The Competition Heats Up On the Mountain
Competition for pros who can’t keep off the white stuff and amateurs who aren't afraid to get their fancy dress on.
This article is sponsored by our partners Thredbo.
The first-ever Efterski Festival is shaping up to be Australia's most comprehensive snow-inspired event. Whether you're a pro who can’t keep off the white stuff, an amateur who isn't afraid to get your fancy dress on, or a filmmaker with a secret inkling that you could be the David Attenborough of extreme sports photography, you'll find a way to get involved.
Running over five days from September 10, Efterski centres around the Toyota One Hit Wonder Big Air, the only gold ranked AFP (Association of Freeskiing Professionals) event in the Southern Hemisphere. The world’s most skilled (and least frightened) freeskiiers spend four days showing the judges (and us — the whole thing happens in the sky, so it's visible for free) exactly what they can do with 100 feet of time in the air. Australia's biggest freeskiing cash prize is their inspiration. The winners are announced at the Saturday night afterparty, held in Thredbo Village and sponsored by Rekorderlig.
Efterski's second major event is the Atomic Alpine Knockout, a dual giant slalom. To be held on Friday, September 13, it's a new addition to the alpine competition calendar, boasting a $10,000 prize pool. Gun skiiers and snowboarders are still welcome to enter and, if sufficient snowboarding pairs show interest, a snowboarding division may well be on the cards.
Saturday, September 14, will be witness to the most universally friendly event of the week — the Rhythm Skim Showdown. Anyone can enter ("skier, snowboarder or snoller-blader"), as long as they're committed to turning up in fancy dress and risk getting wet in a 'pond skim'. Prizes go the Best Outfit and the Best Wipe-Out, with DJs providing some inspiration.
Finally, if you prefer to record the action, as opposed to becoming a participant, the Efterski's Contour Rookie Film Comp would love to see your work. They're looking for three-minute action sports short films that are viewable by a PG13+ audience, including at least one shot set in Thredbo and feature at least one point-of-view shot.
Of course, if all of that is sounding like too much action, you can always spend the weekend in the village, immersed in the 'Big Beats' dimension of the Efterski programme.
