Winter Games New Zealand close in style!
The Audi quattro Winter Games New Zealand closed in style with the Snowboard halfpipe and Freestyle Ski slopestyle finals last weekend.
The Audi quattro Winter Games New Zealand closed in style with the Snowboard halfpipe and Freestyle Ski slopestyle finals last weekend.
In Snowboard halfpipe, newcomer Raibu Katayama (JPN) and Cai Xuetong (CHN) took the men’s and ladies’ titles in a contest characterised by its increasingly high standard of riding. In only his third FIS World Cup competition, Katayama surprised the field by beating his compatriot, and Sochi 2014 bronze medallist, Taku Hiraoka and reigning Olympic Champion Iouri Podladtchikov (SUI) who landed in second and third, respectively. (Read a recap here).
In ski slopestyle, James ‘Woodsy’ Woods (GBR) held off stiff competition from many of the world’s best freestyle skiers to win the men’s competition. In the ladies’ event, the final run from Tiril Sjaastad Christiansen (NOR) saw her repeat her winning performance from the 2013 Audi quattro Winter Games NZ.
The Audi quattro Winter Games NZ, featuring the “who is who” of the world’s top athletes was staged from 21st-30th August 2015 and featured FIS Freestyle Skiing and Snowboard World Cups in halfpipe and slopestyle, and included Alpine and Cross-Country races as part of the respective FIS Australia-New Zealand Cups.
The slopes of Cardrona and Coronet Peak provided the terrain for the skiers and snowboarders while Snow Farm hosted the Cross-Country Skiing competitions.
FIS Secretary General Sarah Lewis was on-site last weekend to pay a visit to the opening FIS Freestyle Skiing and Snowboard World Cup competitions of the season. Since the Winter Games NZ were initiated six years ago, they have become a biannual highlight event of the Southern Hemisphere season.
Related Pages
Coronet Peak
Good freeriding resort offering some very nice powder areas. The resort management has a healthy attitude towards snowboarding here.
New Zealand
The pick of the Northern hemisphere countries with a great selection or regular resorts, club fields and some heli opportunities. They know how to build decent parks, but chances are you're not going to be waist deep in pow very often.
Cardrona
Okay all round resort