Cardrona: SAS Takes Out Armadageddon

SAS Takes Out Armadageddon

Cardrona Alpine Resort’s Elite SAS training programme took out both the Open and Junior pole positions at the weekend’s Armadageddon Slopestyle and Rail Jam at the Snow Park in Wanaka.

Fourteen-year-old Jossi Wells from Wanaka beat the country’s top adult skiers, including current New Zealand Free Ski National Champion Sam Hazeldine, into first place in the Open category. This was the second time Wells had beaten Hazeldine in as many weeks, the first being at the Cadbury Moro Street Jib in Dunedin Octagon.

“Jossi was just amazing,” said SAS head coach Peter Legnavasky. “He was competing against experienced skiers twice his age but didn’t let it phase him. He was smoothest on the rails, cleanly executing advanced moves such as going switch on top of the rainbow rail. In the slopestyle he kept up with the big boys spinning all the way up to 900°. After that there were nowhere left to go in terms of difficulty so they started going upside down. Jossi pulled off a stunning Misty 7 a front flip with two spins, so called because you can’t see while you’re doing it. He also did the smoothest back flip of the field, had the widest range of moves and executed them brilliantly.”

In the Junior category, 16-year-old Lyndon Sheehan of Wanaka, also a member of the Elite SAS Squad, took out first place in a field of 15.

“This is a great start to the competitive season,” said Legnavsky. “Both these kids are ones to watch over the next couple of months of competition,”

The SAS offers three levels training for young skiers and snowboarders looking to both improve their technique and enter into the competitive circuit. SAS Team is a one day a week programme for those wanting more than ski school. SAS Team Plus is for those who want to take a more active approach to competition while SAS Elite is for advanced athletes with the goal of national team selection.

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