Winter Games NZ, the governing body for freestyle and freeride competitions in New Zealand, just announced that they're no longer hosting events for the foreseeable future. This is a super unfortunate for the local athletes who were provided a route to compete globally through the games and for homies worldwide who would travel down to train and compete in the northern hemisphere's summer months.
It seems like evolving media markets, increasing operation costs and prize money conversions to European currencies have been making the comps financially nonviable. In addition to the world cups and other FIS-sanctioned comps the games hosted, I'd imagine a lot of the money brought in provided other benefits like helping inspire Cardrona to build an insane park or making events like the Jossi Wells Invitational possible, bringing us some of the sickest edits in recent years.
I was lucky enough to spend a season working at Treble Cone / Cardies and getting involved in the freeski scene as much as I could and it's a huge bummer to hear this news. Hopefully some form of a competition circuit can re-develop cause kiwis are some of the most passionate and insane skiers I've ever met and the scene down there is truly something special.
With that being said, I'm gonna go watch Finn's NS Originals edit again. Sending love from up north!
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