New Zealand Open To Showcase Ultimate Terrain Park

22 July 2005

New Zealand Open To Showcase Ultimate Terrain Park

Preparations are underway to create the Southern Hemisphere’s ultimate terrain park at Cardrona Alpine Resort for the Burton New Zealand Open on 11-13 August. By the time work is finished, the park will boast the longest course with the widest variety and highest number of features ever seen south of the equator.

Highlights of the course will include four big air jumps in succession, ranging in size from 10.5 metres to 20 metres, and a brand new 12 metre urban staircase rail featuring three different box formations.

It is the first time the full 1.5km length of the Heavy Metal Terrain Trail has been used for competition. Riders will now have the ability to showcase their skills over a wide variety of features ensuring the overall winner will truly be a world master of the terrain park in both jumps and rails.

“It’s going to be an amazing spectator event,” said Nick Stephens, Cardrona’s terrain park manager.

“The competitors are the best in the world and they’ll be getting huge air off the jumps and their rail riding is just magic to watch.” Members of Cardrona’s terrain park crew have experience working on parks all over the world including awarding-winning parks in Whistler, Canada and Park City, USA.

The expected field of riders is equally international with top riders from the USA, Canada, Europe, Japan and Australia, as well as New Zealand, confirmed. Graham Dunbar, executive director of the New Zealand Snowboard Association said the competition will be seen as a good training ground for the season’s first World Cup in Chile as well as the Winter Olympics in February 2006.

“It’s going to be massive and totally world class,” he said. “It’s a great opportunity for New Zealand riders to pitch themselves against the same opponents they’ll be competing against in the Olympics and it’s a chance for the New Zealand public to see snowboarding at its best.” The Burton New Zealand Open takes place at Cardrona Alpine Resort with the Slopestyle kicking the event off at 9am on Thursday 11 August.

The Halfpipe Preliminaries follow on Friday 12 August with the Halfpipe Open taking place from 9.30am on Saturday 13 August. Total prize money for the event is $50,000. For further information visit www.opensnowboarding.com.

ENDS

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