Best Team Result From NZ Snowboard Team At World Cup (22-Feb-09)

Wanaka, NZ, February 22, 2009 – New Zealand Snowboarders have this weekend achieved their best team performance

New Zealand Snowboarders have this weekend achieved their best team performance of the year in World Cup Halfpipe with top results and strong riding in the fourth Olympic qualifying event held at Stoneham resort in Quebec, Canada. 

Five members of the team made top twenty with top performances by Juliane Bray, 33, Wanaka, placing fifth and Kendall Brown, 19, Mt Maunganui, securing ninth in an exciting night-final dominated by the Japanese. 

Paula Mitchell, 27, Wellington, and Rebecca Sinclair, 18, Taupo placed 19th and 20th respectively earning valuable World Ranking points, while Ben Stewart, 16, Whangamata achieved the best result for NZ in the men’s event narrowly missing finals and finishing in 14th position. 

James Hamilton, 19, Auckland was on track for another finals berth into his second run of qualifying, however crashed out on his fourth hit in the halfpipe.  Mitchell Brown, 21, Mt Maunganui, used the event as an opportunity to train and get back to form following injury-rehab, landing his first 900 of the year in his second run. 

The team have been getting used to the new Olympic standard 22ft halfpipe over the past two weeks with events in Cypress and Stoneham but now return to their training base in Colorado for two weeks prior to the last World Cup events of the season in Spain and Italy mid-March. 

All athletes are members of the NZ Snowboard Union (NZSBU) Snowboard Team. Hamilton, Bray, Sinclair, Stewart and Mitch Brown train with the New Zealand Winter Performance Programme under Head Coach Tom Willmott

The Winter Performance Programme (WPP) athletes are selected to be developed by Academy South Island through its Winter Performance Programme, which supports elite athletes in several winter sports capable of success on the world stage. It co-ordinates and provides coaching, sports science, medical and performance support, with medals at the Winter Olympics the upcoming focus.