Multiclass Snowsports Event 2024

Background

The Multiclass Snowsports Event was established to provide the support necessary for people with a disability, to participate and compete in snowsports, in a safe environment alongside the mainstream program.

This snowsports event is held in conjunction with the Victorian Interschools Snowsports Championships.

The Multiclass Event is open to students with an intellectual or physical disability, as well as to adult participants via the Special Olympics pathway.

To be eligible, participants must meet one or more of the following criteria:

• Be registered with Sport Inclusion Australia and hold a valid eligibility number.
• Hold a current eligible or provisional School Sport Victoria or Para-alpine classification pertaining to a physical impairment.
• Have a formal diagnosis of Autism and be able to provide supporting documentation.
• Be a current year member of Special Olympics Australia.
• Be a current year member of Disabled Wintersport Australia

To enter the Multiclass Race, participants must also have enough experience and ability to meet all of the following criteria:

• Independently stand on skis or a snowboard;
• Ski or ride unassisted, confidently and safely on blue runs (e.g. Little Buller Spur, Shakey Knees runs at Mt Buller);
• Shift from snowplough to parallel and hockey stop, if they are skiers;
• Stop confidently on a blue run at speed; and
• Ride a chairlift independently (e.g. the Fox chair at Mt Buller).

To access any services and benefits of DWA, participants must have a current year ‘Individual Membership’ with DWA.

DWA facilitates the Multiclass Event Instructed 2-day Development Clinic and provides accredited adaptive snowsport guides at a 1:3 ratio. As a result, participants must be DWA members in order to register for and attend the Multiclass Event Development Clinic.

2-Day Instructed Development Clinic

Participants are encouraged to register and attend 2 days of the professionally instructed and DWA-guided Development Clinic at Mt Buller on the Monday and Tuesday of the Multiclass Event. For participants who will be competing in the Multiclass Race, the Development Clinic is designed to prepare them for race day. For novice participants who are not yet ready to compete, this enables them to access instruction to build their skills on the snow, developing a foundation for them to build the capability to race in a future year.

Development Clinic times on both the Monday and Tuesday are 9:00am – 11:00am and 1:30pm – 3:30pm.

Opening Ceremony

The 2023 Victorian Interschools Snowsport Championships will officially get underway with fireworks and an Opening Ceremony in Mt Buller’s Village Square on the Monday evening of the Event. The Opening Ceremony is attended by hundreds of students from across Melbourne and the state.

Participants will collect their School or Special Olympics signs and participate in a fun Opening Ceremony march with their group.

Multiclass Event Dinner & Bib Presentation

Multiclass Event includes a Presentation Dinner on the Tuesday night, where participants are presented with their race bibs and have had the fortune of hearing from inspirational speakers, such as Paralympians, Olympians and other motivational public figures, about their journey. 

Multiclass Giant Slalom Race

On the Wednesday over 20 students are expected to enter and compete in the Multiclass Race. Race divisions replicate mainstream events, based on school year and gender, with both individual and school team races across all divisions. The race also includes adult athletes from the Special Olympics pathway.

The course is a Giant Slalom (GS) set, suitable for the Multiclass Event level of competition and is usually set up on Burnt Hut Spur. The race location will be communicated and confirmed by Interschools in the days leading up to the race.

Medal Presentations

The medal presentation for all Multiclass competitors will occur on Wednesday evening, as part of the Victorian Interschools Medal presentations.