CARDRONA EXPANDS TERRAIN FOR 2010 SEASON 

SOUTHERN LAKES, New Zealand (18 January 2010) Cardrona Alpine Resort is installing a fourth chairlift this summer in phase one of an expansion project which will increase the resort's boundaries and the number of intermediate and advanced runs on offer.  This means that Cardrona will now have more chairlifts than any other South Island mountain. 

The Valley View quad will extend the resort's terrain from the bottom of the Whitestar lift down to the Speed Straight section of the access road.  The former Captains Quad lift's new position will mean Cardrona's lift-serviced vertical will increase by 250 metres and the ski area will grow to a total size of 345 hectares.  An additional car park will be built for season pass holders for easy and quick access on to the lift, when in operation. 

The new Valley View Quad will increase Cardrona's lift-serviced vertical to a total of 600 metres which will enable the resort to build a FIS homologated downhill course named "Goldrush".  As part of this development a 40 metre tunnel is being installed to allow uninterrupted access from the Captains Express to the bottom of the Whitestar Express. 

"It is very rewarding to be able to open up new terrain for Cardrona customers to enjoy" said Cardrona sales and marketing manager, Nadia Ellis. "This development has been in the pipelines for a few years so it's really great to see phase one underway."   

Phase two will continue next summer with the installation of extensive snowmaking in the Valley View area to ensure top to bottom skiing throughout the season.  Further groundwork will also be carried out to develop trails in the area.

For further information visit www.cardrona.com

-ends-

For further information, please contact:
Nadia Ellis
Sales & Marketing Manager
03 443 9058
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

CARDRONA TEAM MEMBERS HEAD TO THE WINTER X GAMES 

LAKE WANAKA, New Zealand (27 January 2010).  Three Cardrona Alpine Resort team athletes will battle it out on the world stage at Winter X Games 14 kicking off in Aspen, Colorado tomorrow. 

Team freeskier Jossi Wells will be challenging the world's best in the men's skiing slopestyle and will be joined by his brother, Byron Wells in the superpipe event.  Shelley Gotleib, a recent addition to the Cardrona team, has been invited to compete in the women's snowboard slopestyle. 

Gotleib is quickly moving up the ranks in women's snowboarding, with an impressive current world ranking of 6^th after gaining fifth place in the Burton European Open held in Laax, Switzerland recently. 

Byron came 10^th in the men's superpipe elimination round last year in his first year competing as the youngest invited athlete (matching the record previously held by Jossi).  He will be hoping to get into the finals in 2010. 

"We are thrilled to see Cardrona team athletes doing so well amongst such fierce international competition" says Nadia Ellis, Cardrona Sales and Marketing Manager "We wish them all the best for the Winter X Games". 

Winter X Games is a pinnacle event on the Snowsports calendar.  Athletes are invited to compete after entering several qualifying events.  Winter X Games 14 will include 39 past and present Olympians, ensuring a high calibre of competition less than a month out from the Vancouver Winter Olympics this February. 

-ends-

For further information, please contact:
Nadia Ellis
Sales & Marketing Manager
03 443 9058
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

PRE-OLYMPIC PIPE CAMP AT CARDRONA 

LAKE WANAKA, New Zealand (15 October 2009) - The world's best snowboarders and skiers are taking advantage of Cardrona Alpine Resort's 22ft halfpipe, one of very few in the world currently open, for a private pre-Olympic Pipe Camp in the lead up to Vancouver 2010.

With the Winter Olympics just around the corner the camp has attracted Olympic medalist Shaun White, X-Games medalist Torah Bright (AUS) as well as top performing snowboarders Crispin Lipscomb (CAN), Ben Mates (AUS), national teams and representatives from New Zealand, Japan, Poland, Canada and Spain, all looking for valuable training time. 

Nadia Ellis, Cardrona marketing manager said the demand for the private camp is testament to the first-class Olympic Pipe developed at Cardrona, "It has been extremely exciting to have such a high caliber of international athletes training in our very own backyard. The popularity of the camp certainly suggests we have achieved our goal of providing the best freestyle training facility in the Southern Hemisphere. The athletes have been absolutely thrilled with the pipe," she said.

Olympic Gold medalist Shaun White (USA) flew back to New Zealand specifically for the first week of the private Pre-Olympic Pipe Camp and was grateful for the training opportunity. "I had a great time, it's awesome to be able to rely on a mountain to have great terrain during the summer time when there's no snow in the U.S," he said.

The Japanese national team is bringing in a 900kg inflatable stunt bag next week (the Bag Jump) and with the support of the park crew will build this into the snow to practice double cork and spin combinations that are the emerging standard in competitions.

In the closing weeks of the season Cardrona management was approached by national teams from all over the world looking for a training facility during October. Cardrona was happy to oblige and retained the services of John Melville, Cardrona's Parks & Pipes manager. The pipe camp commenced on the 5^th October and will continue through to the 24^th October.

John Melville will then join renowned pipe shaper Steve Petrie from Arena Snowparks in Vancouver to build the 2010 Olympic halfpipe. He will return to Cardrona for the 2010 season.

The 2009 season has been outstanding for the halfpipe competitions staged at Cardrona with the LG Snowboard FIS World Cup Halfpipe as part of 100% Pure New Zealand Winter Games and the Burton New Zealand Open where Shaun White landed the first ever back to back double cork 1080 in competition. Judges commented that the competitions have featured some of the most progressive riding seen to date with riders achieving great amplitude off the jumps and increasing level of difficulty.

The season was also a record breaker for Cardrona Alpine Resort for both visitor numbers and accumulated snowfall. The record amount of snow provided excellent on and off piste conditions throughout the season as well as ensuring plenty of snow to keep the terrain park and pipes in prime condition.

- Ends -

For further information, please contact:
Bridget Legnavsky - SnowSports Centre Manager
Tel: 0275500818
Email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

LAKE WANAKA, New Zealand (13 July) - An energetic field of forty-five up and coming young freestyle skiers and boarders signed up for the inaugural Calci Yum Cardrona Kids Cup at Cardrona Alpine Resort on Saturday.

Entrants came from across New Zealand, and even some from Australia, all making the most of the school holidays and great snow conditions.

The specially built arena including a mini X-Games course set the youngsters some good challenges to contend with. The emphasis for the day was on fun and encouraging kids to get involved in freestyle snowsports, with plenty of Calci Yum to keep them refueled.

Cardrona events manager, Graham Dunbar, said he was delighted with the turnout, "It was great to have so many smiling, happy, laughing faces on the mountain. It is really exciting to see the next generation of freestyle skiers and snowboarders giving it a go, the judges were very impressed with the talent in the field," he said.

A highlight of the day was Hank Bilous of Hawea Flat performing a moonwalk on a box in tribute to Michael Jackson and the ‘Bilous Boogie' featured on the boxes, in the air and everywhere else there was music to be heard, providing great entertainment for the many parents who came along to watch.

The field was split into three age categories; Super Groms (5-6 years), Rippers (7-9 years) and Shredders (10-12 years), as well as by sex and discipline. The youngest competitor, Gustav Legnavsky (three) of Wanaka, gained silver in the Super Grom ski category, with a plucky performance.

The Calci Yum Cardrona Kids Cup is set to be an annual event on the calendar. Older children will have their chance to compete in the Mount Aspiring College Championships, a single day event to include Giant Slalom and Gravity Cross, on Wednesday 22 July.

For further information, snow reports and web cams, visit www.cardrona.com

- Ends -

For further information or images, please contact:
Nadia Ellis - sales and marketing manager