NZsnowboard.com

7th October 2008

All Photos: Pablo Azocar

With a day packed to the brim with crazy weather, The Chop Washed Up Cup, The 1st ever NZsnowboard.com Maori Downhill, The New Zealand Snowboard Union - NZSBU Launch, the Southern Hemisphere Absinthe Video premier, the NZsnowboard.com Riders Poll Awards and the sickest line up of DJ's - October 4th 2008 will go down in the history books of NZ snowboarding.

The day started with snow, sleet, rain and gusting winds causing havoc up at Snow Park NZ. Sam Lee from Snow Park made the call that it would be sweet by 2pm - and at 2pm it cleared. Deano Johnston and the Chop crew got set up and ran the Chop Washed Up Cup. With a Free BBQ and keg on offer it was a perfect end of the season for some of the oldies over 30 to get amongst it and shred some. This is a great event for buddies to hang out, have a beer and snowboard for fun - which is what it's all about!

Racing to the bottom on Snow Park for the 1st ever NZsnowboard.com Maori Downhill

At 4.25pm for the last run of the Snow Park NZ season NZsnowboard.com ran the inaugural NZsnowboard.com Maori Downhill event. For all riders over 18 the concept of the race was simple. Race from the top to the bottom of Snow Park, run across the bridge and drink a swappa crate bottle of beer. The 1st person to do it would win $100.

The top of the course was absolute chaos with riders strapped in and picking there line. If you can imagine 40 people all dropping for the same 10 meters of snow that's pretty much what happened. The drop in was probably the most intense riding that I have witnessed in years with pulling, ripping pushing and tackling going on for riders to get ahead. At the bottom of the hill the riders unstrapped and ran up the bank to get to the bridge with the men getting separated from the boys when it came to drink the beer. In the end after all the chaos it was Snow Park Staff member and all around good dude Chris Blinkhorne who took  the $$$ to become the 1st NZsnowboard.com Maori Downhill Champion.

Celebrating a hard race with a quiet Swappa


Chris Blinkhorne takes home the $$$ from Robett Hollis and becomes the 2008 NZsnowboard.com Maori Downhill Champion

The days events then moved inside for the Chop Washed Up Cup prizegiving with some more spot prizes given out to the crew for the afternoons antics. Straight after that Zinny introduced the bustling Woolshed to the Absinthe Films Southern Hemisphere Premiere of 'Ready'. With standout parts from Gigi Ruff, Nicolas Mueller and more it was an epic watch indeed. 

The bottles of Lindaeur wait for their winners

Now down to business time. Zinny warmed the packed bar and we introduced the New Zealand Snowboard Union - NZSBU to the public with our brief goals and visions to move NZ Snowboarding forward. After this we moved onto naming our NZSBU Teams. Spy, Ste'en Webster and Ewan Straight got inducted to the NZSBU Legends - Hall of Fame and the NZSBU announced the NZSBU Nationals Team, The Squad and the NZSBU Junior Worlds Team.

Super MC Zinny warms up the crowd for the night



NZsnowboard.com Director and NZSBU Trustee Robett Hollis introduces the NZSBU to the Nation



Mystic Timelord and Super Euro Eddie Spearing from the NZSBU inducts the selected few into the NZSBU Legends Team



NZSBU Legend Spy celebrates his place in the hall of fame with a bottle of LIndaeur as Eddie and Robett look on

2008/2009 NZSBU Teams

NZSBU Selection Panel:
Tom Wilmott, Rachel Newton, Jon Malcolm Smith and Jody Blatchley

The NZSBU Legends:
'Named for significant and distinguished service to the sport of snowboarding in New Zealand. An official archive will be created to document each individuals contribution which will sit in Snow Sports NZ office in Wanaka.'

Spy
Steen Webster
Ewan Straight


The NZSBU National Team:
The countrys elite riding at an international level. They positively represent and influence the snowboard scene on & off snow. They are committed as professional riders and are respected by both their peers and public alike. The NZSBU National Team is the pinnacle of New Zealand Snowboarding. This team can also act as potential mentors to The Squad. Every discipline of snowboarding may be represented.

Jake Koia
WIll Jackways
Mitch Brown
Nick Brown
Nick Hyne
Stef Zeestraten
James Hamilton
Shelly Gotlieb
Abby Lockhart
Juliane Bray

NZSBU Trustee and Snow Park NZ Owner Sam Lee annouces the NZSBU Squad Team and the Junior World Champ Team



Super coach and NZSBU Trustee Bevan Hall on stage announcing the NZSBU National Team

The NZSBU Squad:
'Represents riders coming through with expectations to make the National Team and/or excelling with significant potential in their chosen pathway. Riders in The Squad can represent New Zealand at any international level event, including Youth Worlds; Junior Worlds; USASA Nationals; WSF; FIS or TTR  events'.

Open
Roland Morley Brown, Louis Purucker, Heath Patterson, Quentin Robbins, Andy Kennerley, Christy Prior

U19s       
Connor Harding, Joram Makuru, Kendall Brown, Will Harris, Tom Grooten

U16s       
Rebecca Sinclair, Ben Stewart, Jay Walsh, Stefi Luxton, Katie Logan

U14s       
Mac James, Tim Herbert

U12s       
Hamish Bagley, Conor Hayes, Melissa Albom


NZSBU Junior World Champs Team
Connor Harding
Joram Makuru
James Hamilton
Ben Stuart
Kendall Brown
Rebecca Sinclair
Will Harris

NZSBU National Team Member and NZsnowboard.com Newsweek Presenter Nick Hyne showing his bottle who's boss as fellow team member Nick Brown looks on.



Zinny showing off one of the NZsnowboard.com Rider Poll Awards to the crowd

Then it was the final showdown for the NZsnowboard.com Riders Poll Awards. All of NZ's top riders and industry vote had voted over the last month on who they thought was the best in the land and after the votes had been counted the winners were:

Men's Rider Of The Year - WILL JACKWAYS
Womens Rider Of The Year - SHELLY GOTLIEB
Men's Rookie Of The Year - CONNOR HARDING
Womens's Rookie Of The Year - CHRISTY PRIOR

NZsnowboard.com Women's Rider Of The Year Shelly Gotlieb



NZsnowboard.com Men's Rider Of The Year Will Jackways

With all the NZSBU National Team and NZsnowboard.com Riders Poll Award Winners getting a celebratory bottle of Lindeur is was party time! DJ Nielsc, Leon Eru and crew all had the decks spinning and the night carried on.


A huge thanks to:
The Snow Park NZ Staff
Deano and Hayley from Chop
Ross Palmer and crew from Snow Sports NZ
Ernie from Metalworks Wanaka for the NZsnowboard.com Rider Polls Trophies
Pablo for the photos
MC Zinny
DJ Nielsc and Leon Eru
NZsnowboard.com Staff: Paulus Herewini, Tim Pierce, Hannah Tatton, Vaughan Brookfield, Nick Hyne
NZSBU Board: Sam Lee, Bevan Hall, Eddie Spearing and Reuben Yeoman
NZSBU Selectors: Tom Wilmott, Jody Blatchley, Rachel Newton and Jon Malcolm Smith


And a big thanks to everyone for all the support with all that we are doing. To all the riders, industry and public..... cheers!





- Holler, NZsnowboard.com

NZsnowboard.com - 'by riders - for riders'