| 2008 National Team Reception |
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Australian Snowboard athletes have
just completed one of the most successful international competition seasons in our history.
TSC went along to celebrate with many of
Australia's top snowsports athletes at the Royce Hotel in Melbourne and to see
first hand who would take out the awards.
Aerial skier Jacqui Cooper took out the big award and was named the Snowsports Athlete of the Year by Ski and Snowboard Australia, with an amazing speach. Cooper edged out - snowboard champion Torah Bright - to collect the third award of her career. Bright gained some compensation by winning the Snowboard Athlete of the Year award, after having a superb year on the Global Open pro tour, winning the Nippon Open, the New Zealand Open and the World Superpipe Championships on the way to her second consecutive overall series title. Local Mt Buller boy Chumpy Pullin won
the snowboard Outstanding Achievement award after a great season is his first year on World
Cup. Torah's brother and super coach of
Scott James was nominated for coach of the year but narrowly lost out to
champion mogul skier Dales Begg-Smith's coach Steve Desovich.
The Junior Snowsport Athlete award went to rising snowboard halfpipe rider Nate Johnstone who received a bronze medal in a world cup in Canada earlier this year. Nathan beat out athletes across all disciplines along with NSWIS Development Coach Ben Alexander who won the overall development coach of the year award. Overall it was a great night for
snowboarding and leading up to the Winter Olympics in 2010 the potential
of Australian snowboard athletes is exciting.Keep and eye out for our favourite athletes over the
next year or so as they make there charge to qualify for the games.
 Snowboard Halfpipe
Torah Bright
Holly Crawford
Hannah Trigger
Nate Johnstone
Ben Mates
Scott James
Mitch Allan
Boardercross
Chumpy
Pullin
Damon
Hayler
Steph
Hickey
Alpine Snowboard
Johanna Shaw
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