Olympic Halfpipe Gets Boost from Snowboarders
Thredbo general manager Stuart Diver exclaimed, “Supporting Australian athletes and our ambassadors like Scotty James to train on home snow is a huge achievement.”
Australia’s winter sport specialists will soon have the opportunity to train at home with an Olympic-sized halfpipe being constructed in Thredbo, New South Wales (NSW). Dual snowboard medallist Scotty James is also contributing to the cause by building a mini pipe.
Thredbo is set to become the first Australian resort to build a 22ft (6.7 meters) halfpipe for Olympic training during the South Hemisphere’s winter snow season. This halfpipe will be open to all elite athletes.
Mr. James, who won silver in the snowboard halfpipe at the 2022 Beijing Games, along with 19-year-old Valentino Guseli, who is near the top of the world rankings, currently do not have a dedicated Olympic facility at home to train on.
In October 2013, sponsors of American snowboard legend Shaun White built a similar pipe at Perisher as he prepared for the Sochi Olympics. The giant cutter for the new Thredbo project, valued at more than $250 million (US$165 million), is being used by equipment owned by Stomping Ground Project and is unrelated to Mr. White.
Stuart Diver, the general manager of Thredbo, expressed pride in helping Australia’s elite athletes prepare for the upcoming Winter Olympics in Milano-Cortina and aiding the next generation of snowboarders and skiers in reaching their full potential.
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Mr. Diver mentioned in a statement, “Supporting Australian athletes and our ambassadors like Scotty James to train on home snow is a huge achievement.”
“Scotty is a front-runner for an Olympic gold medal in 2026, and we’re privileged to be part of his journey,” he added.
“We appreciate Scotty’s generous donation and eagerly anticipate his visit to Thredbo.”
Next month, the National Snowsports Training Centre in Jindabyne will officially open. This $12.8 million high-performance facility includes sports medicine, large airbags for jump practice, and expanded administration facilities.
The opening aligns with Australia’s successful winter sport season (2023-24), which saw 58 Aussie athletes on the podium, with 18 earning gold medals.
