Wanaka attracts FIS Junior World Champs
19 Aug 2010
2010 FIS Junior World Championships - Wanaka
19 - 31 August, 2010
Wanaka will welcome more than 300 top international junior snow sports athletes for the 2010 FIS Junior World Championships which begin this week (19 - 31 August).
The field will be packed with promising young snowboarders, many of them ranked in the top 20 in the world - including world ski cross champion Fanny Smith of Switzerland, and US freeski and halfpipe rider Hannah Haupt.
To celebrate the diversity of the riders in the competition, a 'parade of nations' will go through Wanaka town centre tomorrow (20.08.2010) to mark the launch of the championships, followed by a powhiri / traditional Maori welcome.
The event is one of several 'firsts', marking the first time that it will be held in New Zealand, and also the first time that the disciplines of snowboarding and freestyle skiing have been represented together at official world championship level.
Elite junior athletes
The event has attracted entries from 300-plus elite junior athletes who represent 16 national teams.
Hosted by Snow Sports New Zealand, the event offers a full list of snowboard disciplines for 13 to 20-year-olds - including halfpipe, snowboard-cross, parallel giant slalom, parallel slalom, big air and slopestyle.
The freestyle skiing will include halfpipe, slopestyle and ski cross. It’s the first time ski slopestyle has been included in a FIS Junior World Championship.
Strong field across disciplines
A strong field is promised across all disciplines.
Participants include Switzerland’s Patrick Burgener (16) who is ranked sixth in the world for snowboard halfpipe, and 19-year-old Helene Olafsen of Norway who is ranked world number two in snowboard cross and 20th for big air.
Victoria Marshall (19) of Canada is the top ranked snowboard slopestyle rider at 11th in the world, followed by team mate Samm Denena (15) at 14th.
Both Switzerland and Canada have entered strong teams with six and eight of their members, respectively, ranked in the world’s top 50.
Premier winter sports destination
Event organiser, Arthur Klap, said holding the Junior World Championships would further consolidate New Zealand’s reputation as a premier winter sports destination, following on from last year’s successful 100% Pure New Zealand Winter Games.
"Many of these juniors are world-ranked athletes along side athletes twice their age - they are right up there amongst the best in the world and it promises to be a very exciting competition.
"To have athletes of this calibre competing at two of New Zealand’s top snow sports facilities, Cardrona and Snow Park NZ, will reinforce New Zealand’s position on the world stage, plus it’s an outstanding opportunity for our own young freeskiers and snowboarders to compete at world championship level on their home turf," said Klap.
Wanaka ceremonies
The 2010 FIS Freestyle & Snowboard Junior World Championships take place from 20 to 31 August at Cardrona Alpine Resort and Snow Park NZ.
The opening and closing ceremonies will be held in downtown Wanaka.
Snow Park NZ will host the slopestyle competitions for both skiers and snowboarders, as well as the snowboard parallel giant slalom and snowboard parallel slalom.
Cardrona will stage the ski and snowboard halfpipe, ski- and snowboard-cross and snowboard big air competitions.
As host nation, New Zealand will have quota spots, providing the opportunity for the nation’s top junior riders and skiers to compete against some of the best juniors in the world.
Real-time scoring
Those who can't make it the slopes on the day can still keep up with the action live - as the latest real-time scoring technology makes the championships accessible through any mobile phone or web browser.
Virtual spectators can access the live scoring website at www.juniorworldsnz.co.nz or on the microsite http://live.eim-solutions.com
iPhone users can download an application called eFAN, available free of charge through the Apple store.
Background: Cardrona - Wanaka
Wanaka - in the South Island’s southern lakes region, and styled as the world’s first ‘Lifestyle Reserve’ - is a year-round outdoor playground.
The Cardrona Valley - with the ski resorts of Treble Cone, Cardrona, SnowFarm and SnowPark - is recognised as one of New Zealand’s premier ski destinations. The resorts have stunning lake and mountain views, all within easy reach of Wanaka.
This season Australasia’s first internationally-certified downhill course opened at the Cardrona Ski Resort.
The FIS-certified ‘Goldrush’ course is phase one of a NZ$3m upgrade that will add 150 hectares of new slopes and increase snow-making capacity.
Other new developments for 2010 include the Valley View quad chairlift, a 40m tunnel and additional car parking to cope with visitor capacity.
More information
New Zealand event highlights - winter 2010
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