Accident follows two deaths on skifields

A serious accident at Mt Ruapehu last night has again highlighted New Zealand’s dangerous skifields.

Two men died on the same day last week at separate skifields.

A 29-year-old woman suffered rib and suspected spinal injuries when she slipped and fell more than 20 metres yesterday.

She was airlifted to Taupo Hospital.

A skier died at Mt Ruapehu on Friday after colliding with a pole underneath a lift operators’ shed.

It appeared the 38-year-old man had lost his balance while skiing at the Whakapapa skifield.

He was taken to Waikato Hospital with serious injuries and died on Friday evening.

On the same day, a man from Sydney suffered severe head injuries at Mt Cheesman near Christchurch.

He was snowboarding when he slid down an icy slope into a stony riverbed without a helmet.

He died in Christchurch Hospital on Sunday afternoon.

Mt Cheeseman manager James Young told the Stuff website he was outside the patrolled area.

NZ slopes claim Aussie snowboarder

A Sydney snowboarder has died after sliding down a deep ravine into rocks in New Zealand’s mountainous back country.

The 29-year-old technician, who was holidaying in the South Island with friends, had taken his snowboard off to climb the side of Tarn Basin, behind the Mt Cheeseman Ski Area, near Christchurch, when he slipped.

“As a result of slipping on the ice he couldn’t stop and just slid down into rocks, causing a massive head injury,” Senior Constable Dave Watkins of Darfield Police told AAP on Monday.

The accident happened about 12pm (10am AEST) on Friday, when the man, as yet unnamed, and his two male friends were climbing out of the basin after a morning of snowboarding.

One remained with him while the other went for help at the nearby ski field, however the helicopter rescue squad was not able to reach him until 3.30pm.

“It wasn’t easy to find him and things weren’t looking good for him once we did,” said Mike Mclintock from Garden City Helicopters, who said the man had fallen about 200 metres.

“The team had to airlift him out of there and work to stabilise him at the patrol rooms but the head injuries were really extensive,” Mr Mclintock said.

“They were limited as to what they could do so they took him straight to hospital.”

A Christchurch Hospital spokeswoman confirmed on Monday that the man had died on Sunday night.

Sen Const Watkins said the man’s family had been notified and a sibling had flown to Christchurch to be with him when he died.

“The shame thing about it all is that their holiday was wrapping up,” he said.

“Today (Monday) they would have been heading home after a good time but that’s sadly not the case.”

James Young, manager of Mt Cheeseman Ski Area, said Tarn Basin was popular with experienced skiers and snowboarders, especially after a snow dump, when conditions were “fabulous”.

But it had been two weeks since a big snow fall and, with several melt-freeze cycles, it was “firmer than it looked”.

“Like many of the back basins, it would have looked very inviting but the conditions probably weren’t as good as they seemed to the eye,” Mr Young said.

He said he believed the three men were “competent enough to be in there, from what I can gather, but it was probably tougher going than they realised”.

With several months of skiing ahead, and hundreds more Australians expected from across the ditch, the manager urged caution by all who opt to enter unpatrolled areas.

“Wear crash helmets and consult with snow safety officers before you head into any back-country areas so you understand what the conditions are,” Mr Young said.

“That is vitally important.”

The man is the third Australian to die on New Zealand’s ski slopes in three years.

Sydney businessman Llynden Riethmuller, 61, died in July 2009 when he was buried in an avalanche in a remote Southern Alps valley.

Tasmanian neurologist Stan Siejka, 51, died when he skied out of control at Porters ski area in Canterbury two months later.

The latest case has been referred to the coroner.

Parklife Invitational brings freestylers from mountain

Parklife Invitational brings freestylers from mountain to town

Up to thirty specially-invited freestyle skiers and riders will bust out their best tricks at Queenstown’s Earnslaw Park this Friday (August 12) in the ‘Parklife Invitational’ rail jam.

The Remarks terrain park crew will be bringing rails from The Remarkables ski area to downtown Queenstown where freestylers will go head to head on a purpose-built stair feature, covered by snow trucked down from the mountain, in front of thousands of spectators.

This year’s event is being held as part of the opening ceremony of New Zealand’s ‘100% Pure Winter Games’.

The Remarkables Ski Area Manager Ross Lawrence said the count-down was on for the iconic downtown event.

“Everyone up the mountain, from our Parklife team riders to members of the terrain park crew, are buzzing as they prepare for this,” he said.

“This is one of Queenstown’s major downtown events. The atmosphere’s always epic as onlookers enjoy a winter spectacular in the heart of the resort, while skiers and riders play up to the crowds and put on a fantastic show.”

The invitational athletes are well-known faces on the freestyle scene and compete for prize money from a $5000 cash prize pool, and product from The Remarkables, Parklife, Red Bull, St Goliath, Thirtytwo and etnies.

In the men’s snowboarding division, well-known names to look out for include riders Nick Brown, Nick Hyne, Mahi Mains and Hamish Bagley, while skiers Byron Wells, Matt Soundy and women’s skier Adie Lawrence are also guaranteed to put on a good show.

Fans will also be able to get up close and personal with some of the world’s best snowboarders from the ‘Thirtytwo’ team who are on a New Zealand tour and will be attending the event.

Food and drink stalls and tunes from DJ Turbohag will keep the crowds pumping while the Parklife Team strut their stuff alongside some of New Zealand’s top skiers and riders.

The event starts at 5.30pm with the first riding from 6pm onwards. The official Winter Games opening ceremony, giving crowds the chance to see Winter Games athletes and the parade of international flags, will be held at 7.15pm.

The event will wrap at 9.30pm after finals rounds and prizegiving. It is free to all spectators with the afterparty continuing at Subculture.

“The Parklife Invitational is a great event for all the family,” said Mr Lawrence.

“It brings some of the country’s best freestyle talent into town where everyone can see what they do. A fantastic effort from The Remarks Terrain Park Crew brings it all together, from building the jump to organising the snow and every other part of the event.”

Helicopters Staged from Barge at Base of Minaret Station

Helicopters Staged from Barge at Base of Minaret Station for Final Competition Day of the 2011 World Heli Challenge

Lake Wanaka (2 August 2011) – Competitors at the 2011 World Heli Challenge were treated to another amazing day yesterday during the final day of competition, the Extreme Day at Mt. Albert.  The day started in a most unusual way, with athletes and event crew boarding a barge that crossed the upper tip of Lake Wanaka heading towards the base of the Minaret Station.  The barge became the launch site for the helicopters, providing an extra element of excitement for the day ahead.

The final day of competition saw many athletes going huge with awe-inspiring cliff drops that had the spectators holding their breath until they were landed safely.  Several of the lines looked near on impossible to ski or snowboard, but the athletes showed us why they are the best of the best, making the lines look easy.

Highlights of the day included exceptional runs by skiers Ben Schmitt (USA) and Fraser McDougall (Wanaka, NZ).

“Fraser had one of the most ripping runs ever in the heli challenge,” said event founder Tony Harrington.

Snowboarders, Dave Saxton (Queenstown, NZ) , Mike Basich (USA) and Will Jackways (Wanaka, NZ) all showed stunning displays of technique and ability with amazing line choices.

On the women’s side, a few of the male competitors were overheard telling Australia’s Nat Segal that she skied her run like a “man.”

USA’s Drew Peterson (only 17) proved that he has a future in big mountain skiing.

“All the Young Guns put in solid runs,” said Harrington.  “It will be exciting to see what the future holds for every one of these guys.”

It’s hard to capture in writing the joy that was emanating from the four Young Guns (Calgary’s Mark Hendrickson, Hawaii’s Lyon Farrell, Australia’s Mitch Reeves and local Hank Bilous) first in anticipation of the day and then even more so after they each pulled off astounding runs.

Two-time World Heli Challenge champion, Ted Davenport, in a bid to regain his title, went huge on his first fun but failed to make his landing and destroyed his ski on the rocky ridges.  This didn’t stop him from going even bigger on his second run where again he had problems with his landing and unfortunately, this time around it was Ted who ended up injured.  Kudos to the mountain safety team and helicopter pilots who got to Ted quickly and were able to assess and extract him from the mountain.  In the end, Ted had broken his leg. Davenport’s biggest concern about the injury is that he’s getting married in two months and he is worried that his fiancé won’t be very happy with him.

The ridgelines were filled with several of the world’s top photographers and filmers, all vying for their chance to win the coveted award of best photographer or filmer at the first-ever World Heli Challenge Shootout.  Their photos and mini-documentaries will be featured at the World Heli Challenge Showcase evening on Thursday, 11 August at the Lake Wanaka Centre.  This event is open to the public, with tickets only $12 and available at the Wanaka i-site, Racer’s Edge, Southern Lakes Heliski and Base.

The athletes now have ten days to experience a mixture of off-snow adrenaline activities as well as taking in some of the culture of New Zealand.

Throughout these ten days the anticipation is sure to build, as the winners will not be revealed until the World Heli Challenge Showcase evening.

The competitors will choose from a number of activities including surfing with the legendary former world surfing champion Mark Occhilupo, bungee jumping off the Nevis bridge, sky diving, jet boating and mountain biking.  Those looking to tone down the adrenaline can choose to spend a day wine tasting at Rippon Vineyard, go golfing, fishing or just relax at a café drinking lattes and taking in the beauty of Lake Wanaka.

And, no trip to New Zealand would be complete without a day on a station. Athletes will be treated to a day at the Glen Dene station, on the shores of Lake Hawea, where they will have the opportunity to ride quads and shoot clay pigeons.  Also on offer, is an overnight adventure to the Dingleburn Station where they will be hosted by legendary big mountain skier, Bridget Mead.

For a personal look at what the athletes are up to, check out the World Heli Challenge facebook page where many of the athletes, photographers and filmers have been posting their personal take on their experience while here in New Zealand.

For more information on the World Heli Challenge, log on to www.worldhelichallenge.com <http://www.worldhelichallenge.com>

About the World Heli Challenge
The World Heli Challenge is a cross breed of intense world-class competition coupled with the adventure lifestyle that New Zealand is so famous for.

The event is held over a two-week period allowing for the best weather and snow conditions on the two fly days. The two competition days include a Big Mountain competition which tests the skills of athletes riding down steep, gnarly runs of the highest mountain peaks in over 5,000 square kilometres of the Southern Lakes Heli skiing terrain and a Freestyle Day, held in Mother Nature’s own terrain park. Points from the two competition days are added together to find out just who is the best all-round skier and snowboarder..

The remaining 12 days of the event days are equally as action packed with adventure and lifestyle activities.   Athletes can be found skydiving, white water rafting, surfing the West Coast (this year with former ASP World Championship Tour Surfing Champion, Mark “Occy” Occhilupo, who will be joining the event as a TV host).  They will also be treated to some down home kiwi fun mustering on the Glen Dene station, fishing, and spending a night at the Dingleburn station.

When the crew decide to ease off on the adrenaline, you’ll find them sitting back at one of the myriad of cafes around Lake Wanaka sipping on lattes, soaking in the views and reflecting on the array of lifestyle activities that they’ve been enjoying. The athletes will also learn about conservation with Lake Wanaka Eco Adventures and head out to sample some of the fine local vintage at the Rippon Vineyard.

For more information log on to www.worldhelichallenge.com or email info@worldhelichallenge.com.

2011 BURTON NEW ZEALAND OPEN JUST 1 WEEK AWAY

Wanaka, New Zealand (August 1, 2011) With much of the Northern Hemisphere sweating it out in the summer heat, snow is dumping in New Zealand – just in time for the ninth annual Burton New Zealand Open (BNZO) presented by MINI. Known as the Southern Hemisphere’s premier snowboarding event, the BNZO will go down from August 9-13 at the Cardrona Alpine Resort in Wanaka where top riders will compete in both Halfpipe and Slopestyle.

As the kick-off to the Burton Global Open Series and a 5star event on the TTR World Tour, the BNZO will get underway on Tuesday, August 9^th with official training in the morning that leads right into Men’s and Women’s Slopestyle Pre-qualifiers and Qualifiers.

The next day on Wednesday, August 10^th, things will heat up in the Halfpipe as Men’s and Women’s Qualifiers take place. The 10 men and 5 women who come out ahead will move forward into the Semi-finals.

On Thursday, August 11^th, Slopestyle will once again take center stage with an intense day of Semi-finals where the top 8 women and 16 men will advance to the Finals on Friday August 12^th. Be on the lookout for key riders like Mark McMorris and Jamie Anderson to take the Slopestyle competition to new levels.

Next up are the Men’s & Women’s Halfpipe Semi-Finals and Finals where Burton Team riders like Hannah Teter and Danny Davis will be competing for the top spots. Happening the last two days of the event, the Women’s Halfpipe Semi-Finals are set for Friday, August 12^th followed by the Finals on Saturday, August 13^th. The men will battle it out all in one day with Men’s Halfpipe Semi-Finals and Finals both taking place on Saturday, August 13^th.

In addition to the world class snowboarding action taking place all week, Burton is proud to announce a host of BNZO evening activities for both riders and attendees to enjoy. The party continues with the following list of nightly events:

• THE BURTON OPEN APRES BOARD ROOM: Starting Tuesday, the post-competition activities begin as Burton and Lone Star Wanaka present, “The Burton Open Après Board Room”, where attendees can sit back and enjoy some après time from 5pm until 10pm every evening through Friday. Taking place in the upstairs room at the Lone Star Wanaka, the Après Board Room will be the evening hub for all things BNZO including Burton movies, rider signings, SLS presentations and good, local hospitality.

• THE BURTON OPEN ‘AFTER APRES’ PARTY: The nights never end as Opium Wanaka will be hosting, “The Burton Open After Après Party”, taking place Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday, from 10pm onwards. Full DJ line-up to be announced soon.

• THE BURTON OPEN SESSIONS: The BNZO will host a final celebration, The Burton Open Sessions presented by Jim Beam, at the Queenstown Events Centre. It features an impressive lineup of top Kiwi acts including Shihad, Kora, Optimus Gryme, Tiki and Sunshine Soundsytem.  The official after-party for the BNZO will be from 8pm until 1am and a dedicated bus service will be running from both Queenstown and Wanaka return. For more information go to www.opensessions.co.nz and tickets are available at www.ticketek.co.nz

Full BNZO details and updates are available via www.opensnowboarding.com. The live webcast will be available on www.opensnowboarding.com and Redbull.tv from August 12^th-13^th.

THE NORTH FACE ATHLETE JANINA KUZMA

THE NORTH FACE ATHLETE JANINA KUZMA, AWARDED SNOWSPORTS ATHLETE OF THE YEAR

The North Face, the world’s premier supplier of authentic, innovative, and technically advanced outdoor apparel, equipment, and footwear, is proud to announce that sponsored athlete Janina Kuzma has been named Snow Sports Athlete of the Year and Freeskier of the Year by Snow Sports New Zealand.

In a year that was filled with success across all of the sports and disciplines that make up Snow Sports, one athlete stood above the others, Janina Kuzma.  Kuzma had an outstanding year on the Freeeride World Tour circuit and ended her season ranked third in the world.

World # 1 boarder, Jamie Anderson set to touch down in Queenstown!

Billabong Slopestyle August 4^th – 6^th

Next month Queenstown welcomes world number 1 women’s snowboarder Jamie Anderson to the Billabong Slopestyle event.

This laid back Californian is a huge star on the global woman’s snowboard scene and a key representative of Billabong worldwide.

At the tender age of 16, Jamie won her first Gold medal at the Winter X Games in the slopestyle event, kicking Shaun White out of the position as youngest medallist in Winter X Games history.  Now, age twenty, Anderson is the TTR World Women’s Champion. Plus she has picked up close to 20 worldwide competitions, with her eyes firmly set on the Winter Olympics in 2014.

A force to be reckoned with, this laid-back lady believes she’s living her dream.  To win another title will add yet another notch to her already heavy belt.  Jamie will be competing at the Billabong Slope Style at New Zealand’s Snowpark in Wanaka, from the 4-6 Aug.  This annual competition showcases the best talent in the slopestyle field; with competition heating up due to the large number of international and local talent who are all aiming to take out the big titles.  

“I am so excited to be in beautiful New Zealand! It is one of my favorite places in the whole World, and i always look forward to spending time there. I will be competing in the Billabong “Bro Down” event, the New Zealand open, and then i’ll have some free time to enjoy the Country! maybe go to the coast, sky-dive, Heli-board, i want to do it all!”  - Jamie Anderson

 

Skiers spends night on mountain

It’s hoped 250 skiers can make their way down from Mt Lyford today.

They’ve spent the night in the skifield cafeteria after the risk of avalanches on the road was deemed too high for them to come down yesterday afternoon.

The mountain is 2km from Waiau and 60km from Hanmer Springs.

Skifield owner Doug Simpson says he and other staff will go up the mountain as soon as there’s visibility.

He says they’ll assess the avalanche risk and deal to it with explosives.

“Then make sure everyone’s comfortable, make sure everyone’s got food, make sure we’ve got plenty of food up there and then we’ll clear the roads, which shouldn’t take too long,” he says.

Mr Simpson expects to be able to get people out of the cafeteria by about 9am, where he says everyone’s being fed and kept warm.

Mr Simpson and other staff will hit the hill as soon as they can see what’s happening.

“We’ve got two snow groomers we’ve got down the hill so we’ll load them up with supplies, head on out, assess the avalanche risk and deal to that with explosives on the way out,” he says.

Mr Simpson’s wife and his son’s fiancee are among those who spent the night on the mountain.

Go Large with Billabong at Snow Park

Go Large with Billabong at Snow Park

With large dumpings of snow and more on its way Billabong’s Slope Style is shaping up to be big.

To be held on August 5-6, the Billabong Slope Style presented by SONY is a two-day, 4 Star TTR (Ticket To Ride) Slope Style contest.

On its 10^th Anniversary and treated as a warm up to the TTR North American season, the Slopestyle has beefed up its rating to 4 Star and is already attracting a swagger of international stars eager to claim early TTR rating points. Big names already confirmed for the 2011 event include Antti Autti, Jamie Anderson, Zack Stone, Roope Tonteri, Risto Matilla and Marius Otterstad.

Planning to open with a bang, Billabong has pulled in Aussie super group Van She (www.vanshe.com), to play a live set at the Revolver Bar, Queenstown on 4^th August. The warm-up to the event kicks off on the 5^th August with registration and practice. Friday the 5^th will see the event in full swing with the qualifying rounds that include Open Men’s, Open Women’s and Juniors divisions.

Things step up another level on August 6^th with the riders going large, prize giving and then New Zealand’s own, David Dallas (www.daviddallas.co.nz) cranking the beats while everyone gets happy with Jagermeister.

BILLABONG SLOPESTYLE DIARY

August 4th Practice day for riders / Van She Live @ Revolver Queenstown

August 5th Slope-style comp day @ Snowpark

August 6th Slope-style comp day @ Snowpark / DAVID DALLAS & DJ’s Afterparty

August 7th Additional weather day / chill day

BUSES FROM WANAKA

Billabong is putting on free buses running on both competition days, Friday and Saturday from Wanaka up the hill to Snowpark. Buses leave from Good Sports in Wanaka at 7am and 8am, returning from Snowpark at 5pm on Friday 5th. Same deal for Saturday 6th with more buses leaving after the Woolshed party at 11pm and 12am.

The Billabong Slope Style pres. by SONY is also supported by Monster, VonZipper, Sony Ericsson, Dakine and Snow Park

Entries are available on www.billabong.com.au/event/96/billabong-bro-down

ACTION SPORT PHOTOGRAPHER

ACTION SPORT PHOTOGRAPHER & CREATOR OF THE WORLD HELI CHALLENGE, TONY HARRINGTON, OFFERS A WORKSHOP TO NZ’S CREATIVE COMMUNITY

New Zealand, 11th July 2011 – Legend Tony Harrington teams up with YOOBEE to share tips on shooting the most extreme elements of the surf and snow lifestyle.

Tony ‘Harrow’ Harrington has shot some of the most adventurous and extreme elements of surf, snow and its lifestyle around theworld for more than 25 years. More than a photographer, Harro creates and produces major adventure projects that have featured in media around the globe. As testament to his skill, dedication and passion he has garnered more than 150 covers and numerous global awards.

While in New Zealand for the World Heli Challenge, which he founded, Tony has joined forces with Apple and YOOBEE to bring the creativecommunity a workshop on digital photography. In the workshop he will focus on how to capture the moment and the impact mobile and social technologies have made on the photography scene.

“New Zealand is home to my major project, the World Heli Challenge, and to the Pro Photo and Pro Filmer shootout that plays a part in the capture of this epic festival. I am excited to be able to share some of my experiences with other people who are as passionate about this as I am,” said Harrington.

Richard Webb, CEO of YOOBEE, said: “The impact that mobile and social technologies have made on the world of photography has been game-changing. At YOOBEE we understand that technology is a means to a creative end and it is great to be able to partner with someone as esteemed in his field as Tony. The members of our YOOBEE Community are passionate about what they do and appreciate the opportunity to learn from someone of his caliber.”

Adventure & extreme sports photography workshop:

Date: Tuesday 19 July

Time: 6.00pm – 8.00pm

Venue: YOOBEE Newmarket, 123 Broadway Newmarket, Auckland

Guests must register at www.yoobee.com

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