Latest news with #snowboarding
RNZ News
13 hours ago
- Business
- RNZ News
Mount Ruapehu ski season officially opens this long weekend
Whakapapa ski field, Mt Ruapehu, 2023. Photo: Supplied/ Ruapehu Alpine Lifts Thousands of skiers, snowboarders and sightseers will head up Mount Ruapehu this long weekend, with both skifields now officially open. This will be Whakapapa's first season under new operator Whakapapa Holdings , and chief executive Travis Donoghue said 10,000 people were expected to take advantage of good weather and early snow. "For us, June is a bonus... particularly with Matariki weekend. Folks tend to start thinking of a winter way, so really start to come out in large numbers from today onwards." Meanwhile, Tūroa Ski Area was expecting more than 2000 visitors over the long weekend. Tūroa is also now being run by a new company, Pure Tūroa , after Ruapehu Alpine Lifts, which oversaw both skifields, went into insolvency in 2022. Both Whakapapapa Holdings and Pure Tūroa have been granted 10-year Department of Conservation (DOC) concession to run their respective skifields. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
RNZ News
5 days ago
- Sport
- RNZ News
Young Olympic star Nico Porteous to leave top level competition
Nico Porteous 2022 Winter Olympic champion Photo: PHOTOSPORT Winter Olympic Games gold medallist Nico Porteous is bowing out of top flight international competition. The 23-year-old is New Zealand's most successful male snow sports athlete and while stepping away from half-pipe competition, he doesn't want to use the word retirement as he still intends competing in limited events. "I still love skiing and I want to keep skiing to the best of my abilities and keep pushing the boundaries of what's possible in the sport," he said. "Ultimately, I'm ready for something new. What that looks like I'm not exactly sure but over the past few seasons I've enjoyed filming and producing videos, as well as working on gear and product design. "I've loved representing New Zealand... This wasn't an easy decision to make but I'm excited to do something new and I feel like the time is right for me to look for a new challenge and new opportunities." Porteous made history for New Zealand in 2022, landing a right and left double corked 1620 combination to win Olympic gold in the halfpipe at the Beijing Winter Games. Four years earlier, he won bronze as a 16-year-old at the PyeongChang 2018 Winter Olympics. Nico Porteous on his way to Olympic bronze in 2018. Photo: AFP He also won two X-Games gold medals, a World Championship title, and five World Cup medals. Porteous has also played a leading in hand in bringing a new generation of New Zealand athletes into snow sports. "First of all, I'd like to thank my family for all their support. Mum and Dad have made this dream come true, and getting to ski alongside my brother Miguel has been such a cool experience," he said. "It's super inspiring to see this new batch of athletes coming through. The future of the sport is looking really bright in New Zealand and I can't wait to see them in action in Milano Cortina." Snow Sports New Zealand CEO Nic Cavanagh labelled Porteous' legacy on the sport as "monumental" "Not just the countless titles, podiums and medals, but also for his creativity, his passion and his unwavering commitment," said Cavanagh. -RNZ Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
Washington Post
13-06-2025
- Business
- Washington Post
World Cup skiers promised at least 10% rise in race prize money next season
GENEVA — Prize money across all World Cup disciplines will increase by at least 10% next season, the International Ski and Snowboard Federation (FIS) said Friday. Superstars in Alpine skiing earn the most — Mikaela Shiffrin and Marco Odermatt each made a record $1 million in race prize money in the 2023 season — but top racers in ski cross and snowboard disciplines typically earn less than 100,000 Swiss francs ($123,000) for the winter.
CBC
13-06-2025
- Business
- CBC
Ski Martock set to change ownership as sale to Cape Smokey group nears completion
As Ski Martock nears its 60th anniversary later this year, a new ownership team is set to take over the popular ski hill near Windsor, N.S. Martin Kejval, CEO of Cape Smokey Holding Ltd., the group that has owned and operated the Cape Smokey ski hill in Ingonish Beach since 2019, said Thursday that his company has signed a tentative purchase and sale agreement to acquire Ski Martock from longtime owners Heather and Jim Boylan. Kejval said talks with the Boylans, who are planning to retire, began in earnest around six months ago. He said the deal, which has not been finalized, is expected to close by the end of June. Ski Martock is a 180-metre-high resort that offers seven trails for skiing and snowboarding, a lounge, and a ski and snowboard school. It's typically open from early December through late March. Kejval said he sees Martock as a "well-oiled machine" and he isn't looking to make any drastic changes right away. "Martock is celebrating 60 years this winter," said Kejval, a former professional skier from the Czech Republic. "Nothing will happen this first year. I'm a big believer in observing how things operate and work … before making any significant changes." In the long term, he said, he is interested in exploring the possibility of keeping the hill open year-round, perhaps in a similar capacity to Cape Smokey, where hiking and mountain bike trails are open in the warmer months. Complementary offering Kejval said he's looking forward to the possibility of integrating the two hills and offering passes that can be used at both Martock and Cape Smokey. He sees them as complementary offerings, with Cape Smokey being a tourism destination that people may visit more on weekends or special occasions, and Martock, with its proximity to Halifax, more geared toward members who visit all winter long. When reached Thursday, West Hants Regional Municipality Mayor Abraham Zebian was just being alerted to the pending sale. He thanked the Boylans for their years of service and said he looked forward to working with the incoming ownership team. He said Martock is an integral part of the community. "There's probably very few who haven't been to the hill in some way or form or shape," he said. "Being here within our community … it means everything to us." As of 2021, according to a past release from the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency, Martock employed 12 full-time and 200 seasonal workers and attracted over 80,000 visitors to the area annually. CBC News has reached out to Ski Martock and Heather and Jim Boylan and is awaiting a reply.
The Independent
12-06-2025
- Sport
- The Independent
Skier killed in avalanche on Mount McKinley
A skier has died after being caught in an avalanche on Mount McKinley, North America 's tallest peak, officials have said. The Denali National Park and Preserve said that 29-year-old Nicholas Vizzini, from Washington state, and his snowboarding partner triggered the avalanche on Tuesday while descending the 20,310-foot (6,190-meter) peak in Alaska. The avalanche released at approximately 16,600 feet (5,060 meters) and ran down to about 15,000 feet (4,572 meters), the park added. Two mountaineering rangers responded after spotting Vizzini's partner. They detected a beacon signal and found Vizzini, who was mostly buried. The rangers tried lifesaving measures, but he was pronounced dead early Tuesday evening. Vizzini's body was recovered and transferred to the state medical examiner's office. His partner sustained minor injuries and was scheduled to leave the mountain Wednesday, according to the statement. Earlier this month, Alex Chiu, a climber from Seattle, died from a 3,000-foot (about 900-meter) fall on the mountain's West Buttress climbing route. The climbing season typically runs from early May to early July. There are about 500 climbers on Mount McKinley currently, the park said.
