Navy Alpine Snowsports
Core Values
Definition
Snowsports, in this context, refers to snow skiing and snowboarding. Both the ADF and the Navy Alpine Snowsports Annual Championship require competitors to descend steep snow covered slopes at speed following a pre-set course; the aim being to complete the race in the quickest time. Competitors must stay within a marked course. This requires extreme skill and precision, which places physical demands on the body to remain upright on the skis/snowboard and to guide the skis/snowboard in a specific direction. Staying in control of skis/snowboard and maintaining a speed that is within the competitor’s skill level is the key to remaining upright. It is also emphasised from a safety aspect.
Improves Physical Fitness
The definition above describes the physical demands of Alpine Snowsports at championship level. Both the Navy and the ADF Annual Championships are preceded by a few days of training, which are conducted all day every day. The races, together with the training, place considerable physical demands on competitors. By the end of the championships competitors have usually doubled their levels of fitness.
Encourages Esprit de Corps
Navy and ADF Alpine Snowsports is conducted as a team sports. The Navy Annual Championship provides Ships, Establishments and Commands with the opportunity to compete for team titles and trophies. Competitors are required to continually identify as a team throughout the championship, both materially with team uniforms/colours and mentally with team activities and challenges, both on and off snow, which encourages individuals to identify as a team and to think as a team. This promotes esprit de corps amongst Ships and Establishments. Similarly, the ADF Annual Championship provides the three Services with the opportunity to compete for titles and trophies. Competitors are required to continually identify as Navy/Army/Airforce throughout the championship, both on and off the snow, which encourages individuals to identify as a team and to think as a team. This has been observed to promote esprit de corps amongst the Navy Interservice Alpine Snowsports Team.
Presents Personal and/or Team Challenges
There are few other personal challenges than to descend a steep snow covered slope on skis/snowboard at speed following a pre-set course. To finish the course upright is an achievement. To finish the course in accordance with the Team Captain’s instructions requires further skill and team spirit to achieve a specific team outcome, at the sacrifice of possible personal vantage. As the race is competed individually, it is a challenge for the team to balance the individual skills of the members to achieve an overall team result that is competitive with other teams.
Development of the Sport
As snow skiing and snowboarding are popular recreational sports, the Navy Championship was developed to expose competitors to the pressure of competition and the demands of competing as a team with a team objective. As well, a continuous program of training and competition develops new competitors to replace retiring competitors (due to the demands of the sport) and to inspire competitors to strive for continuous improvement in their performance. The results of this initiative speak for themselves; Navy has performed very well over the past 10 years, either winning the championship or winning a significant number of events. In 2003, Navy achieved first, second, third in every race. The Navy Championship, as with the ADF Championship, follow the rules of the International Ski Federation (FIS), designed and used for Olympic level competition.
Extract from a report from WO Navy after attending the Navy Alpine Snowsports
Annual Championship
COURAGE:
Moral and physical - anyone who would attach two fence palings to their
feet and willingly plunge themselves down a steep slope, must have courage.
PROFESSIONALISM:
Both as a team and individually - regardless of being a novice or veteran,
everyone I spoke with literally exuded professionalism. Near enough was
simply not good enough. Everyone was striving for their personal best and
encouraging others to do likewise.
LOYALTY:
Total trust of those in charge and respectful of newcomers - regardless
of the service ranks, snow skiing is clearly a great equaliser when it comes
down to confidence building, and the indignities of ending up in a heap
at the bottom of the slopes (painfully for some).
DEDICATION:
Focus and perseverance - everyone knew that the mission was to identify
the best skiers to form the best team in the Navy and the ADF.
Updated 04 May 2006