Originally from California, the Mezger brothers have been running the NZ Freeride Camp and Heli-Challenge Resort Events for over three years, so their skills and knowledge have given them a good background to work with.

The 50 hectare park is funded by the Wairau Snow Farm in the Cardrona Valley, and Josh says without the snow farm’s commitment and support the park would not be where it is today. The Snow Park is unique from any other resort in the world in it’s complete
dedication as a terrain park.

So far $1.5 million dollars has been spent to set up the park, and the facilities are proof of the pudding. Among the impressive line up are two superpipes, the first is 12 metres flat bottom, 23 metres lip to lip and 17.5 % pitch. The other is 14 metres flat bottom, 25 metres lip to lip and 16% pitch. Both will be 140 metres long and will be kept in mint condition by the new Zaugg Pipe Monster from Switzerland. The $160,000 beast is able to shape a wall up to 6.8 metres high. The park also has a new Prinoth Everest Groomer, the most powerful in the world. The Zaugg Pipe Monster will be mounted on the front of the Groomer for dressing the pipes. Both machines are the first of their kind in the southern hemisphere.

The park also includes several quarter pipes, a 900 metre super X course, and a snowskate park. The super X course will allow riders of all disciplines to ride side-by-side in various courses that can be changed several times during the winter.

There will be 3 competition-sized tabletops, hips, spines, and tombstones, and over 20 rails and boxes including rainbows, straight C’s, kinks and possibly a banana rail. There are also several innovative designs for the park including straight, S, trapezoidal, gap, and step-up and downs.

The Park has 6 new Snow Guns from Italy, supported by a water pump system from Europe.

All features will be accessible by the main valleys T-bar.

Organisers talked to dozens of riders from around New Zealand, course organisers from the X-games and various ski resorts in the Northern Hemisphere to ensure the park would exactly what riders want.

Josh says the park is aimed mainly at intermediate to advanced riders, and will be open to both snowboarders and skiiers. The park’s facilities are of an international standard, and will give advanced skiiers and riders in New Zealand a chance to train at a top level.

Josh says he wants to concentrate on embracing terrain park culture and attitude. One example of this is the $50,000 sound system that will pump phat beats across the park all day. A DJ booth and a computer system with 1,000’s of MP3 tracks has been installed, and DJ’s and live bands will perform at various times on the mountain.

Events to watch out for at the Snow Park are the NZ slopestyle open on July 27, The superpipe jam on August 3rd, and the Snow park invitational on August 17.

However, if you missed the early bird option seasons passes for the park are now quite expensive, at $799. Day passes are $45 for adult, $35 for uni students, $25 for school kids and $15 for under 12’s. But with the wicked new facilities it’s definitely worth checking out, and being only a hop skip and a jump between Queenie and Wanaka you’d be mad not to.