In January 2020, Australia was in the midst of the largest national bushfire event in the countries recorded history. 17-million hectares of land was burnt across NSW, Victoria, Queensland, ACT, Western Australia, and South Australia. 33-people lost their lives. The country came together and collectively mourned the loss of our friends, family, animals, and land. The effects were felt across the globe as neighbouring countries watched with a heavy heart, offering supplies, donations, personnel; for a moment, the world seemed a little smaller.

In February, the mysterious virus that had been baring its teeth in several countries was given a title: COVID-19. By March, Victoria was declared a State of Emergency, and toilet paper became part of our currency.

Thus, began lockdown v.1. Bumps shuts its doors, and the home workouts began. The home workouts became tedious. The home workouts abruptly stopped. With the novelty of working-from-home and living room HIIT classes starting to wear off, many wondered whether the snow season would go ahead for some much-needed altitude therapy.

We tried to stay optimistic: “A neckwarmer is a mask, right?” According to consensus, they were! As we eased out of the autumn lockdown in mid-May, customers rushed into Bumps and snatched up the array of stretchy black facemasks, leaving nothing but trendy colours and patterns (much to the dismay of Melbourne fashionistas)

Snow had been falling since late-April, with 56cms stacking on the ground at Mt Buller and 60-80cms across the Australian Alps as we rolled into May. Buller’s new dam finished construction, and snow guns were finally added to Standard Run. The season was announced to go ahead on June 24th for Thredbo, Perisher and Buller; July 6th for Falls and Hotham. For a short-lived, breathtaking moment our hopes rose as the mercury dropped. Skiers and snowboarders clipped and strapped their boots as the snow guns fired.

Cue July, the Victorian second wave was in full flight as Melbourne and Mitchell Shire headed back into stage 3. We mourned the loss of Buller champion, Alex “Chumpy” Pullin, who died in a free-diving accident in Queensland. The winter of 2020 just became a little colder. Rest easy Chumpy.

Vail suspended its lifts in Falls and Hotham; Buller kept them running for lucky locals. For this we all owe the Grollo family a massive Thank you! Regional businesses and local retailers like ourselves are so appreciative of how Buller operated this year under less than ideal circumstances. This included the generous way that BSL refunded lift passes this year, as well as Buller Resort Management Board providing refunds for Resort Entry passes. 

To read Mt Buller's Wrap Up Click Here

By early-August, stage 4 blanketed metropolitan Melbourne and regional was hit with stage 3. The clouds began to part, revealing an eclipsed sun. In the brief moments those in Melbourne were allowed outdoors, we smiled behind fabric masks and nodded in melancholic empathy. “Bring on

It’s been a rough year for all, particularly for Metropolitan residents who toughed out the harsh conditions for months. The only saving grace may be that if there were ever a season to miss, it would be this one. As if the Victorian Alps knew of the hardships we were all enduring, the snowfall never seemed to cover much ground for too long. Regional locals managed to find some sweet spots in the backcountry, but for those of us who prefer to lap the lifts, the hills seemed to echo our emptiness. Maybe for the better.

A local summer is about to be upon us, meaning the skis are coated with a thick glaze of storage wax and Havaianas thongs are being dusted off. Restrictions continue to ease, and Bumps is happily welcoming you all from the hot sidewalk into our air-conditioned paradise (for our online customers, the air-conditioner is under maintenance). The wall between Victoria and (most) other states is being torn down, and just as we tentatively re-join the company of our neighbours, the state re-joins the unity of our country. With 2020 coming to a close and the memories of the imposing year slowly fizzling like a bad dream we’ll never forget; we wish for everyone to be safe. 2020 may have been unlike anything we’ve ever experienced, but it proved how resilient we can be in the face of adversity. Be kind to one another, wash your hands, shop local, and above all else: pray for some snow.