A cast of characters provided plenty of colour on the last day of the Wanaka ski season at Cardrona Alpine Resort yesterday.
Skifield staff dressed up to enjoy the spring conditions, while more seasoned pros, such as international freeskier Jossi Wells, displayed the aerial slopestyle skills which have cemented his place as one of the world's best.
Cardrona was the last Southern Lakes skifield - alongside the Remarkables, near Queenstown - to close this year and a good crowd of skiers and snowboarders made the most of a bluebird day.
Numbers at Cardrona have been up for 2008, with visitors making the most of new developments such as the $7 million express four-seater and upgraded cafe at the Captains Basin.
The skifield has hosted several well-promoted and attended events, such as the Relentless Cardrona Games, the LG FIS World Cup snowboarding event, the Adaptive Snowsports festival, and the Junior Freeskiing and Snowboarding National Championships held last week.
Cardrona freeski coach Peter Legnavsky said more and more juniors were becoming involved through programmes put in place by skifields working in conjunction with Wanaka primary schools.
The uptake in the sport by youth boded well for the sport in New Zealand, he said.
Staff members (from left) Ciaran Cleary, Ian Tilsson and Kerri Masterson dress up for the last day of the Cardrona Alpine Resort ski season yesterday. Photo by Matthew Haggart.
