The Norwegian Men’s Alpine Ski Team and the Austrian Women’s are training hard at the Red Bull International Race Training Arena at Mt Hutt as the international training season hits its stride.

As Mt Hutt enjoys its best snow season in possibly fifteen years, its International Race Training Arena is attracting international ski racers and along with them, an international sponsor. Mt Hutt is gearing up for its first intake of ski racers including overall 2007 World Champion Aksel Lund Svindal who’s due to arrive this week, back from a horrific crash at the Birds of Pray Downhill in Vail Colorado last year.

A snowboarder has survived a cold night in the open just below Mt Hutt Ski Area after getting lost in deteriorating weather yesterday. The alarm was raised when the man, who is a French national, failed to turn up to work at around 6.00pm.  Ski area manager Dave Wilson said a rescue plan was immediately mounted.

The snow is piling up at Mt Hutt with 80cm of fresh snow blanketing the mountain and more snow expected. The Mt Hutt crew is holding out for the magic 1m dump to add to the ski area’s solid 1m base.