Tom Glavas is proof age is no barrier to significant sporting accomplishment.
The 79-year-old from Yellow Rock will compete in the Australian Masters at Perisher in the Snowy Mountains this weekend.
After last week’s warm weather he’s hoping there’s still snow on the ground, when he straps on his skis to compete in the slalom, giant slalom and super-G (super giant slalom), in the 75 years and older category.
All events involve skiing downhill, between sets of gates, reaching speeds up to 90km/hr.
While living in the Mountains restricts him from regular practice on the snow fields, he makes the most of weekends away and annual training camps.
At home he keeps in shape with regular stretching and training on his homemade skier’s edge. The contraption simulates the movement of flying down the ski slopes and around the gates, and by his own ingenuity, he has saved himself thousands.
“I grew up on the snow. It was my passion as a kid,” Mr Glavas said.
Raised in Croatia, Mr Glavas learned to ski by strapping two pieces of timber to his feet, held together by a strap across the toe.
Consequently, there was no capacity for turning, and he’d tackle the ski slopes by heading straight down.
His particular skiing style has earned him the nickname “Tomba”, after Italian Alberto Tomba, who also liked to ski straight down the mountain.
Despite numerous skiing injuries, nothing can keep Mr Glavas away from the snow.
“The Masters are like a family. You train together, ski together and pass information on – you give feedback on form – and of course there’s the competition. Although they are your friend, you still want to beat them.”
Earlier this month he competed in a NSW Masters at Guthega, taking home gold in the super-G and giant slalom, and silver in the slalom.
He’s quietly confident about next weekend’s competition. “It will be fierce competition. I’m hoping to win something but you never know. It depends on the day.”
And there’s no thoughts on hanging up the ski boots just yet. “I will keep at it as long as I can. I try to keep fit as best I can,” Mr Glavas said.