On this day in 1984, ski enthusiasts used their powers of imagination and positive thinking to participate in the skiing festivities. The runs were covered with green-brown grass instead of white snow skiers had envisioned.
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A Canberran woman had put on her ski boots in the Perisher car park to only walk about 200m on concrete, bitumen and grass to tiny area that was skiable. Other individuals clearly believed dressing up in their full ski equipment would spark the heavens to create "a freak snowfall of two or three feet', making the slopes skiable.
Despite the lack of snowfall, people were still in good holiday spirits as they had come to participate in the fun runs at Smiggins and Perisher. Nick Elliot, manager of Perisher, said people knew skiing was not going to be good at the beginning of the season but they came anyway for the weekend to experience the party atmosphere and holiday spirit.
At Thredbo, Reverend Roger Bush, of Sydney, was blessing the show, if there was any, for the 15th successive year. Rev Bush, a Uniting Church minister, was surrounded by members of the Thredbo Ski Patrol who donned new blue and yellow parkas and their skis, which had been unused.
Rev Bush said his talent was in falling off skis rather than staying upright - "I play - I'm not a real skier". The rest of the skiers at Thredbo were trying to make the most of the time there as they used their grass skis to provide some lighthearted entertainment.
![The front page of the paper on this day in 1984. The front page of the paper on this day in 1984.](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/232169359/96fbbd95-3008-439a-a469-58a136100032.png/r0_0_1112_1531_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
As winter hits Canberra once again, snow machines have been working overtime. Perisher stated its snow guns, some 200 of them, would produce snow for the Front Valley, Centre Valley, Mount Perisher, Smiggin Holes and Blue Cow. This year's snow season has begun on a more optimistic note as the previous year's snowfall only got going in late June.