Top athletes heading for Winter Games NZ
New Zealand’s southern regions are preparing for an influx of the world’s top winter athletes for the inaugural Winter Games NZ - an international sports event billed as the ultimate lead-up to the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics.
From 21 - 30 August, about 800 athletes will compete for the top titles in alpine, cross country and freestyle skiing, curling, figure skating, snowboarding, and ice hockey.
With 24 events on the schedule, Winter Games NZ will showcase some of New Zealand’s top winter destinations including ski areas in the Southern Alps, the resort towns of Queenstown and Wanaka, the city of Dunedin, and the small Central Otago town of Naseby,
Queenstown welcome ceremony
Big crowds are expected for competition events. All competitions, apart from stadium events in Queenstown and Naseby, will have free entry.
Winter Games NZ will open with a welcome ceremony in Queenstown - New Zealand’s premier ski resort town - on 21 August. The closing celebration on 30 August will take place on Coronet Peak’s winter sports playground above Queenstown.
Queenstown, the birthplace of the bungy, is known as New Zealand’s adventure capital. As well as snow sports, thrill seekers have a wide choice of year-round activities, from bungy to jet-boating, canyon swinging and water sports on the lake and rivers.
International sporting names
As a qualifier event for the 2010 ESPN Winter X Games in Aspen (Colorado), Winter Games NZ will bring some top international sporting names to New Zealand.
Josh Loebeck, head freeski judge for Winter X Games, will assume the same role for Winter Games NZ, while Freeski Professionals Association president, Chris Schuster, will oversee slopestyle and big air events for freeski and snowboard.
Slopestyle / big air events - Queenstown
Remarkables Alpine Park - in the soaring Remarkables mountain range overlooking Lake Wakatipu and Queenstown - will host slopestyle events on a brand new course. In slopestyle, competitors perform tricks while descending a range of terrain.
Coronet Peak, a winter sports destination for more than 60 years, will host the extreme ‘big air’ events.
Launching off a huge jump in front of Coronet Peak’s base building and with dramatic backdrop of lake and mountainside views, big air skiers and snowboarders will entertain the crowds with their spectacular dare-devil tricks.
Curling - Naseby
Naseby, a small town in Central Otago, will host the curling competition, and the demonstration sport of natural luge.
The New Zealand home of the traditional Scottish sport of curling, Naseby has the southern hemisphere’s only indoor curling centre.
Nasseby also has the southern hemisphere's first snow and ice luge track - a 360m, 10-curve track constructed on hard-packed snow with a layer of ice. Allowing luge speeds of up to 70kph, the track will provide major thrills for contestants and spectators.
In the heart of Central Otago’s wide-open spaces and rugged terrain, Naseby is a base for outdoor adventures like walking and mountain biking. It is the gateway to the Otago Central Rail Trail, a 150km cycling and walking track through old gold mining spots and memorable scenery.
Figure skating - Dunedin
Dunedin, an historic university city with a Scottish heritage, will serve up the Games' glamour event - mens' and womens' figure skating - at the Dunedin Ice Stadium. This classy ice sports complex has a full Olympic-sized hockey arena and seating for 1850 spectators.
Classic trans-Tasman rivalry - a two-match ice hockey showdown between Australia and New Zealand’s Ice Blacks - will highlight a sport that's growing in popularity.
Dunedin is the gateway to the rugged Central Otago coast, and the Otago Peninsula - home to some of the rarest wildlife species in the world including albatross, penguins and fur seals. Otago region is a popular destination for off-the-beaten track holidays.
Cross country ski / snowboard - Wanaka
Snow Farm, Wanaka - one of the southern hemisphere's biggest cross-country ski areas - will provide the cross-country skiing action on 50km of groomed trails.
Cardrona Alpine Resort, Wanaka, offers a top-notch 22ft Olympic standard half pipe for the half pipe events. The huge half-cylinder course dug into the side of a hill will set the scene for the acrobatic aerial feats of skiing and snowboarding that are expected to be a major drawcard.
Wanaka, a resort town on the edge of an alpine lake, is the gateway to Mount Aspiring national park and Te Wahipounamu world heritage area.
More information:
Central Otago region
Dunedin - Coastal Otago region
Queenstown region
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