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Welcome Join our Mailing List Upcoming Events Club History Contact Us Competition Go to the RSA Clubs Home Page We are a sporting club which is part of the The University of Wollongong Recreation & Aquatic Centre (for those international surfers, that's in Australia). The club covers the areas of snowskiing, snowboarding, waterskiing and wakeboarding.
Join the Ski Club Mailing List
By subscribing to the mailing list you will receive emails about what is going on in the club. It will also make it easier for us to contact you.
If you have any problems subscribing or unsubscribing then just email us.
Upcoming Events
Normally we ski/board till it gets too cold and then even then some of us keep going. Updates will be done via the email mailing listThe club goes waterskiing/boarding on the Shoalhaven at Nowra almost every weekend. By joining the mailing list you will receive regular updates on where and when we are skiing.
Snowskiing activities begin in about July when there is some snow around.
Contact Us
You can contact the club at [email protected] or if you want to contact an individual here are the email addresses you need.
President John Gorman Vice President - (Snow) Julia Cane Vice President - (Water) Luke Salter Secretary Treasurer Craig Towers
Club History
The University has had several Snow Skiing Clubs in the past (usually just called the Ski Club) which usually formed in May before the ski season started, went to IV (Intervarsity as it was known then) and then folded in October, often in debt.Towards the end of 1988 a group of cadets from BHP went on a learn to Water Ski day with the RSA. They were encouraged to get ten members together and form a club as the RSA at that stage had access to a boat owned by the Mathematics Department of all people. The boat had been purchased on a grant to do some sort of maritime studies (counting fish?) and was no longer used. There were a few other basic skiing items such as a pair of Fred Williams Stinger double skiis and an RM Stud single ski along with some life vests.
Two of the people on that day went away and got their friends together to form a club. Initially there were two groups trying to form the same club but they grouped together to make one club. Because many of the initial members (approximately 20) also liked Snow Skiing it was decided that the club would cover both Water and Snow Skiing and be called ‘The University of Wollongong Ski Club’.
The club attended it’s first Snow Ski IV at Mt. Hotham in 1989 staying at Dinner Plain and the their first Water Ski IV in Brisbane in January 1991. The club has sent competitors and spectators to every Snow Ski AUC since. Club members have competed in Water Ski AUC every year up to 1995 when the club hosted the event in Nowra.1999 will see the return of competitors from Wollongong to the championships.
The club executive has mainly consisted of part time students working as Cadets at BHP until the last few years when many have either moved away, lost interest or did not have enough time. This has seen a number of newer faces into executive positions in the club. Interest in being involved in the running of the club has declined and become a concern over the past few years.
Membership of the club has seen its rises and falls. From the first year of the club with about 20 members the numbers grew to 50, 100 and over 200 in about 1992. Since then the membership has gradually dropped to the current day numbers of 40-70 each year. The joining fee was initially $10 for full time students and $20 for part time students to build up a financial base. The following year it was reduced to $5 for new members and $10 for renewing members. Finally a year or so later the fee was reduced to a flat $5 for all memberships at which it has remained.
The club struggled in its early years to build a financial base but gradually achieved its goals and towards the end of 1991, after it was sunk on the boat ramp by the Scuba Club, traded in the "fishing trawler", as it was affectionately known, on a brand new Competition Approved Gilflite Esprit outboard Skiboat. The majority of the funding came from the RSA with some from the trade-in and the rest from the funds of the Ski Club.
In 1995 the club, hosting the Water Ski AUC, traded their boat in on another Gilflite. This time a Shortline 190 inboard, which is the boat the club owns at present. The social activities associated with the hosting if the AUC netted the club a significant profit which boosted financial reserves.
The club has had several well performing members in snow skiing and water skiing with Brett Bennet selected to compete at the World Student Games in Korea 1997, also receiving a University Blue for his accomplishments in 1996. Michelle Freimanis also has performed well at Snow AUC leading to a Blue and Sportsperson of the Year for 1996.
Competition
The club competes at Australian Universities Championships (AUC) in both Snow Skiing/Snowboarding and Waterskiing/Wakeboarding.Snow Ski AUC - Events included are Slalom, Giant Slalom, Super G, Boardercross, Halfpipe, Snowboard Giant Slalom and Cross Country Events. This is usually held in August.
Waterskiing AUC - held in Jan/Feb during the Uni break and features Slalom, Jump, Tricks and now Wakeboarding.
There are other events that we also compete at:
Carnage Cup - Hosted by Newcastle Uni @ Myuna Bay this is an event not to be missed for competitive and social events.
Snow Ski ECG (Eastern Conference Games) - These are held before the Snow AUC around July. They are not a pre-qualifier but more a chance to get in some practice on the snow (and off).
Contact the club if you are interested in competing at either of these events
Last updated 18-02-2001.