All freestyle events on again

Press, 22 July 1980, Page 21

All freestyle events on again

At last report Coronet Peak- had excellent snow conditions and just needed another fall to top it off for the annual Queenstown Festival Week from August 1 to 10. This year’s highlights will include the F.I.S. races (to be held on the field for the first time), the Smirnoff Vodka pro-am, and the Albert’s Nightclub freestyle championships. The freestyle organiser, Geoff Hunt, said from

master,” Tim Boulay, back from the United States, and Joe Kellie, the Australian well known in Queenstown as “Captain Video.” Kellie competed in the World Cup freestyle competition over the northern winter and some of his aerial manoeuvres are breathtaking. .The 1979 winner, Chris Chavez (United States), was apparently all set up to come again, but had a bad accident. Hunt should again be a leading contender, together with Hamish Cochran and Tony Simpson, described by Hunt as an “up-and-coming New Zealander.” Events are scheduled for Thursday, August 7. Bacardi Rum, sponsor of the pro-am for the previous three years, has withdrawn but its successor, Smirnoff Vodka, is also offering excellent prize money. The. winner (a Swiss, Eric Rogenmoser, last year) will receive $lOOO Pjdze money, the runner-up $750, and the third place-getter $250. Many top New Zealand amateurs will be at Coronet during the week (for the F.I.S. races) but at the time of writing it was not certain who would be able to compete Skiers race against each other only a few. metres apart in this race and the odd collision takes place. Halfway down the course the competitors have to negotiate a 1.3 m jump which often provides for some exciting photography. Combined times from runs down each course decide the winner, who progresses through to the next round. The over-all winner has to show considerable stamina because of the number of successful runs he has to make leading up to, and in the final. Ski instructors with racing pretensions normally turn out in force for this competition. Three previous F.I.S. (International Ski Federation)

Queenstown that the competition would again in« volve all three disciplines — ballet, aerials, and moguls. Like the pro-am the moguls contest is enlivened by the dual format with skiers racing side-by-side — in this case down steep mogulled terrain. This format has become an integral part of the “Boogie in the Bumps” competition which is to be extended this year. A tennis draw will be used. Hunt said that $lOOO was being offered in prize money for the freestyle competition in festival week and a “Boogie . . .” competition on August 24. A lot of money was raised for freestyle at a “Mountain Madman’s” evening held at Albert’s Night Club last week. Among this year’s competitors at Coronet will be the “Ballet and mogul

series have been held in New Zealand, but in each year they have been a onevenue affair restricted to Mount Hutt. Queenstown skiers will now have their first chance to see such top international skiers as the young Yugoslav, Bojan Krizaj (fourth in the giant slalom at the Lake Placid Olympics), and the Canadian, Kathy Kreiner, who won the giant slalom gold at the 1976 Innsbruck

Queenstown Festival Week

Olympics. Miss Kreiner was only the third Canadian to win a gold in Olympic alpine ski-ing, emulating the feats of Anna Heggtveit (1960) and Nancy Greene (1968). The races at Coronet will consist of giant slalom for men and women on Friday, August 1, and a slalom for men and women on Sunday, August 3. One of the races will be televised. Chief of race for the events at Coronet will be Bruce Bowlin, a former member of the United States “demo” team and director of competitive programmes for the ski school. Several other members of the ski school are actively involved in the race committee. A run, known as “Donkey Serenade,” is the area officially approved by the F.I.S. for the races. There will be easy spectator access as this run

finishes at the bottom of the double-chair lift. Among the featured down-town events at Queenstown during the 1980 Festival Week is a 10km or 20km “minimarathon” running race on Saturday, August 2. Competitors will be able to choose either the two-lap race or the four-lap race, both run through the streets of Queenstown. The event begins at midday. Novelty events include a bad taste party, a T-shirt macho night, the usual sheepdog derby, baked bean eating competitions, and a cow chip throwing contest. Other aspects of New Zealand “culture” over the week will include a performance by the famous New Zealand pianist, Michael Houston, at the Memorial Hall on Monday, August 4. European cultures will have their showings at a

Swiss, national day dinner (Friday, August 1) and an Austrian night (Friday, August 8). Children - orientated events include a primary school folk dance, a dual slalom race, a freestyle event and a helicopter lolly scramble.