Snow Sports NZ has selected 23 junior snowsports athletes to compete at the FIS Park and Pipe Junior World Championships at Cardrona Alpine Resort.
The competition, from August 25 to September 7, will be part of the Winter Games NZ.
The event brings together the best freeskiers and snowboarders aged 14-18 from around the world.
High Performance Snow Sports NZ general manager Luke Hetzel said it would provide a pathway for junior athletes to test themselves and target the podium.
Big air, halfpipe and slopestyle titles will be up for grabs, along with chances to secure national spots for the 2024 Youth Olympic Winter Games in PyeongChang, South Korea, in January 2024.
The strong New Zealand team includes 2022 freeski halfpipe junior world champion, 2022 Beijing Winter Olympian and 2023 Halberg Awards Emerging Talent winner Gustav Legnavsky (Wānaka), three-time 2023 World Cup finalist Finley Melville Ives (Wānaka) and 2023 Aspen Open and European Cup premium freeski halfpipe winner Luke Harrold (Lake Hāwea).
The snowboard team includes 2023 World Rookie Tour finals snowboard slopestyle champion Lucia Georgalli (Wānaka) and 2023 World Rookie Tour finals and European Cup premium snowboard halfpipe champion Cam Melville Ives (Wānaka).
Legnavsky, who is training at Mt Hood in the United States at the moment, said he was "super excited" to be part of the Kiwi team.
"Competing in front of a home crowd is always awesome and I can’t wait to be back at home at Cardrona,” he said.
Snow Sports NZ head coach Tom Willmott said the team was the biggest and strongest yet.
"On one hand, we have athletes who will gain valuable experience from being involved as they cut their teeth at their first major international event, while we also have multiple athletes capable of podium finishes and taking out the top spot.
"Our coaching team are revelling at the opportunity that this event will provide as an epic event in its own right and stepping stone to major event success.”
NZ team
For junior world championships
Snowboard women: Ava Beer, Brooke Hansen, Lucia Georgalli
Freeski women: Daisy Woods, Madeleine Disbrowe , Mischa Thomas, Sylvia Trotter, Taylor Breen
Snowboard men: Cam Melville Ives, Dane Menzies, Jack Spence , Joshua Li, Keani Wilson, Rocco Jamieson, Txema Mazet-Brown, Zephyr Lovelock
Freeski men: Cooper Breen, Fergus McArthur, Finley Melville Ives, Gustav Legnavsky, Hamish Barlow, Liam Richards, Luke Harrold.
