Winter Games NZ - Two Months To Go!

Winter has arrived in Naseby, Queenstown and Wanaka and entries are now open for the seventh Winter Games NZ. In what will be the tenth year of celebrating excellence, they will be hosting 26 events at 6 venues over 17 action-packed days and showcasing some of the world's best winter sporting talent.

Coronet Peak is where the Winter Games NZ party will get started, with the dramatic Night Parallel Slalom kicking the Games off in style. Staged under floodlights, featuring top skiers from New Zealand and around the world, the music will be pumping for the exciting racing and Night Ski party atmosphere. A great opportunity to bring family and friends up for the party.

Coronet Peak will also host an exhilarating Alpine ski racing programme with two FIS Australia New Zealand Cups in Giant Slalom, Slalom and Super G alongside a World Para Alpine Super G. The breath-taking Super G events will be held on the Hurdle taking pride of place in the heart of the mountain, and will be must watch events.

Cardrona Alpine Resort, the home of the New Zealand Ski and Snowboard Adaptive Team will host a World Para Alpine Slalom and Giant Slalom in the second week of the Games. New Zealand’s best para athletes will be on show pitting themselves against a strong international line up.

The world’s best will compete in freestyle skiing and snowboarding World Cups at the internationally acclaimed venue of Cardrona Alpine Resort. The Park and Pipe events start with the thrilling FIS World Cup Snowboard Big Air, then feature the Freeski and Snowboard Halfpipe and Slopestyle FIS Australia New Zealand Cups and closing with the spectacular FIS World Cup Freestyle Ski Halfpipe.

The North Face Frontier is the Freeride event within the Winter Games NZ calendar, held at The Remarkables in Queenstown and is made up of a 2* and 4* Freeride World Qualifying Tour events. These talented skiers and snowboarders ride from the top to the bottom of the natural (ungroomed) face with as much fluidity, style and speed as possible while performing tricks on natural features, like rock drops and cornices. The two events are impressive to watch and are guaranteed to give you that heart in your mouth feeling as they launch off the top.

A world-class international Mixed Doubles Curling tournament will be competed for at the Maniototo International Curling Rink in Naseby. Elite teams will compete in a five-day tournament with the top four teams from pool play progressing into the semi-finals and finals on Saturday 31 August. Always exciting to watch, each match lasts around 90 minutes and during pool play four sheets (rinks) will be operating simultaneously providing continuous entertainment for the spectators. Everyone loves the warm Naseby welcome and the classic kiwi feeling you come away with from the Central Otago town, one event not to be missed.

The FIS ANC cross country events will be held at the iconic Snow Farm NZ with a Classic Sprint, Interval Start and a Mass Start across three days. The picturesque Snow Farm is a beautiful backdrop for this endurance sport and the best part is you can rent gear and give it a go yourself, creating an epic day out in this winter wonderland.

We all love a bit of New Zealand v Australia rivalry and the Ice Hockey ramps that right up a notch.  The Queenstown Ice Arena will host the three Test Trans-Tasman Challenge presented by Queenstown Resort College between the NZ Ice Blacks and the Australian Mighty Roos to get you up on your feet and cheering. Always a fantastic night out in the heart of Queenstown.