Snowmaggedon’s timing was perfect at Perisher, where the late June dump set up a perfect opening day for their new Freedom Chair at Guthega. Russ Henshaw was one of the first to take advantage.
Thomas Waddell, the ex-Aussie freestyle competitor who grew up in Jindy skiing Perisher, rated it his best season ever [to date to 2014], and gave us this lowdown how it panned out..
“Hands down best season I’ve ever had. You could pretty well send any rock that had a safe landing.”
That’s what I kept saying pretty much majority of the season. The snow was cold, dry and not so many sketchy ice patches around the mountain. Obviously this would change after a week of no snow, but then it would just storm again and we could repeat the ‘Aussie powder day!’ all over again.
I’d have to say I’m not one to stray away from the park a whole lot, but last season was probably one of the years I went skiing around the mountain the most. However, due to the such high quality of our snow, the park at Perisher I think has been the best it’s ever been, and I think it goes to show when you have almost every international pro rider here to ride the Front Valley park.
Now it may not have been the best season ever, but it definitely was well above average, and coming off the 2013 season where it just did not stop raining, most people were pretty stoked on how the 2014 season delivered.
When spring rolled around we got to ski Thredbo for the One Hit Wonder big air event. And I think because Thredbo also had such great snow this season they managed to build the biggest jump that the event has ever had. The jump may have only been 87 feet in length, which isn’t as big as the past few years, but it’s all about the airtime and the airtime on the 2014 jump it was insane.
The park crew at Thredbo really took advantage of the above average conditions they had too and it paid off. After the event spring riding back at Perisher was pretty fun. If you’re not in the park Mt P was probably the best place for in resort skiing, with fun quick slushy conditions you could pretty well send any rock that had a safe landing and not be too caught up in the soft stuff when you land. Plus if you wanted you could still make it up the mountain early for some surprisingly decent corduroy.
All in all #snowmageddon gave me one of the greatest Southern Hemisphere seasons I’ve ever had.
– Thomas Waddell
Only one week left to grab your Epic Australia Pass for $949 to get the most out of season 2021 at Perisher – it goes up $100 after May 10
More scenes from #Snowmageddon here:
