Skike Australia

Hi Skikers and Friends,
Please read and hopefully you will sign the petition (see link below) which is endeavouring to change the Falls Creek Resort Management (FCRM) intent for next winter. FCRM are planning to bulldoze the snow off the Bogong High Plains Road from the cross country trail head at Windy Corner through to the Rocky Valley dam wall. The road is the interconnecting artery, main cross country ski trail and, return/home trail for the cross country skiers and walkers.
If you value the World Class XC Skiing that Falls Creek currently offers please sign the petition (link below) and share it far and wide. If you have time, please also fill out the reason for signing.
https://chng.it/MdtvnKHJLQ
It would no longer be possible to run the races on the ski trails as my ski club ran last weekend. The "Lakeside Development" proposal includes building car parks on the ski trail(s) and running cars, shuttle buses and school buses up and down the road. There are major safety issues, including the suitability of the road (esp for winter use), walkers, skiers and vehicles intermixing and crisis-crossing, the exposed location of the car parks and, the distance of the cars parks from the proposed refurbishment of the ANARE tin shed that is to become a trail head.
This is also only the first stage of the Lakeside Development. A document issued by FCRM as pre-reading the night before a recent consultation workshop was re-issued the next morning with significant material removed. The original showed a proposal drawn up at end September 2021 that included clearing also of the Panorama ski trail loop between the AGL corner and the ANARE shed and, construction of additional car parks between the ANARE shed and Panorama corner. It also showed repositioning of the Toboggan slope to the hill between the AGL and ANARE sheds, on top of the XC trails currently there. The removal of the only toilet facility near the Nordic bowl is also included as part of the car park construction. The current Falls Creek Master Plan drawn up after public consultation and signed off by the Falls Creek Board and the Minister is for a 3 season only (i.e. non-winter) development at Lakeside, has no removal or clearing of cross country ski trails and, Windy Corner remaining as the cross country ski trail head. There are no major concerns about the Lakeside Development. However, there are major concerns as to the devastating impacts of clearing of the road and creating winter car parks on the cross country ski trails, including the impacts on recreational skiers and our State, National and International cross country skiing events, especially the Kangaroo Hoppet. Please sign the petition. https://chng.it/MdtvnKHJLQ
Thank you.

This petition is trending 🚀 265 signatures are still needed! Save Falls Creek XC Ski Trails

Skikers Kevin and Luke were 1st and 2nd place Masters in the FIS roller ski and skike 10km race in Melbourne on 29 May. Well done gentlemen. Kathy competed in the women's 5km race.

Lukas grew up in the snow overseas. After more than a decade living in Australia he wanted to re-engage with winter sports. He was also seeking an activity that did not have the jarring impact experienced with his running. His search uncovered skiking and that led to a beginner instruction session with us. His ice hockey skating skills shone through straight away. He was very comfortable on the skikes, including on the bush tracks. Even the grazing kangaroos took time out to admire. He has decided to purchase some skike equipment and we look forward to welcoming him into our regular training groups.

Lovely Saturday morning skike including up on the Research Aqueduct.

Very high winds last Friday in Melbourne brought down a lot of large trees across our skiking trails.

We are working our way out of our 4th Covid lockdown in Melbourne. We were restricted to skiking within 5km from home but can now go 25km. It has also been high rainfall and strong winds recently, which has created some interesting creek and river trails. As we were double poling through a very muddy section a passing cyclist suggested that we were "four wheel driving!".

After hearing from friends about skikes, Joanna had a beginner session with us last month. She very quickly was comfortable and competent on skikes. Jo straight away decided to purchase and yesterday evening she collected her new v9 FIRE 150 skikes and one4YOU poles.

Today skiker Kathy was finally able to receive her 2020 Christmas present of a set of v9 FIRE skikes. Husband Luke upgraded Kathy from her v7 FIX CROSS. It took 5 months to get a shipment of skike equipment from Germany to Australia. We paid for air freight at the start of December 2020 but the shipment was not sent until mid February 2021 and it was shipped by sea. Kathy was one of the 9 skikers in our group skike this morning that for the first time skiked all the way up the Diamond Creek from the Yarra River to Wattle Glen and back to Templestowe.

George has been visiting from Sydney and joined us for Wednesday morning's group skike session. He returned on Thursday for a private lesson. He has not been a cross country skier but has taken very well and enthusiastically to skiking. The lesson was to help develop his skills. His skating and skiking technique improved significantly during the lesson.

Beautiful mild Summer early Saturday morning for a group skike yesterday. Eight skikers enjoying each other's company along the Yarra and Plenty River trails. 29km round trip.

Andrew loves to explore walking trails and discovered skikes. He had a beginner skike and ski skate instruction session with us and decided to purchase some v9 FIRE 150 skikes, adjustable length carbon fibre poles and spare parts. Hopefully he will not have to wait too long for them. We have been waiting since the start of December for a skike equipment order to shipped by the skike manufacturer in Germany.

Ern has ordered some skikes and today received a beginner skike and ski skate instruction session. He has skated on skis and is an accomplished telemarker. He did very well on skikes. Ern is one of a number of Skike Australia customers waiting for a shipment of ordered skike equipment to come from the manufacturer in Germany.