Since the early 1950’s the ski clubs in Perisher Valley have organized and run the Perisher Cup.  It is a team event consisting of three activities - a slalom race, a jump and a cross country relay.  Each of the four person team competes in all three events with the best three results taken for slalom and jump.  The results of all three activities are combined to reveal the overall winner.

Result calculations would seem to be specifically designed to fry the brain with each team ranked against the best team result for each event and then the results of the three events combined to reveal the overall result.  Prior to computer spreadsheets the use of slide rules and HP programmable calculators were used and officials suffered considerable stress in tabulating the results.

Numerous trophies are presented including the Perisher Cup, Perisher Plate (Second Division), Perisher Bowl for ladies team, Perisher Pot for the most improved team and for individual event winners.

It appears that the Perisher Cup was an initiative of the Kosciusko Snow Revellers Club.  The following report on the 1953 ski season appeared in the Australian Ski Year Book of 1954.

PERISHER CLUB RACES

The Snow Revellers succeeded this year in achieving one of the dreams of the Perisher area - inter-club races.  The possibility of such races had long been discussed and the Revellers decided that there would be no better time than Six Hour Day weekend in October.  Invitations were issued to all of the clubs with lodges in the Perisher area and the early response and enthusiasm from these clubs foreshadowed an excellent meeting.

A cup, known as the "Perisher Cup," has been presented by the Revellers for· perpetual competition and a replica will be given each year to the winning club.  The races are conducted on a point score basis for "a four man team competing in three events: viz. Relay Langlauf, Giant Slalom and Jump”.

In 1953 the inaugural event comprised four teams – Cooma Ski Club, Telemark Ski Club, Snow Revellers and University Alpine Club.  Within a few years this grew to twenty odd and then to thirty teams with the biggest field being thirty-six teams of four competitors plus a manager (i.e. 144 runners plus 36 managers).  Thanks to the solid support of a core group of clubs including Cooma, Technology and Guthega the event has weathered a lean period but is back on track to its former glory days.

This year is the sixty- fifth running of the Perisher Cup, which must surely make it one of the oldest continuous Australian skiing competitions.  The Cup has run every year except for a few years where snow was minimal.

In earlier years membership of the Perisher Ski Association (PSA) and later the NSW Ski Association was mandatory and thus was instrumental in gaining membership income for the Association.  However in recent years the event has opened to include clubs from other areas and composite teams.  Teams from Guthega have dominated in the last few years.

All three events are held on one day with prize giving at the Sundeck at 5:00 pm.  Great fun and a good time for all.  Contact the Perisher Historical Society for more information or enter on the Perisher website.

To get Perisher Historical Society's media release on this great event, click here

For additional information please speak to:

Philip Woodman
Perisher Historical Society

Ph  0488 159 888