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Queenstown skier to take on Uni Snow Games

Queenstown skier to take on Uni Snow Games

August 26, 2011 - Queenstown skier Cameron Day is getting in more practice than most before he lines up for the Uni Snow Games, which start in Wanaka on Sunday.

More than 100 university-based snow athletes will hit the slopes of Treble Cone, Cardrona and Snow Farm during the Uni Snow Games, with events set to include Gravity X, the BASE-sponsored Halfpipe, Slope Style and the Skull Candy-sponsored Big Air.

Day, who will represent Queenstown Resort College in the Games, will go in with some invaluable international experience on his side.

Day skied for New Zealand today in the 100% Pure New Zealand Winter Games, against a high quality international Skier Cross field, finishing just outside the top 16, and tomorrow he will line up in the Winter Triathlon.

“It was a really tight competition, and a great experience – I really learnt a lot,” he said.

There could barely be a better warm up for what will be Day’s first outing at the Uni Snow Games, and it’s an event he’s been looking forward to since he started at Queenstown Resort College earlier this year.

“Any chance you can get to run a Skier Cross track is a highlight,” he said.

“Throughout this year there are only three chances to get on a track – the Winter Games, the Uni Snow Games and the New Zealand Championships – so I’m really looking forward to the Uni Snow Games.”

Day will be lining up in the Uni Snow Games Gravity X competition on Monday at Cardrona. The Gravity X course is similar to a Skier Cross course – a high-speed race amongst skiers and snowboarders, with a series of jumps and obstacles in the middle of it. The aim is to get to the bottom in the fastest time. Day describes it as being “like motocross on skis” and is looking forward to another chance to advance his skills in a competitive environment. He will also line up in next Sunday’s cross-country at Snow Farm.

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Day has been racing Skier Cross for the past three years. In that time he has applied the same speed to his race through the national standings as he does to the races themselves and is hoping his form will carry through to the Uni Snow Games.

University Sport New Zealand National Events Manager Peter McDonald said the Uni Snow Games had attracted a wide range of athletes this year, and he expected the week to provide some high-quality competition.

Otago University are the holders of the coveted Michael Forrestal Memorial Shield and, with a strong calibre of competitors set to line up throughout the week, will look to defend that against the other campuses.

The Uni Snow Games start on Sunday, with the GS Ski and GS Board at Treble Cone.

The schedule:

• Sunday August 28: GS Ski, GS Board (Treble Cone)
• Monday August 29: BASE Halfpipe and Gravity X (Cardrona)
• Wednesday August 31: Parallel Slalom with knock-out finals (Treble Cone)
• Thursday September 1: Slope Style Ski and Board (Treble Cone)
• Friday September 2: Skull Candy Big Air ski and board (Treble Cone)
• Saturday September 3: Cross-country (Snow Farm)

ENDS

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