The inaugural world junior snowboarding and freestyle championships opened in Wanaka last night with a parade of up to 500 athletes and officials from 27 nations through main streets of the host town, Wanaka.
Australian Dean Gosper, of the Federation International de Ski (FIS), and Wanaka's Juliane Bray (34), two-time Winter Olympic snowboarder and event patron, were among those who took part.
Bray was New Zealand's flagbearer at the Vancouver Olympics in February and represents snowboarding on the 12-member international FIS Athletes Commission.
She told the athletes it was an honour to be the patron of such a "historic and high-calibre event" and wished everyone luck.
"I am expecting world records and not just junior world records at this event," she said.
Gosper told the opening ceremony "this is a championship of firsts, as you will hear many times this week. It is the first championship in the southern hemisphere and long overdue. It is the first championship to combine the two exciting disciplines of snowboarding and freestyle. And it is the first championship to include slopestyle in both freeski and snowboard."
The world championship venues are Cardrona Alpine Ski Resort and the Snow Park, and competition in nine disciplines continues until August 31.
The event has attracted a strong field, with many fresh from competing at recent New Zealand snowboarding and freeski opens. Despite their youth, many are already ranked in the top 20 in the world in their disciplines.
World champion halfpipe freeskier Jossi Wells (20), of Wanaka, intends using the event to test his return to the sport after breaking his ankle two months ago.
Other world-ranked athletes include Megan Gunning (18), of Canada (3rd in freeski halfpipe), Fanny Smith (18), of Switzerland (5th in world for freeski cross), and Hannah Haupt (17), of the United States (5th in world freeski halfpipe).
However, an ankle injury has forced New Zealand snowboard cross Olympian Rebecca Sinclair (18), of Wanaka, to withdraw from her best event tomorrow. She remains hopeful she can compete in the halfpipe.
"The course looks amazing, really technical and the best I have seen at Cardrona," Sinclair said yesterday.
"I really enjoy boardercross and am truly gutted I can't compete on my home turf. It is very frustrating."
The United States has sent the biggest team of 40 athletes, followed by Canada (33) and New Zealand (31).
Other countries represented are Sweden (4), Switzerland (23), Norway (15), Chile (1), Poland (3), Bulgaria (2), Netherlands (7), Czech Republic (11), Germany (11), Philippines (1), Japan (22), Belgium (6), Andorra (1), Russia (23), Austria (10), Great Britain (4), Slovakia (12), Australia (26), Ukraine (3), Greece (2), Italy (6), Korea (16), Finland (7) and Spain (3).
THE EVENTS
> snowboard slopestyle, Snow Park, qualifiers and finals today snowboard-cross, Cardrona, qualifiers today, finals tomorrow
> snowboard halfpipe, Cardrona, qualifiers Tuesday, finals Wednesday
> snowboard parallel slalom, Snow Park, qualifiers and finals Thursday
> snowboard giant slalom, Snow Park, qualifiers and finals Friday
> freeski slopestyle, Snow Park, qualifiers and finals Monday
> freeski-cross, Cardrona, qualifiers and finals Saturday, August 28
> freeski halfpipe, Cardrona, qualifiers and finals Sunday, August 29
> snowboard big air, Cardrona, qualifiers and finals Tuesday, August 31
> closing ceremony, Cardrona, Tuesday, August 31, 2pm.
