The feel-good mix of competitive and recreational alpine action that makes up the Disabled Snowsports New Zealand National Championships returns to Cardrona Alpine Resort.
The event draws competitive and recreational adaptive skiers and snowboarders from around the country for the popular week-long festival, which starts tomorrow.
Snowsports NZ adaptive manager Libby Blackley said the annual competition was always an exciting highlight for people with disabilities.
"It offers a unique opportunity to feel the same freedom and exhilaration that able-bodied skiers and snowboarders experience and for many first-time participants it can be a life-changing experience," she said.
This year's event introduces New Zealand's first-ever competitive adaptive snowboarding event, with giant slalom and boardercross competitions on the agenda.
New Plymouth adaptive snowboarder Carl Murphy made a clean sweep of the boarding races and won the Ace Boarder trophy for his efforts last year.
A competition highlight is the New Zealand National Championships for alpine ski racers with disabilities, with competitions scheduled in slalom, giant slalom and Super G.
The New Zealand adaptive team is led by Wanaka-based Adam Hall (20), who captured the largest number of medals of any snow sports team member during the 2007-08 northern hemisphere season.
Hall is second in slalom, seventh in giant slalom and in the top 20 in Super G and Super Combined in world adaptive rankings.
He returned home with seven gold medals from the North American Cup series, a gold and two silver medals on the World Cup circuit and a gold at the Wells Fargo World Invitational at Winter Park in the United States.
A first-time event - the Have-A-Go Biathlon - takes place at the Snow Farm, with New Zealand Paralympic shooting coach Ross Mason on board to help the interested try out the combined disciplines of nordic skiing and shooting.
Trained volunteers from the eight adaptive programmes based at New Zealand's skifields help competitors and participants during the event.
Cardrona Alpine Resort continues its long association with adaptive snow sports and is the sponsor of the national championship races.
An awards dinner celebrating 32 years of achievement and success in disabled snow sports in New Zealand closes the week-long festival on August 1.
