Pete Forras is a legend of the Aussie snow industry, Buller born and raised, ex-racer and Winter Olympian, co-founder of Australian snow brand XTM performance and a full on snow frother!

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Inside this year’s edition, we’ve packed stories that reach from local hill laps to far-flung backcountry dreams — a full celebration of skiing in all its messy, joyful, unpredictable glory. We kick things off at home with young Aussie freeride phenom Finn Jacobsen, whose rise through the junior freeride ranks is the kind of story that makes you stop and wonder what the next generation is really capable of.

From there, it’s a deep dive into some of the season’s standout moments: Billy Lloyd-Blainey’s double backie over the Charlotte Pass road gap; Kai Jones’ emotional comeback from a brutal injury; and a look at what it took for Charles Beckinsale and his crew to build Australia’s biggest jump and a world-class superpipe — right in the middle of one of the lowest-snow years in memory.

But it’s not all local. We went global too. To Hakuba, where the storms kept rolling in and the powder was as deep as it gets. To Chamonix, where big mountains meet bigger consequences. To BC’s Powder Highway, chasing cold smoke turns through Kicking Horse, Revelstoke, and Fernie — a reminder that the road trip remains the purest form of ski adventure.

And if you’re just here for the gear, we’ve got you covered. Our Chillfactor Picks section is back with some of the best new kit for the 2025 season — jackets, skis, boots, and tech from trusted brands, plus insights from those who’ve put it all through the wringer.

This is our 26th year telling the stories that matter to Aussie skiers. From seasoned tourers to stoked groms just finding their edges, Chillfactor 2025 is for anyone who knows that even an average snow season can hold some unforgettable days. All you’ve got to do is show up.Available now in newsagents across Australia and New Zealand — or head to subscribe.chillfactor.com to subscribe and have it delivered straight to your door.

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Also, the peak snow depth for a season is usually reached in August or September and this year, for the second time since 2014, it was July that saw the apex before things started to slide.  Last time that happened was 2021 when late July was the peak with 183cms.

However, like all seasons in Australia, there were plenty of fun days on the hill, including a good run of powder days and cold winter snow in late June and early July, a rare bonus for the busy school holiday period.

The back half of July was all about ripping turns on piste while the freeski crew enjoyed plenty of sunny days with light winds and the terrain parks were the hub of the activity, energy and fun.

However, due to El Nino induced warm temps there was a slow but steady decline in the snowpack during that period, with minimal snowmaking, warm northwest winds and a couple of rain events. That trend continued in August which saw a couple of teasing 10cm top-ups, but unseasonably warm weather in between.

The meltdown continued in September although a strong storm on September 8^th dropped 25cms of snow across the Snowy Mountains – the biggest storm since early July – resulting in one of the better mornings of the season. 

Now while the stats on snowfalls and base depth put the comparative season rating into the lower tiers, there were some definite highlights and if you were there at the right time there was good fun to be had. As usual, to score those magic moments it’s all about putting in the time, taking chances and being on the hill.  You need to make your own luck, especially in these tricky seasons.  Let’s hope we’ve paid our dues with a few not-so-great ones in recent years and we’re ever-hopeful a good one is on the way.

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