Winter Games: Fields in 'tip-top' shape

Visitors relax in Cheryl Rutherford's garden during the Maniototo Garden Club's tour.
Visitors relax in Cheryl Rutherford's garden during the Maniototo Garden Club's tour.
Queenstown skifield staff are predicting excellent conditions for the Winter Games later this month.

Coronet Peak and Remarkables skifields will host freeskiing, snowboarding and alpine skiing during the Games.

Remarkables ski area manager Ross Lawrence said the snow pack conditions would be "pretty special".

"We are pretty rapt how things are shaping up," he said.

"We have excellent snow cover.

"It's in tip-top shape, especially for the events we're holding, like slopestyle skiing and boarding."

Skifield staff were fine-tuning the trails and features in preparation for the Games.

"It will be awesome," Lawrence said.

The snow base was sitting at about 135cm, and Lawrence said he expected more snow before the Games start on August 21.

NZSki chief executive James Coddington said the skifields' conditions had been "excellent" this season.

Queenstown had 75cm of new snow in the first week of August. Coronet Peak had about 160cm and Remarkables 135cm, he said.

"The snow is in as good a shape as it's ever been, and [there is] lots of it," he said.

He said skifield staff could not predict the weather.

"Everything can change in three days. We can't look too far ahead but we are hopeful for good weather."

August usually had more settled weather but the snow pack would be excellent for racing, he said.

"That's why it is scheduled for August."

He expected the skifields to remain open until October.

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