"my aim now is to win back the half-pipe National title. The competition today has been really good experience and I'm going higher and higher....!"

The 1999 Overall National Champion Suzy Parker, who rides for the Cardrona free-ride team, won the senior women's group. She says, "my aim now is to win back the half-pipe National title. The competition today has been really good experience and I'm going higher and higher." In the junior women's group, Eri Kokubo from Japan swept the board. She came to Cardrona to train with her brother Kazu who came second in the men's junior competition.

In the men's group Aaron Jameson from Christchurch won first place after performing the highest scoring run in the competition. Aaron holds a personal record of having won every event he's entered this season. Close behind him was Tsuyoshi Fujiso who is a half-pipe coach at Cardrona. Jah Harris won the junior mens by just 0.07 points. Another close thing.

The second day of events began with the Giant Slalom in the morning. For the senior men's category Nic Piatkowski was in hot pursuit of Thomas Jones. With only a fraction of a second between their times Thomas managed to narrowly hold on to first place. In the Junior Men's division the GS event revealed the up and coming talent of Francois Germain, of Canada. In his last year as a junior, Francois is looking forward to hitting the senior division. Leading the junior field by a considerable 9 seconds Francois clearly showed his prowess of the GS. If placed within the senior division Francois would have placed third.

Coming back from injury last year Louisa Muir blitz the senior women's category. Since breaking her leg three times in the last three years, this was her first return to the competitive scene. "I was stoked with the result and am now going to pick up the pace with the aim of attending the 2002 Winter Olympics" said Louisa. The women's division had a huge turn out. Rachel Newton, second in the senior women's divisions, said "all women in the event deserve a thumbs up. It's very inspiring to see so many women competing and everyone's really supportive".

The Big Air competition was a great way to finish of a very successful weekend of events. 70 competitors dazzled the judges and the large crowd that had built up opposite the jump. With a 16m long jump competitors were launched up and out into the air. According to Ste'en Webster, head judge, the atmosphere was electric. "The top riders were very impressive. There were a few who attempted 720 degree turns through the air and those who stuck it did really well" said Ste'en. The PA system that was set up provided the competitors and crowd with a continuous stream of scores adding to the excitement of the event.

— Chris V, BoarderZone.com Staff |HAVE YOUR SAY|