Students head up Mt Ruapehu to hit the slopes

Annual Student Ride Free day as popular as ever

MT RUAPEHU 31 July 2017: Students from around the country took advantage of Mt Ruapehu's annual Student Ride Free day at the weekend for some great skiing under blue skies.

Every year Mt Ruapehu opens its ski fields to students for the day for free hoping to inspire a love for skiing and snowboarding. This year a total of 2,000 students registered to ski at Whakapapa and Turoa.

Event organiser, Pro Snowboarder Nick Hyne says, “Students Ride Free Day has created a winter date for tertiary students to get excited about. It's all about giving students the opportunity to enjoy a great winter's day in the New Zealand mountains and who knows, one good day up the mountain may just trigger a life-long love for skiing or snowboarding.”

Some appreciative student comments included:

Michael Caterall, Otago University, "This is my first time skiing and being a poor student I wouldn't have come otherwise. You've changed my life!"

Matt Ensor, AUT, Auckland, "Students are poor so thanks for the free day! This is pretty much what made us come up this season."

Mt Ruapehu Marketing Manager Matt McIvor adds, "It's a great opportunity for students to have a free taste of what skiing and snowboarding is all about and it's quickly becoming a very popular annual event."

Visit mtruapehu.com for more information on snow conditions and new developments for winter 2017.

ENDS

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