Australia's snowboard world champions, Alex "Chumpy" Pullin, Holly Crawford and Nathan Johnstone, were given a heroes' welcome home today to celebrate their record breaking achievements during the northern hemisphere's winter.
The trio was greeted by Olympic Winter Institute of Australia Chairman Mr Geoff Henke, other members of the OWI Board, officials, coaches and the media at a special function at The Icehouse in Melbourne's Docklands precinct.
Winter Olympic Games gold medalist, Steven Bradbury, hosted the function. The legendary speed skater recounted a year that was not only celebrated as the first season to boast three current world champions but also saw Pullin and Johnstone finish the season as World Cup winners in boardercross and halfpipe respectively.
Crawford came agonisingly close to making the World Cup successes a three-way reason to celebrate, with her end of season points tally leaving her a close second in the women's halfpipe World Cup.
OWI Chief Executive Geoff Lipshut said the function was a fitting tribute to the unprecedented success achieved by the three Australian Institute of Sport scholarship holders.
"The achievements by Chumpy, Holly and Nate have been outstanding, results that are better than we could have dreamed of," Lipshut said.
"There is no doubt that their successes will provide great motivation to the younger athletes in their sport where Australians show a real affinity.
"I think that we will see many young boarders during Australia's next few winters all wanting to follow in the footsteps of these great athletes."
Henke told the gathering that the successes were clear proof that the OWI programs, supported by the AIS, NSWIS and VIS are paying handsome dividends.
He said that before the inception of the Institute programs in 1994 that Australia's medal tally in international alpine sports was 37 in total - 12 gold, 9 silver and 16 bronze.
The current tally is 267 medals - 116 gold, 77 silver and 74 bronze.
"We are thrilled by the amazing results achieved by Alex, Holly and Nathan and in particular we believe the program will continue to provide the perfect preparation for the next Winter Olympic Games in Sochi, Russia, in 2014." Henke said.
The trio was greeted by Olympic Winter Institute of Australia Chairman Mr Geoff Henke, other members of the OWI Board, officials, coaches and the media at a special function at The Icehouse in Melbourne's Docklands precinct.
Winter Olympic Games gold medalist, Steven Bradbury, hosted the function. The legendary speed skater recounted a year that was not only celebrated as the first season to boast three current world champions but also saw Pullin and Johnstone finish the season as World Cup winners in boardercross and halfpipe respectively.
Crawford came agonisingly close to making the World Cup successes a three-way reason to celebrate, with her end of season points tally leaving her a close second in the women's halfpipe World Cup.
OWI Chief Executive Geoff Lipshut said the function was a fitting tribute to the unprecedented success achieved by the three Australian Institute of Sport scholarship holders.
"The achievements by Chumpy, Holly and Nate have been outstanding, results that are better than we could have dreamed of," Lipshut said.
"There is no doubt that their successes will provide great motivation to the younger athletes in their sport where Australians show a real affinity.
"I think that we will see many young boarders during Australia's next few winters all wanting to follow in the footsteps of these great athletes."
Henke told the gathering that the successes were clear proof that the OWI programs, supported by the AIS, NSWIS and VIS are paying handsome dividends.
He said that before the inception of the Institute programs in 1994 that Australia's medal tally in international alpine sports was 37 in total - 12 gold, 9 silver and 16 bronze.
The current tally is 267 medals - 116 gold, 77 silver and 74 bronze.
"We are thrilled by the amazing results achieved by Alex, Holly and Nathan and in particular we believe the program will continue to provide the perfect preparation for the next Winter Olympic Games in Sochi, Russia, in 2014." Henke said.
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