Most of the ski resorts in Australia now have modern trail grooming equipment for preparing both classic and skating tracks. However, it’s not that long ago that this wasn’t the case. Former Australian Team Coach and National Development Officer Paul L’Huillier has recently put together a history of Australian track-setting and trail grooming over the past 50-60 years.
Covering the machinery, equipment and the people involved in the development of cross country skiing track-setting/grooming, the history demonstrates the ingenuity of the early Australian developers of equipment to adapt to the varying snow conditions experienced in the Australian snow fields.
For both new-comers to the sport and those who lived through these developments, this 14-page summary provides a fascinating insight into the stages of track setting and grooming that have led to where we are today.
