Top-ranked New Zealand snowboarder James Hamilton continues to impress this season with another quality finish among the best riders in the world.
Hamilton was the best New Zealand national team rider at the FIS World Cup halfpipe event held at Cardrona over the weekend.
He finished sixth with 39.1 points in a strong men's competition and was the only New Zealander to make the finals yesterday afternoon.
Hamilton put his recent good form down to being able to stay relaxed at the superpipe start line.
"I used to get really nervous before each run, but I've been landing more and more of my tricks in competition, which is good for the confidence," he said.
New Zealand snowboarding coach Tom Wilmott said Hamilton would take much from watching the top five riders, who followed the North Shore teenager in the halfpipe competition.
Tauranga 17-year-old Ben Stewart narrowly missed the finals yesterday and left many spectators wondering what the judges were thinking after they scored his last semifinal run.
Stewart's 36.2 points left him two points off the pace, despite a run loaded with turns, amplitude and nailed landings. He finished 13th in the competition.
Wanaka snowboarder and former Winter Olympic representative Julianne Bray failed to make the women's finals yesterday, after a pair of disappointing runs in the semis. She finished ninth.
