THE annual Kangaroo Hoppet cross country ski race in August will be streamed online nationally and overseas.
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In recognition of the growing status of the event, the Victorian government has provided $10,000 to enable the international and national coverage.
Highlights from the 42-kilometre event will be broadcast worldwide through the Eurovision and European Broadcasting Union.
The funding has been announced by the member for Benalla, Bill Sykes, who has competed in the seven-kilometre Joey Hoppet in recent years.
Dr Sykes said the event was a major tourism drawcard for Falls Creek, which provided an invaluable platform for promoting Victoria’s snowfields.
“As the only southern hemisphere event in the prestigious 16-nation Worldloppet cross country ski series, last year’s Kangaroo Hoppet attracted almost 1100 competitors from 28 countries,” Dr Sykes said.
The Kangaroo Hoppet is complemented by the shorter 21-kilometre Australian Birkebeiner and Joey Hoppet events.
“This funding from Tourism Victoria will be used to live stream the event via Fairfax websites and to take advantage of a broadcast opportunity to showcase the event interstate and internationally,” Dr Sykes said.
It will be the 24th Kangaroo Hoppet and will be held on August 23.
A range of related sport and social events will be held at Falls Creek and Mount Beauty in the week leading up to the event.
The event will be streamed live through all Fairfax websites, including the Sydney Morning Herald and The Age, and a 26-minute highlight package of the event will be created for distribution through the Eurovision and European Broadcasting Union.
Tourism Minister Louise Asher said the government was committed to ensuring regional Victoria shared the economic benefits of the state’s thriving tourism and events sector.
