Two Queenstown-based ski racers are competing in the top-echelon World Cup circuit this northern hemisphere winter after a break-out year.
Local Adam Barwood and Willis Feasey, of Twizel, who trains in Queenstown during winter, line up in Solden, Austria, this Sunday.
New Zealand men’s ski team coach, Arrowtowner Nils Coberger, says the 25-year-olds only competed in a few World Cup races in recent years.
“But now we’ve made the commitment to racing every World Cup – there’s a huge amount of travel, but they’re skiing at a level where they need to be there.”
It’s likely the pair will be selected for the Winter Olympics in PyeongChang, South Korea, in February – Barwood also competed in 2014 – but Coberger says it’s “just another race on the World Cup tour”.
“If you focus on it, you build a lot of pressure, for no good reason.”
The ski racers enjoyed two breakthrough campaigns this year.
In April, Barwood won three golds and Feasey two silvers in the FIS Spring Series in Aspen, in the United States.
Then in August, they were first and second, respectively, in the Australia NZ Continental Cup giant slalom in Thredbo, Australia – Barwood’s six FIS points were the lowest ever recorded by a Kiwi male (lower is better, in the complex world of FIS points).
Feasey also won an FIS race at Cardrona, and both enjoyed good Winter Games NZ campaigns.
Feasey’s now ranked 44th in the world for giant slalom and Barwood’s 58th.
Coberger says the skiers’ techniques and tactics have improved over the years but this year they’ve added self-belief.
He reveals that All Blacks manager Darren Shand, who joins them for one or two stints a year, has been instrumental in developing their mental skills.
Coberger says the team couldn’t survive without the support of Arrowtowners Hamish and Tineke Edwards, who contribute a six-figure sum each year.
Rich Lister Hamish, who’s also team manager, says four years’ hard work by supporters “has now been rewarded”.
“The guys are now basically at World Cup level, which was the goal when we started.”
Coberger also credits The Snowvision Foundation and Queenstown’s Coronet Peak ski area, “which has refocused on ski racing”.
