The fifth annual event, which brings the best of the best in the mixology world to the resort for a madcap week of adrenalin and creativity, began yesterday - with a bungy jump.
The majority of the 45 bartenders arrived in Queenstown yesterday and were taken to the AJ Hackett Bungy site on the Kawarau River, where they jumped from the bridge and then had 10 minutes to make it to the main deck, where they had to pour four exact measures of vodka - 15ml, 30ml, 45ml and 60ml - without looking.
They lost a point for every millilitre they were out.
For one member of Team New Zealand Kapai, the challenge was not the perfect pour, but making the bungy jump.
Dan Miles (34), who confessed to having a fear of falling, had been dreading yesterday's challenge, saying it was his idea of "hell".
Mr Miles was to have tandem-jumped with team member Claire Harlick, but when her flight to Queenstown was cancelled because of bad weather, 42 Below's Dean Callan, of Australia, took her place.
Each member had to dress up as a superhero - Mr Miles as Batman, Mr Clark as Superman and Mr Callan as Robin.
With plenty of events and knockout challenges to come before the top eight teams compete in the world final on Saturday, Mr Clark promised yesterday was "just a taste of things to come" from the New Zealand team.
