Top-ranked New Zealand snowboarders Stef Zeestraten, of Wanaka, and Shelly Gotlieb, of Queenstown, will head the homegrown hopes for the Burton Open at Cardrona Alpine Resort next month.
A preliminary list of riders confirmed to appear at the major snowboarding event includes defending women's half-pipe and slopestyle winners Kelly Clark and Jamie Anderson, both of the United States.
However, double Winter Olympics half-pipe gold-medal winner Shaun White does not feature on the list and looks unlikely to return to Cardrona's superpipe to defend his New Zealand Burton Open title.
Zeestraten was the top-ranked New Zealand male at last year's event when he finished sixth in the slopestyle.
Gotlieb finished third after holding first place for much of the women's slopestyle.
The open takes place at Cardrona from August 10 to 14.
