Event Video Coverage.(28k) (56k) (T1) Dropping in.... For huge airs! Not the result you want! Interesting landing technique! Last years event here: Last years Event... 98 NZ Extremes ................ 99 Heli Challenge 99 K2 Challenge 99 Winter Festival

The chutes had a heavy cover of snow and there were a large variety of lines available to the 30 riders. With musician Chris Moore playing at the bottom of the chutes a crowd of about 70 spectators gathered to cheer the riders down.

For Japanese rider Ryutaro Morita this was not such a bonus. Trying to work his way onto a difficult staircase line he became frozen on a small patch of snow facing the crowd. Being on his heelside edge limited his options, according to judge Rachel Milner. Then, looking down at the crowd, he had second thoughts. He was perched like a little bird not a mountain goat. It took him a long time to make up his mind to tumble down. For Jimmy Hunt of Wanaka the softness of the new snow led him to overestimate how far he could fly and ended up with a concussion. Fortunately that was the only injury of note although it did subdue the competitors for the second run.

For others the new snow suited them well. Reon Morland rode smoothly down the staircase that Ryutaro had given up on only a few minutes previously to score the second highest individual run of the day and lift himself to second place. Quentin Hokianga recovered from a messy first run to score the highest run of the day riding switch (backwards) down a steep chute at full speed before smoothly rotating off a jump to finish the run.

In the women was Juliane Bray, Wanaka who rode convincingly fast, solid runs all day. She made the best use of the terrain and well deserved first place today according to judge Ste'en Webster. In second place was Jana Gibson, Queenstown and in third Suzy Parker, Wanaka.

From the men's field it was Paul Trapski who emerged the winner. Paul rode consistently all day. Chose some really good lines and scored solidly across all six categories. A performance which rode him to first place among some very good competition according to Ste'en. Close behind was Reon Morland with Richard Hunt in third.