More than 200 children and teenagers will take to the slopes of Cardrona Alpine Ski Resort this week for the New Zealand Junior Freeski and Snowboard Nationals.
Online entries have already closed for the four-day competition beginning tomorrow and finishing on Friday.
Qualifying rounds for both slopestyle and big mountain events were introduced to cater for increasing demand for entry, with 30% of the athletes already pre-qualified.
However, SnowSports New Zealand freeski and snowboard operations manager Tania Pilkinton said the extra 85 spots created by the qualifying rounds had been filled.
"It's fantastic to see the sport growing so rapidly and we are considering options to allow for even more entry spots for next year."
Competitors must have been born in 1990 or later to be eligible for the New Zealand junior nationals.
Freeski disciplines are skier cross, big mountain, slopestyle, halfpipe and parallel giant slalom; snowboard disciplines are gravity cross, giant slalom, slopestyle, halfpipe and parallel giant slalom.
