Archie Smith, 11, from Wānaka, takes part in the mini-pipe competition at Cardrona Alpine Resort as part of The Snow League. Archie said he had been snowboarding since he was 3 years old and said the event’s founder, three-time Olympic gold medallist snowboarder Shaun White, was “good at everything”. White described the mini-pipe as the gateway to riding bigger halfpipes such as the one that will host The Snow League this weekend. “That’s where the grassroots of it all starts,” White said. “You come to the resort and you have an experience in the mini-pipe, you watch the professionals and see what’s possible in the big half-pipe, and then you’re inspired to maybe go for it yourself as a young rider or skier.” Photo: Ruairi O’Shea