100% Pure NZ Winter Games 2011 confirmed
31 Aug 2010
With the 2010 FIS Snowboard and Freestyle Junior World Champs over today (31.08.2010), elite junior winter sports athletes from around the world are packing their bags to leave New Zealand - but many of them will now have high hopes of returning.
Next time round, it could be for the 100% Pure New Zealand Winter Games which have just been announced for 13 - 28 August 2011.
In a fitting climax to the FIS Juniors - the final event in a highly charged 2010 winter sports calendar in New Zealand’s Southern Alps - Winter Games NZ chairman Sir Eion Edgar revealed that the second edition of the 100% Pure New Zealand Winter Games had been confirmed for 2011.
Snow & ice sports competition
Expanding on the successful inaugural event in 2009, the 100% Pure New Zealand Winter Games would feature 16 days of snow and ice sports competition, Sir Eion said.
The Winter Games event was expected to attract over 1,000 elite international athletes to New Zealand.
Planning was already well advanced and with the success of this year’s Junior World Championships the organisers expected "even bigger and more competitive fields next year," Sir Eion said.
He was speaking at the closing ceremony of the 2010 FIS Snowboard and Freestyle Junior World Championships, which took place in Lake Wanaka.
Global sports history
The 2009 100% Pure New Zealand Winter Games made global snow sports history by producing the first winter sports event of its kind outside of the Winter Olympics, and by combining adaptive and able-bodied athletes in an elite event.
The event's importance on the elite snow sports calendar was confirmed, not only by the significant field it attracted, but by the number of competitors who went on to win medals at the Winter Olympics and Paralympics in Vancouver.
Seven Paralympic and 10 Olympic medallists had competed at Winter Games, including the entire men’s snowboard halfpipe podium.
New sports
For 2011 the programme has been expanded with the inclusion of two new sports, and a new location.
Mt Hutt Ski Area - in the Christchurch - Canterbury region - will host the Super G and Adaptive Super G alpine skiing events. The remaining alpine skiing events will stay at Coronet Peak, in Queenstown.
Dunedin, which will provide the ice sports centre, will see an increase in events with the inclusion of speed skating. In addition, the ice hockey tournament will feature four international teams in a round robin play-off, and figure skating at the Games opening.
The ice programme will be rounded out by the curling programme in Naseby, Maniototo which has been extended to include mixed pairs.
Winter Triathlon
Another new addition is Winter Triathlon at Snow Farm, near Wanaka which was a demonstration event at the 2009 Winter Games. Snow Farm will also host the adaptive and able-bodied cross-country.
Cardrona Alpine Resort near Lake Wanaka will host the free ski and snowboard halfpipe and big air events, together with the snowboard cross and ski cross racing. Freeski and snowboard slopestyle will take place cross the valley at Snow Park NZ.
Central and local government supporters of 100% Pure New Zealand Winter Games are New Zealand Major Events, SPARC, Tourism New Zealand, Dunedin City Council, Queenstown Lakes District Council, Christchurch City Council, Lake Wanaka Tourism, Destination Queenstown, Tourism Dunedin, Christchurch & Canterbury Tourism, and Ashburton District Tourism.
More information
2010 FIS Snowboard and Freestyle Junior World Champs
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