Jindabyne snowboarders Adam Lambert and Josie Baff have scored gold at Mt Hotham after stellar northern hemisphere seasons. Photo: Supplied – Vail Resorts.
Two Jindabyne snowboarders claimed gold at the 2025 ANC SBX competition at Mt Hotham over the weekend.
The three-race series is part of the International Ski Federation (FIS) Australia/New Zealand Cup.
It saw competitors from across the world descend on Mt Hotham to compete in one of the last major international snow sport events ahead of the 2026 Milano-Cortina Winter Olympics in Italy.
In the women’s race, 22-year-old Josie Baff took gold over fellow Australians Mia Clift and Maya Billingham.
“It’s always nice to come out of here with an overall win; it’s three days of pretty close racing,” Baff said.
”We got to experience every kind of condition, which was a good mental challenge to get us ready for the season.
“I’ve also been working hard in the gym to get advantages where I can for the season ahead.”
Baff has had a strong northern hemisphere season and is currently ranked fourth in the world. This win marks her 12th career podium.
Meanwhile, 27-year-old Adam Lambert, also from Jindabyne, took gold in his events, beating out compatriots Cameron Bolton and Declan Dent.
Lambert said the competition was excellent training ahead of the Olympics.
“When you get a good run, you get a good run,” he said. ”I was happy to be able to ride fast. The race at Hotham is always great training and especially in the lead-up to Milan, it’s invaluable, really.
“It’s something we as the Australian team get to do that no-one else in the world gets – all the boys and girls are really fast, they’re bringing serious heat to the competition. It’s exciting.”
It’s a serendipitous win for the Jindabyne pair, who shared a podium in March after finishing second as part of the snowboard cross mixed team final in Austria.
Baff and Lambert are among Australia’s top-performing winter athletes, bringing home several medals in FIS World Cup competitions between them.
Their success comes as Australia looks set to field one of its strongest Winter Olympic teams ever, with several athletes topping international competitions over the past three years.
Other Olympic contenders include mogul skier Jakara Anthony, who recently took 14 FIS World Cup victories – the most ever for a mogul skier in a single season – and snowboarder Valentino Guseli, who set a world record for air time last year.
These successes come as Australia has expanded investment into winter sports in recent years, opening a snow sports training centre in Jindabyne and a ski jump pool in Queensland to provide athletes with year-round training opportunities.
The Australia/NZ Cup now moves to New Zealand’s Mt Hutt.
