$6m boost for Winter Games NZ

Winter Games NZ has secured its future for the next five years with $6 million in funding from Central Government.

The international snowsports competition, which takes place on Queenstown Lakes skifields each year, will be boosted by the support through the New Zealand Major Events Fund, through to 2027.

Winter Games NZ CEO, Marty Toomey says the funding provides long-term confidence to organisers and commercial partners.

"This funding support will allow us to showcase Aotearoa New Zealand to the world through epic content, captured during the biggest snow sports programme we have ever delivered."

Minister for Sport and Recreation Grant Robertson says the Games, which attract around 600 international athletes each year and is the largest annual snow sports event in the Southern Hemisphere, is "a unique element of the sports landscape and significant in the development of aspirational and elite athletes".

"The competition in Central Otago aligns strongly with Sport NZ and High-Performance Sport NZ strategies and is critical to our campaign planning and preparation for the Winter Olympics," Robertson says.

"The Winter Games also help ensure Kiwi snow sport athletes can compete in a significant competition in front of a home audience, which supports the athletes and inspires future talent.

"I am proud that organisers and athletes can now look forward to a great competition."

Winter Games NZ 2023 will host 14 traditional events across alpine, freeride and freestyle (park and pipe) disciplines between the 25 August and 8 September.

The Australia New Zealand Cup (ANC) alpine skiing Giant Slalom, Slalom and Super G races will take place at Coronet Peak. The North Face Frontier Freeride World Tour qualifying 2-star and 4-star events will be held across the Wakatipu Basin at The Remarkables ski area.

The world’s best freeski and snowboard athletes aged 14-18 will battle it out at Cardrona Alpine Resort for the prestigious FIS Junior World Champion titles in big air, halfpipe and slopestyle and the chance to secure a nation spot for the 2024 Youth Olympic Winter Games being held in Korea in January 2024. Despite being juniors, the eligible athletes will include reigning junior and senior World Champions and Beijing 2022 Winter Olympians.

Economic Development Minister Barbara Edmonds says is a "proudly Kiwi . . . homegrown event".

"It offers elite international sports competition across New Zealand’s Southern Lakes District in the northern hemisphere’s summer," Edmonds says.

"It will support the region’s post-COVID-19 recovery and generate a number of new economic and social and cultural opportunities.

"The event organisers work with local businesses and Chambers of Commerce to promote economic opportunities and sponsorship activities. There are also strong tourism and travel promotion opportunities from North Island and Australian markets, and the Winter Games promote extended travel and visits for tourists."

In addition to a stacked traditional schedule, Winter Games NZ will also hold the inaugural International Obsidian Challenge from 9-16 September at Cardrona Alpine Resort. The International Obsidian Challenge is an athlete focused team event and will see teams made up of the best freeski and snowboard athletes representing Asia-Pacific, Europe and North America, battle it out for bragging rights across custom built terrain park venues and extraordinary freeride terrain.

"We love showcasing Aotearoa New Zealand to the world and encourage as many people as possible to watch our events unfold on mountain. For those who can’t be there in person we will be producing amazing content for our digital and television audiences," Toomey adds.

"With so many events to choose from across the Southern Lakes world class ski areas, the 2023 Winter Games NZ will be quite the celebration."

The Major Events Fund is a special fund to keep high profile events in New Zealand because of their long-term economic, social and cultural benefits.

Separate to the Winter Games investment, Sport NZ and High-Performance Sport NZ currently invest approximately $5 million in Snow Sports New Zealand for both domestic and high-performance sports.