Top Snowboarders to Compete in Burton NZ Open

World’s Top Snowboarders to Compete in Burton NZ Open

An all-star line up featuring the world’s top snowboarders has been announced for this year’s Burton New Zealand Open at Cardrona Alpine Resort in Wanaka.

Over the last three years the Burton New Zealand Open has come to represent the pinnacle of snowboarding in New Zealand. However, never before has such a high calibre of athletes been present at any New Zealand event as at this year’s Open.

Current world superpipe champion, Keir Dillon, Olympic gold medallist Ross Powers and current women’s world champion and Olympic gold medallist Kelly Clark, all from the USA, are in the starting line up. There’s also a possibility the world’s leading slopestyle rider, America’s Shaun White will compete.

New Zealand’s own top riders, such as current national champions Mitch Brown and Juliane Bray, will join the sport’s elite for a share of the $50,000 prize pool and an opportunity to compete in a world-class competition on home turf.

Cardona Alpine Resort will host to both the Slopestyle and Super Pipe events over three days of fun and festivities that will encapsulate the essence of snowboarding and transform Cardrona into a high energy, action packed, snowboarding mecca from 11-13 August.

“This is going to be THE snowboarding event of the winter,” said Guy Alty of Burton. “To have all these pro-riders here in New Zealand is an amazing opportunity. It gives our own riders a chance to step up to the mark with the world’s best and gives the viewing public a chance to see just how good this sport can be. In previous years, thousands of spectators have lined Cardrona’s half pipe looking for a slice of the action and this year, with a line up like this, is going to be huge!”

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31 May 2005

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