KIWIS RECLAIM TITLES

AT THE NORTH FACE BIG MOUNTAIN 2010..and The North Face team riders rock the podium in the men’s and women’s categories!

The Volkl NZ Freeski Open came to a spectacular close at Treble Cone Ski Area today with The North Face athlete
Janina Kuzma (Wanaka) and Alex Lynden (Auckland) crowned champions in the women’s and men’s divisions of The North Face Big Mountain Event.

The North Face Team Rider, Janina Kuzma, made it her sixth consecutive freeride tournament victory in a row, taking out the women’s category with a score of 8.65.
She skied in her normal strong style, linking a couple of good airs together and skiing aggressively from top to bottom, showing the judges why she’s earned a spot on the Freeride World Tour.

“It was a great day, the women were straight off the bat and there were solid conditions but great smooth run outs.
We had to watch out for the avalanche debris at the bottom but all in all it couldn’t have been better,” said Kuzma
“I’m stoked to hold my title and be six time champion.”

Kuzma added “Having Mitchey Grieg there added a bit of pressure, she’s an Olympian.
Having a name like that competing in a different discipline brings so much hype for women in our sport and keeps us on our toes.
I hope she keeps doing the big mountain comps.”

New Zealand’s Mitchey Greig, also The North Face Team Rider and Skier Cross Olympian, placed second, and Lorraine Huber, Austria, took out third.

In the men’s category, Lynden’s line was extremely technical, he skied the fall line from top to bottom, linking the most airs in one run.
He ended with a score of 8.425 out of 10. Hot on his heels was American B Devine, a park skier who as a youth trained in moguls and ski racing with a score of 8.325.
He showed progression in the sport, while choosing an easier line he incorporated his park style throughout the run and skied strongly to the finish.
Kiwi skier and The North Face team rider, Fraser McDougall, secured third with a score of 7.850.

“The eighth time’s a charm,” said Lynden. After eight shots at the podium, Lynden earned his spot at the top today.
This is his second win at a Big Mountain competition, the first being at the inaugural Export Extreme Big Mountain competition at his home mountain Ruapehu.

Establishing itself as the biggest event of its kind in the southern hemisphere and attracting athletes from across the globe,
the Volkl NZ Freeski Open has now been officially recognised on the international freeski World Tour alongside the world’s biggest freeski events.

The North Face Big Mountain became a qualifying event for the Freeride World Tour last year and continues this year as a three star event on the tour.

The terrain in the Motatapu Chutes offered riders a huge variety of line choices with some of the steepest and most challenging terrain in the backcountry of Treble Cone ski area.

‘The North Face Sessions’ is back again this year with a heli-accessed back country expression session hosted by Southern Lakes Heli for winners of The North Face Big Mountain competition.

The North Face Sessions are scheduled for Saturday, 21 August, weather permitting.