The ice beer Atomic X games were held last week at the new Mt Ruapehu. The week has traditionally attracted crowds from all over New Zealand and this year was no exception. The event has been designed for skiers and snowboarders to show their skills over 5 gruelling disciplines. Ist up was the Smith Boarder / Skier x held at Whakapapa in their new "burly" course.


Day two gave us the opportunity to run New Zealands first ever Ultra Cross. This exciting event teams a snowboarder with a skiier .The snowboarder in the duo is the first to go down the Boardercross course, as soon as they are through the finish the skiier is released to follow. The teams placing is determined by the skiier results.
Columbia Ultra Cross
Women
1 Nina Manning and Josie Wignall
2 Sophie Innes and Karen Murdoch
Men
1 Ross Lind-Mitchell
2 Grant Salmon and Richard Hunt
3 Cameron Robertson and Nathan Craig

Day three saw the whole posse trail around to Turoa and the New Terrain park. This event was to be the combined slopestyle and ¼ pipe. The slope style was judged seperately from the ¼ pipe. Everyone was inspired by the new park to really push themselves hard and huge.
Dirty Dog slopestyle
Men Boarders
1 Ross Lind-Mitchell
2 Patrick Nepia
3 Richard Hunt
Womens Boarders
1 Carla Simcox
2 Rachel Gotlieb
3 Becky Olivier