WINTER GAMES NZ. LAKE WANAKA, New Zealand (August 19, 2011) – With entries still coming in, 100% Pure New Zealand Winter Games today announced one of the strongest snowboarding halfpipe field seen in New Zealand. The LG Snowboard FIS World Cup Halfpipe will read like a who’s who of snowboarding as the world’s top riders vie for valuable FIS points as well as the prestige of gaining a podium finish at the first FIS World Cup event of the 2011/2012 season.

Leading the men’s and women’s fields are current world number ones, Nathan Johnstone (AUS) and Cai Xuetong (CHI) both of whom finished the 2011 season at pole position on the FIS rankings

Xuetong has strong competition in the women’s field that features eight out of the top 10 riders in the world and includes two-time Olympic medallist Hannah Teter (USA) who took gold in 2006 and silver in 2010 who is currently ranked number two on TTR. Holly Crawford (AUS) is ranked world number two on the FIS rankings while Switzerland’s Ursina Haller is ranked at fourth. They are joined by Mirabelle Thovex (FRA) at fifth, Zhifeng Sun (CHN), current world number six, Queralt Castellet (SPA) at seventh, current Junior World Champion, Cilka Sadar (SLO) who is ranked ninth and Chuang Li (CHN) rounds out the world’s top 10 female riders.

The men’s field is equally impressive with the top six ranked halfpipe riders in the world, Johnstone, Ryo Aono (JPN) who is also ranked number one on TTR, Iouri Podladtchikov (SUI), Yiewei Zhang (CHN), Taku Hiraoka (JPN) and Tore-V Holvik (NOR).

The LG Snowboard FIS World Cup Halfpipe will run as part of 100% Pure New Zealand Winter Games at Cardrona Alpine Resort. The qualifying heats will take place on Saturday 27 August with the semi-finals and finals from 9.00am - 1.00pm on Sunday 28 August.

www.wintergamesnz.com
Fri, August 19, 2011 4:53 am