Let it snow
It’s snow time and Australia’s annual gay and lesbian ski trip Frosty Fruits is gearing up for another alpine adventure.
The six-day event at Hotham Alpine Resort takes place in August and offers gay and lesbian skiing enthusiasts a chance to hit the slopes in style.
Frosty Fruits founder Adam Bold said the event offers something different for the gay and lesbian community.
“We have a gay culture but it’s about creating something unique in the alpine environment,” Bold told the Star Observer.
“The big intention overall was to create a uniquely Australian gay and lesbian ski event.
“There are other events in the market and there are other events overseas … we actually encourage people to come to the event from all over Australia.”
Relatively new on the queer sports scene, Frosty Fruits Ski Week is in its fourth year. Starting out at Thredbo, the event now calls Mount Hotham in Victoria home.
Bold said Hotham was chosen for its unique accommodation chalets set amid the snowfields.
“Hotham is on the top of the mountain, which means the conditions are much better,” he said.
“Most of the other resorts are at the bottom of runs, so when you walk out of the door in the morning, you have to get on a lift and then you can ski down, whereas at Hotham you can walk out your door onto the run.”
Hotham is also accessible by air. It’s an 80-minute direct flight from Sydney, or five-hour drive from Melbourne. Bold said some holiday-goers also make their way by car, stopping at wineries along the way.
Frosty Fruits Ski Week is a fully planned trip, so once booked, there’s little you have to worry about. Apart from fun on the slopes, there’s also a healthy focus on après-ski events with activities, including dinners and cabaret shows, organised over five nights.
Accommodation is shared, which Bold says is a great way to meet people.
“The nice thing about the trip is about 40 percent of the crowd are solo travellers.
“We have single people who will come with a group of their friends, but beyond that there are people travelling by themselves who don’t know anyone.
“They’re able to get on and socialise with new friends.”
Bold said the cosy conditions last year also saw the trip’s first romance blossom.
“There was one guy from Adelaide and one from Sydney and I only twigged by about the third day,” he said.
“When I asked someone about it, they said, ‘Oh yes, it’s been going for a while’.
“When I looked back at the photos we’d taken, it was so obvious these two people were in every photo together, very doe-eyed at each other and completely enamoured. It was really quite sweet.”
The event is open to men and women and snow novices.
“We like our snow virgins, we usually have about 40 percent,” Bold said.
The Star Observer is a sponsor of this event.
