By Derek Schlennstedt
The first time Raoul Picot came to Mt Baw Baw was with the scouts in mid-1955.
“I first skied at Mt Baw Baw back when you walked about the kilometres to the top and it took you over an hour to get there and put the skis on,” Mr Picot said.
This first introduction to the snow was one which would have a strong bearing on his life and would see him undertake a 53 year-long unbroken career in Ski Patrolling, and in the process earn him a Medal of the Order of Australia.
After years of volunteering as a ski patroller at Baw Baw, and helping to create and improve the services provided to ski patrollers, The Patch resident said he was more surprised than anyone when on Australia Day he received a Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) for his service to ski patrol organisations.
“What got me into ski patrolling is I went overseas in the sixties and skied ski patrol over for three seasons … I’ve been involved ever since,” he said.
Having patrolled in Canada and America Mr Picot saw the requirements that professional ski patrols needed and brought that knowledge back to Australia.
“We built a club in Hotham, in 1969, and the first thing they did was put me in charge.”
“I saw in the first few years we were having trouble at Hotham … we weren’t getting the same privileges or help from managements as in Canada.
“I’ve always wanted to see things done correctly and rightly.”
To ensure that things were done correctly Mr Picot helped in the creation of the Australian Ski Patrol Association; an association formed to provide support for the Ski Patrol community by promoting awareness of the need for high standards of safety in Australian Alpine Areas.
“It was run on a shoestring for the first few years first thing and we’d get the patrols together from each mountain and ask what help they needed.”
“Since then it’s gone from a backyard show to a professional organisation, producing a professional first aid course that is purely set up for ski patrol.”
While Mr Picot has dedicated half a century to ski patrolling, his other passion lies closer to home, in his own town of Monbulk, where he has been heavily involved in the revitalisation of the Monbulk Care Shop.
As a mission of Open Door Community Church, Monbulk Care Network uses volunteers to staff Monbulk Care Shop where good quality second-hand items are sold.
The money raised assists with the provision of welfare assistance to people in the Monbulk area.
“We love living up here,” Mr Picot said.
“The income from here goes straight to the community … it’s a welfare situation for the Monbulk community which I’m fully behind, for the schools, SES, CFA, everyone we can contribute to including the general public.”
In recent years Mr Picot has been lobbying the Federal Government to grant National medals to ski patrol volunteers and still spends much of his time in winter on the slopes of Mt Baw Baw.
Though, he conceded that he has had to take a step back, and has a new duty of watching the grandkids.
“Even though I’m still there at Baw Baw, I’m looking after the grandchildren instead of looking after all the skiers.”
