Right: Paddy Graham performs a tweaked-out tail-grab
The southern hemisphere’s largest event of its kind kicked off on the 15th August at Snow Park NZ, with 45 men and women pushing their limits on the massive 150m long halfpipe, impressing judges and wowing audiences throughout the day.
The halfpipe event was followed up the next day by slopestyle. The slopestyle course began with a quarterpipe-style drop-in, down to a custom Snow Park NZ stair feature. Skiers then approached a gap-to-snow box, before moving to a 14m jump, followed by an 18m jump. They completed the course by hitting a flat-down rail and a jump-to-down box, which is the latest craze in free skiing slopestyle and makes for spectacular tricks, such as 900 and 1080 rotations.
Canadian Kaya Turski, who is also a pro rollerblader, picked up the winning title for the women’s slopestyle event. Jossi Wells (16), who is now New Zealand’s top freestyle skier, came first in the men’s slopestyle , pulling a switch 720 double nose grab, a switch 630 before landing successfully on the rail, as well as a switch 1080. UK Nike ACG rider Paddy Graham came 13th in the Men’s Slopestyle event and an impressive 9th in the Superpipe comp.
To keep up to date with the NZ Open check out http://www.freeskier.co.nz
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