The 10th edition of The North Face NZ Freeski Open is quite the achievement for events in New Zealand as the organizers had to almost drop the freeride event due to massive budget cuts being post Sochi Olympics year. With some generosity from The North Face, Freeride World Tour and some key people banding together it was saved and with slopestyle and halfpipe also on the program it looks to be another great edition.
Photo credit © Neil Kerr - nzskier.com
Photo credit © Neil Kerr - nzskier.com
New Zealand has delivered a surprisingly high number of world class riders and they wish to keep this momentum. The local events have provided a stepping stone for some of the country's top freeskiing talents to compete on the world stage like, Janina Kuzma, Sam Smoothy, Charlie Lyons and Neil Williman. When asked how they do it despite their small scale ski industry, the event organizer Dion Newport, says that maybe it is exactly this “small scale” environment where the talents are so close to the champions that keeps the dreams alive in future champions.
Besides, New Zealand is among the few places where riders from the Northern Hemisphere can get in some decent training this time of the year, so towns like Wanaka are filled with international snowsport superstars as well.
1 September – Big Mountain qualifiers - held at Remarkables Shadow Basin, a south-eastern face with variety of terrain and features for technical, speed lines and some medium airs.
2 September – Big Mountain finals - held in Alta Chutes, famous freeride area with good coverage at this point in the season with multiple lines and airs available.
3 – 6 September – Weather days
Photos: © TNF Freeski Open
Source: http://www.nzfreeskiopen.com
