The events season for Southern Lakes skifields is about to move into overdrive, with two of the biggest competitions in New Zealand snowsports starting next week.
Snowboarders and freeskiers will descend on Treble Cone and Cardrona Alpine Resort for the Burton Snowboarding New Zealand Open and the New Zealand Volkl Freeski Open from next Tuesday.
FIS alpine ski racing has been under way at Cardrona Alpine Resort since Monday and the speed racers of skiing are on the move to Treble Cone today for another leg of the FIS Tech Racing Series.
Registrations for the New Zealand Volkl Freeski Open closed yesterday, with a capacity field of athletes signing on to contest the fifth incarnation of the growing event.
About 140 competitors have registered across the three freeski disciplines of halfpipe, slopestyle, and big mountain skiing.
NZ Freeski Open spokeswoman Kristy Quin said the slopestyle competition was oversubscribed and organisers were trying to fit in more than 60 competitors.
The Freeski Open, expected to be dominated by Wanaka skiers Janina Kuzma, Sam Smoothy, and Fraser McDougall, also reached its 60 registrations limit.
Heats in the big mountain freeskiing competition start at the Remarkables on Tuesday before the finals at Treble Cone and Cardrona.
Burton New Zealand Open snowboarding starts next week, with more than 200 athletes from 17 countries.
Slopestyle competition qualifiers start on Wednesday, culminating with the halfpipe finals on Saturday, August 15.
