Inaugural FIS Masters Series for Coronet Peak

The first FIS Masters alpine ski event ever to be held in New Zealand is scheduled for Coronet Peak in August this year in a bid to inject fresh life into masters ski racing.

NZ Skiing Masters spokesman Geoff Hunt says organisers want to re-energise the sport by encouraging younger people to compete.

Under the NZ masters rules athletes as young as 18-years-old can participate and Hunt says the cost, $30 - $50 a race, makes the event affordable.

“This series should appeal to skiers who are no longer skiing nationally and internationally but still want to continue racing in alpine events. In the past the NZ Skiing Masters has been closed to under 30-year-olds and the entry fees have been prohibitive. By introducing a FIS event hopefully attract some good competition through all the age groups.”

The Coronet Peak event will run from August 4-6 and will include two Super G races from top to bottom on the M1.

“This replaces the previous Coronet downhill and being two races means competitors can run the exciting course twice,” says Hunt. “It will be a challenging race and a big drawcard for competitors.”

A giant slalom and slalom will be held in the Rocky Gully race arena and training for all the events will be available with professional coaches on August 2-3.

Hunt urges skiers to compete in the revamped series this year – whether they have been involved in ski racing or not.

“This event is open to anyone keen to give it a go as well as experienced racers. Basically this is an event for people who enjoy the camaraderie of skiing and being part of a like-minded group.”

The event has received great support from international companies including Phillips 66 and the Big White Ski Area in Canada. Local supporters include the Browns Ski shop, and Gravity Sports, importers of ski brands Volk, Marker and Dalbello. In addition long time racer Hamish Cochran has supported the event with the Merrell shoe brand. The prize giving is supported by another local company, Mt Difficulty Wines

The NZ Skiing Masters vision is to make its mark as the premier masters ski race in the Southern Hemisphere attracting anything from 20 to 40 international competitors and between 60 and 80 New Zealand racers annually.

ENDS

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