tapping away at the market, especially the corporate sector. A new Corporate Pass for groups of 8 or more is priced from A$265 ($293) for three days in discount season, with three- or five-day value packages on offer.

The snow will be more efficiently groomed, thanks to a new snow groomer. And if the kids love the new 48m carpet ride (a "walking carpet" which eliminates lift rides) so much they want to relocate there, parents can enrol them at the new primary and secondary school at Dinner Plain.

Mt Buller

Perisher Blue was the first to start the carpet ride concept in Australia, and now kids won't be riding the magic carpet just there and at Mt Hotham, but also at Mt Buller in the Bourke Street area.

Teenagers and tertiary students will also benefit from a new policy for pricing lift tickets.

Adult one-day ski lift prices in Australia this season are:

NSW: Perisher Blue - until June 25 an adult ticket is A$56 ($62), peak season is A$83 ($92)

Thredbo - A$83. Selwyn Snowfields - A$63 ($68).Victoria: Mt Hotham - A$69 ($76) from 12/6-27/6 and 13/9-3/10; A$82 ($91) all other times. Falls Creek - A$69 (12/6-27/6 and 13/9-3/10); A$82 all other times.