Winter Games NZ 2023 begins Friday
Winter Games NZ 2023 kicks off in five days with the Opening Ceremony in Wānaka.
Organisers are inviting the community to join them at the Pembroke Park from 4.30pm, Friday, 25 August, to see athletes from more than 30 countries taking part in a parade of nations.
Over 450 athletes will be competing at the Games.
The sports action begins on Sunday, 27 August, at Cardrona Alpine Resort, with the FIS Park and Pipe Junior World Championships freeski slopestyle qualifiers, followed by the snowboard slopestyle qualifiers on Monday (28), and the hotly -contested slopestyle finals on Tuesday (29).
With the Junior World Champion title on the line, expect to see some heavy hitting riding from the competitors.
Meanwhile, over the Crown Range at Coronet Peak, the FIS Australia New Zealand Cup Alpine Ski Racing programme gets underway on Monday (28), starting with two Giant Slalom races on consecutive days.
Queenstown alpine ski racing superstar Alice Robinson is set to compete in both Giant Slalom races and is sure to draw an enthusiastic local crowd. Two Slalom races follow on the 31 August and 1 September at Coronet Peak.
On 2 September, The North Face Frontier weather window opens at The Remarks. The two best days out of seven will be selected for hosting the 2* and the 4* competition days. The competition boasts the biggest start list Winter Games has ever seen, with an incredible number of up and coming Kiwi athletes competing in the 2* event and a roster of international talent in the 4* event.
Wrapping up the 2023 Winter Games NZ programme is the inaugural International Obsidian Challenge, where the best of the best from all four corners of the globe will be competing in a unique team format competition.
Expect to see the likes of Nico Porteous, NZ (2022 Beijing Freeski Halfpipe Olympic Gold medallist), Mia Brookes, GBR (2023 Snowboard Slopestyle World Champion) and Alex Hall, USA (2022 Beijing Freeski Slopestyle Olympic Gold medallist) representing their respective teams.
Winter Games NZ CEO Marty Toomey says: "After months of preparation we are looking forward to getting the Games underway. We expect to see some mind blowing performances from some of the worlds best snow sports athletes and look forward to seeing what the best emerging talent can bring to the party."
For those wanting to watch the Winter Games NZ action on snow there are spectator maps located on the Winter Games NZ website – www.wintergamesnz.kiwi. There are options for spectators who are skiing or snowboarding and for those who are on foot.
If you can't make it to the slopes, there are Live Streams available on the Winter Games NZ website for the Alpine Ski Racing and the FIS Park and Pipe Junior World Championships Finals.
Athlete Entry numbers per event as of 20/08/23
FIS Australia New Zealand Cup Alpine races - 82 Athletes
FIS Park and Pipe Junior World Championships (Freeski) - 93
FIS Park and Pipe Junior World Championships (Snowboard) - 104
The North Face Frontier 2* - 103 Athletes (FULL)
The North Face Frontier 4* - 60 Athletes (FULL)
Obsidian – 32 athletes (FULL)
Alice Robinson competes in 2022. Photo: Sean Beale / Winter Games NZ
