Local competitors excel at Winter Games

Wānaka’s local athletes held their own in a hugely competitive World Cup field field cheered on by a home crowd who lined the top of the course over the weekend to get a glimpse of the Kiwi team in action.

In the men’s competition Campbell Melville Ives, Dane Menzies and Rocco Jamieson all qualified through to finals. In the women's competition Zoi Sadowski-Synnott qualified through to the women’s finals and Ava Beer (Te Anau, 15), despite not making finals, represented proudly in her first World Cup competition.   
 
After yesterday's weather resulted in a postponement, Winter Games NZ and the athletes were thrilled to get a successful day of competition completed today. Despite a windy start to the day, as forecasted, the wind backed off and we were greeted with a sunny and calmer afternoon. 
 
The qualification round featured 88 of the best snowboard slopestyle athletes in the world, representing over 25 nations, with Beijing 2022 Olympic Champions, current World Champions and 2024 X Games winners all dropping in. 
 
The Big Bucks course was perfectly manicured, thanks to the hard work of the Cardrona Parks Crew. The course featured three rail sections, with each section offering a variety of line options to allow the athletes to really make their mark and show their creativity.  The athletes then made their way through the triple jump line, with the three jumps getting progressively bigger and a shark fin take off on the second jump making for some exciting spectating. 
 
The weekend competition marked the start of the first event of the 2024/25 FIS Snowboard Park & Pipe World Cup season and the first qualification event for the 2026 Milano Cortina Olympic Winter Games. It was also the first FIS Snowboard Slopestyle World Cup to be held on New Zealand snow since 2017. 
 

Main Image: Campbell Melville Ives