Wanaka freeskier Janina Kuzma, Snow Sports New Zealand
(SSNZ) athlete of the year for 2011, with SSNZ retiring
chairman Rick Pettit (left) and acting general manager Ross
McRobie, at the group's annual awards evening in Wanaka on
Saturday night. Photo by Lucy Ibbotson.
Wanaka-based freeskier Janina Kuzma overcame stiff
competition to be chosen as New Zealand's snow sports athlete
of the year on Saturday night.
Kuzma won the freeskier of the year category at Saturday's
Snow Sports New Zealand (SSNZ) awards night at The Venue in
Wanaka, beating both world champion Jossi Wells and his
brother Byron to the title. Her impressive performance on the
Freeride World Tour circuit, which earned her a world No 3
ranking, was enough to secure the overall top athlete trophy
too.
"Year over year, the awards process has become more difficult
as the level of performance by all the New Zealand athletes
escalates on the world stage," SSNZ coach and sport
development director Adam Dooney said.
"The decision was a tough one but in the end, Janina's
accomplishments on the Freeride World Tour Circuit placed her
at the top."
A surprised Kuzma said the acknowledgement was particularly
rewarding after the announcement earlier this year that
freeski halfpipe would be included in the 2014 Winter
Olympics in Russia. She was firmly focused upon the halfpipe.
"That's in my sights for the next couple of years ... I've
still got that main focus on big-mountain skiing but the
halfpipe is just awesome."
Winners in other categories were: adaptive snow sports
athlete of the year, Carl Murphy; alpine ski racer of the
year, Ben Griffin; cross-country skier of the year, Nils
Koons; snowboarder of the year, Rebecca Sinclair; emerging
talent, Rebecca Torr; coach of the year, Adi Bernasconi;
volunteer of the year, Heather Clay; ski area services
awards, Ohau and Cheeseman; instructor of the year, the
Remarkables' Ross James; ski racing masters champions, Don
McInnes and Liz Wallace and new award for contribution to
snow sports, Duncan Smith.
The awards cover the 2010 southern hemisphere season and the
2010-11 northern hemisphere season.
- lucy.ibbotson@odt.co.nz
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