1 November 2024

A Tribute to Ski Racing’s ‘1 in a Million’ – Jack Coaldrake

There are some people who walk this earth and leave an indelible mark on every person they meet. Jack Coaldrake was that person and this has been evidenced by the tributes to him from all over Australia and the World.

The celebration of Jack’s life last Friday was a testament to him. Never have we witnessed an outpouring of love such as this. The thousands of people who attended the service, whether in person or online, were all a part of Jack’s incredible life story.

Jack was not only an exceptionally talented and determined skier, he was a devoted Son, Brother, Partner, Friend and Businessman. Jack was also an active contributor in our sport, participating in various committees, driven to improve safety and he worked tirelessly to help anyone improve their racing, even just giving them a start.

Much has been written about Jack and his achievements on and off water and so, we will honour a gentleman who set goals, worked diligently to achieve them, treated everyone with love and respect, and our sport and our lives are all the better for having had Jack a part of it.

Jack was our 1 in a Million and it is now up to us all to move forward in a way that honours Jack and his legacy, supporting the Coaldrake and Ross families and each other.

Forever 65

Member Update

Suspension of Racing Extension

The path that we have been on to lift our suspension of racing has been one of twists and turns and whilst our journey down this path has certainly slowed since Jack’s passing, we remain committed to bringing racing back safer than ever before.

Our Safety Team and Project Protect Team have remained focussed on their specific areas of contribution, however we are simply not going to be ready with an appropriate evidence based solution prior to the end of March 2025.

Therefore, in consultation States and Clubs and with NSW Maritime, SRA will be extending the Suspension to Racing to 30 June 2025. Doing so will provide valuable time for the SRA Safety and Project Protect teams to continue working on the best possible solutions and importantly, allow the Maritime Special Investigation to be completed without additional noise.

Maritime Special Investigation

Last week, SRA met Maritime’s initial requirement for information and we stand ready to assist in any way possible.

Member Forums

There is no doubt this is a longer journey than we initially envisaged and the reality is that we are all in it together. As we have said previously, we need your help.

We will now work with each of the States to hold a series of Member Forums, to provide you all with a more in-depth update and give you an opportunity to ask the questions important to you. Details to be announced soon.

Bathurst 1000 – Driving safety forward!

In conjunction with Supercars and Motorsport Australia, NSW Maritime initiated an invite to Ski Racing Australia to attend the Repco Bathurst 1000. The purpose was to observe the management of the event, discuss their use of technology and the safety frameworks that protect competitors, spectators and the public while keeping the spirit of competition alive.

Representatives of our Compliance Committee, Steve Shipp and Kelly Lindsell, represented SRA at this event and have come away with a wealth of knowledge sure to benefit Ski Racing for many years to come.

“When it comes to racing on water or on land, safety is the top priority. These events bring incredible energy and excitement, but they do come with unique challenges that require substantial coordinated efforts” said Mark Scali, Director, NSW Maritime.

“It’s not just about rules and regulations, it’s about fostering a safety culture across every aspect of these events, from refining technical regulations and embracing new technology to improving control measures and even addressing environmental factors. The expertise from Supercars and Motorsport Australia helps make it possible to cover safety from all angles.”

The Bathurst invitation arranged by Maritime, is representative of the working relationship that we have with them. Maritime are determined to work with SRA to help us through the issues we face and we appreciate their time and experience.

We want to send a huge thankyou to Tim Watsford and Phil Shaw from Supercars, David Stuart from Motorsport Australia and Adam Parker NSW Ambulance for hosting and sharing their expertise.

We also wish to thank Mark Scali (Director, NSW Maritime South), Darren Wood (Director, NSW Maritime North), Nayland Aldridge (Senior Maritime Investigations Officer appointed to the Special Purpose Investigation on Ski Racing), Dion Voyer (NSW Maritime Principal Manager) and Lisa Nott (Senior Special Aquatic Event Officer, Sydney Harbour).

Memberships

In respect of Memberships, we are continuing to work on a solution that acknowledges your support and we appreciate your patience.  The solution will consider a return to a financial year for SRA Memberships.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact your state delegate.

Yours in Ski Racing,

SRA Board