Holy "switch left double rodeo 900 Japan" - Winter Games New Zealand starts tomorrow. Reporter Adrian Seconi offers up this beginner’s guide to the event. Just don’t ask him what a stale fish grab* is.
Winter Games New Zealand
More than 400 athletes from 23 nations will compete in five different sports for glory on the white stuff. The event pushes through the starting gate tomorrow with the FIS Australia New Zealand Cup Super G alpine ski racing at Coronet Peak and runs through until September 11.
The inaugural Games was staged in Dunedin, Queenstown, Wanaka and Naseby in 2009 and was an ambitious undertaking. It was roughly twice the size with about 800 athletes competing in 51 events. It was a biennial event back then and it gathered momentum the 2011, with close to 900 competitors.
In 2018 the decision was made to hold the event each year to provide a platform for athletes to build towards pinnacle events. Covid scuppered it for the past two years.
But it is back this year and the start list includes New Zealand Winter Olympians Cool Wakushima, Tiarn Collins, Ben Barclay, Gustav Legnavsky, Finn Bilous, Margaux Hackett and Alice Robinson. No word yet on whether the queen of the slopes Zoi Sadowski-Synnott will make an appearance.
Where to watch
For those wanting to watch the action at Coronet Peak this weekend, strap on some skis or buckle on a snowboard and head to the spectator area at the end of Arnold’s Way. If you are on foot, there is access to another viewer area via the learner express chair between 9am and 10am each day, free of charge.
Schedule
Alpine Skiing (Coronet Peak)
Tomorrow: Super G
Sunday: Giant Slalom
Monday: Giant Slalom
Freeski and snowboard (Cardrona)
September 1: Freeski and snowboard halfpipe qualifiers
September 2: Freeski and snowboard slopestyle qualifiers
September 3: Freeski and snowboard slopestyle finals
September 4: Freeski and snowboard halfpipe finals
Freeride (Remarkables)
September 3-8: North Face Frontier (Basically flipping and tumbling over the edge of ledges with as much speed and style as possible)
Stomp (Cardrona)
September 10: Big Air
September 11: Park Jam
What’s stomp?
Fair question. It consists of a Big Air and Park Jam competition. The format has been partly design by athletes so they can show off their mad talents. It will be one crazy trick after the next. More fun than fireworks.
What is at stake?
• The alpine Australia New Zealand Cups events (Giant Slalom, Super G) are part of the FIS Continental Cup series. The winners will be awarded a slot in the World Cup for the coming season. If the winner is not from either country, the highest ranked competitor will nab the spot.
• There is a World Cup invitation up for grabs in the snowboard and freeski events as well.
• The North Face Frontier is a Freeride World Tour qualifier, with FWT points on offer.
* A stale fish grab, by the way, is when you grab the backside of your board with your back hand just in front of your back foot. Yes, I looked it up.
