Aussie Harry Laidlaw Photo Nicholas Iliano

A famous theory states it takes 10,000 hours of focused practice to achieve mastery. In a sport where hundredths of a second separates the world’s top athletes, the 10,000 rule has proven successful for those skiers with the most access to on-snow training. But compared to the 7 months of winter access in the Northern Hemisphere, those living below the equator are challenged with a shorter window for winter recreation. Thanks to access to year-round skiing, ski academies for schooling, and two winter seasons in the same calendar year, some of the most successful Australian skiers have also been able to benefit from the 10,000 rule. 

Australia’s best

It may be few and far between, but Australia too can boast top names in alpine skiing. Zali Steggall is undoubtedly the most successful Australian alpine skier and she remains the only Olympic medal winner, capturing the bronze in the 1998 Nagano women’s slalom. She has participated in the most Olympic games of any Australian alpine skier, four, and captured a victory at the 1999 Vail World Championships.

Most recently, Greta Small has stepped into the spotlight, competing in the World Cup the last eight years and three Olympic cycles. While Steggall spent her childhood chasing winter year-round in France, Small emulated by migrating to the Tyrol region in Austria from Mt. Hotham in Australia.

From Zali Steggall—Australia’s most famous alpine skier—to University of Utah’s Katie Parker to 26-year-old Harry Laidlaw, the best-ranked Aussie in the world, these athletes have split their time between two hemispheres, skiing in winter conditions almost year-round while rising to the peak of their careers.

Laidlaw is currently the best-ranked Australian

If you followed the NorAm circuit last season, this is not the first time you have heard of Harry Laidlaw. After recovering from a November 2020 ACL tear, Laidlaw won three consecutive NorAm GS races in his comeback season, scoring points in the teens and moving his world ranking to 31^st for the discipline. Laidlaw’s current world rank is the best for a male Australian tech skier in almost 40 years.

At just two years old, Melbourne’s Laidlaw started skiing with his winter-enthusiastic parents. By the age of six, Laidlaw was splitting his time between freestyle and racing at the Mt. Hotham Race Club. It wasn’t until 16 that he fully committed to ski racing and moved to the U.S. to attend Burke Mountain Academy. Laidlaw spent nine months of the year at Burke and the remaining time with his club at Mt. Hotham in Australia. After graduating high school, Laidlaw joined Global Racing in Austria where he has spent the last seven years with coach Paul Epstein.

The more Laidlaw ski races, the more he loves it

“The longer I have been involved in the sport, the more passionate I have become about racing,” said Laidlaw. “The days you get on the snow to practice your craft make it even more special.”

Before his ACL injury in 2020, Laidlaw’s GS ranking had hovered around the top 100. While recovering, despite the time away from the snow, he found a new perspective and focused on the mental aspects that had prevented him from progressing. When he returned to snow, Laidlaw felt he had something to prove to himself, and with his new Völkl ski sponsorship, he found the motivation to succeed.

“It took me a while to get my momentum back,” said Laidlaw. “I struggled with high pressure situations and race day anxiety. Behind every racer there’s a support team, and I couldn’t have achieved anything last season without mine.”

After missing the criteria for the 2022 Olympics, Laidlaw headed to the U.S. for the February NorAm races alongside the other Global Racing athletes who did not qualify for Beijing. With three wins over three races, Laidlaw’s world ranking skyrocketed from 170^th to 31^st in a matter of days.

“I’m incredibly proud of my achievements, but I know that I can still go a lot further,” said Laidlaw. “There have been great racers before me; AJ Beer, Steven Lee, Jono Brauer, Zali Steggall, and I plan to be among them.”

Utah Ute qualifies for then misses the Olympics due to injury

Meanwhile, another U.S.-based Aussie did qualify for the 2022 Olympics, Utah sophomore and Rowmark Ski Academy alumni Madison Hoffman. One of four Sydney-based Hoffman siblings who have spent their athletic pursuits between the U.S. and Australia, 21-year-old Madi was set to make her Olympic debut before suffering an ACL injury competing in the Utah Invitational prior to the games. Hoffman had already captured multiple NCAA podiums in her collegiate career before her season-ending injury. Her three younger brothers are also not shy about turning heads, with Thomas and Harry actively progressing through the FIS and NorAm rankings, and their youngest brother Jack capturing gold since his days as a U10.

Parker was ready to step in and attend the Olympics

With an Olympic spot open for Australia, Utah teammate, Melbourne’s Katie Parker qualified for the games just after winning her first college race. Parker started skiing at the age of five at Mt. Buller in Australia. After Parker closely trailed her dad down a course on a family trip to Japan, she enrolled in the Mt. Buller Race Club and was racing by eight years old. Parker went on to become the Australian champion for several years before moving to the U.S. to attend Sugar Bowl Academy for her final three years of high school.

“I traveled overseas to the U.S. because I wanted to see if I could compete on an international scale,” shared Parker. “It was challenging to get better when the season is only three months long in Australia.”

Parker started by attending a four-month long camp in Winter Park, CO. When she got a podium at the Junior U.S. Championships and consistently competed with the best girls in her age group, Parker’s time away from school and Australia left her parents encouraging her to attend a ski academy for her remaining time in high school.

Pursuing the collegiate ski team system

“Going to an American high school, I learned a lot about the college system,” said Parker. “I decided to take a gap year to lower my FIS points and have a chance to ski for one of the best D1 schools.”

After skiing the college circuit in her gap year, Utah decided to take a chance on Parker. However, when she enrolled, she had the worst rankings on the team. Parker saw the opportunity to grow and get faster and finally took a third-place finish at the NCAA national championships last year.

“My teammates and Olympic experience contributed a lot to my success last season,” Parker shared. “I am extremely grateful to have become an Olympian for Australia, but I couldn’t have done it without the people around me: my family, teammates, coaches, and teachers.”

Northern hemisphere continues to contribute to Australian success

Despite different ages, upbringings, and programs in Australia, these Aussies share a common story on their paths to success. While Parker returns to Utah for her fifth and final year on the ski team, Laidlaw will kick off the 2022-23 season full time on the World Cup, with expectations to compete in the top 30. Hoffman continues to recover for her return to snow.

“I see a lot of amazing athletes coming through the Australian system and I would love to bring more athletes to the sport of skiing,” said Laidlaw. “I want to be the trailblazer for alpine skiing in Australia, to bring recognition and support to grass roots skiing.”