Image taken by VancityAllie.
It is being billed as the biggest winter sports event outside of the Winter Olympics.
It is definately going to be one of the biggest events that the snowsports industry has seen in NZ.
It is the New Zealand Winter Games which are running in Otago (the region of NZ where Queenstown is), from 21st August - 30th August 2009.
There is alpine skiing, freestyle skiing, snowboard, cross country skiing, curling, figure skating, ice hockey, a winter trialthon and a luge. The events are at Coronet Peak, The Remarkables, Cardrona, Nordic Snow Farm, Naseby (home of NZ curling) and Dunedin.
Who is going to be competing? Most entries are expected to be confirmed during June, as the official cut off date is 21st July. Watch this space over the next two months.
To get a taste of what is to come - Coronet Peak hosted a FIS Super G event in 2008
Looking forward to it.
Down here in New Zealand, they have an old saying; "Snow in May will never Stay".
I am guessing that this has come about as it is common for a cold wintery blast to pass over NZ and to leave some snow on the mountains, but in May it is not really fully winter yet, so it is very common for the snow covered peaks to melt again.
So every year when the skiers and snowboarders are getting all excited about the fact that it is only May and there is snow on the hills already, some old timer will turn around and put the dampeners on things by saying "Snow in May will never stay!"
However this year the snow has been falling consistently through out May, and the mountains are looking as white as they sometimes do in mid winter. So maybe this year the old saying will have no truth to it.
We are half way through May, and there is more snow in the forecast.
Being a keen skier myself, I will be more than happy to see the old saying proved wrong.
Well, this year I guess that the saying is wrong. June is here and the snow is looking as good as it as ever looked, Coronet Peak opens this Saturday 6th June 2009, and everything is looking great for an epic winter season.
Colin SITCo. Ski and Snowboard Training http://www.sitco.co.nz/
Queenstown, New Zealand;
SITCo. The Ski and Snowboard Instructor Training Co.
www.sitco.co.nz
Val d'Isere, France;
tdc the development centre
www.tdcski.com