Swiss instructor returning to Amuri slopes

Press, 1 June 1989, Page 36

Swiss instructor returning to Amuri slopes

Christian Metzger’s “holiday job” at the Amuri club ski-field near Hanmer Springs will probably seem fairly low-key compared with the big time in Switzerland.

Metzger, returning to Amuri for a second New Zealand winter, has been promoted to ski school director at the well-known international resort, Flims. At Flims the Swiss man has 90 instructors under him. At Amuri he will start with only one assist-ant-instructor and might have up to four for the school holidays. For Metzger, from Basel, club ski weeks will certainly be a change of atmosphere, but a welcome one.

At last report the skifield staff had not been finalised, but the manager and assistant-manager will certainly be local

Hanmer fellows. Amuri’s 1988 season was wiped out after only two weeks by the norwesters, the second poor one in a row. But those two weeks of ski-ing were, providentially, in the August school holidays and two ski schools were possible. No bold predictions are being made for a great season this year, but if the white stuff arrives in abundance a lot of Amuri aficionados will be on the motive up to Mount St Patrick.

No projects were under way over the summer, work parties being occupied in maintenance and some work was done on the road. Amuri is still one of the very few club fields around to have a snowgroomer (a Kassbohrer machine) which increases the chances of patrons

getting good ski-ing. Among other assets not be sneezed at are the Bordeaux Basin poma lift (supplementing the Shirtfront rope tow) and the attractive, two-storey Fraemohs accommodation lodge right on the field. The accommodation lodge includes private rooms and prices this year for bed and breakfast are unchanged. The club can also boast a ski hire (seldom found at club fields) with equipment that is continually being upgraded from Switzerland. It is very good gear and quite a range. For non-members the adult charge for ski-ing at Amuri this season will stay at $25 with a new youth rate of $l5 (age 13 years to leaving school). Juniors will be charged $l2.

The social highlight of

the Amuri Ski Club calendar will, of course, be the Ski Ball at the Hanmer Lodge on July 21. During the same week-end the Bacardi Cup fun race is traditionally run. “It’s a fancy-dress job,” said the ski club president, Chris Atkinson.

Down in Hanmer, skiers will again have plenty of choice of activities whether the mountain is closed or indisposed — not the least being a swim in the hot pools as a way of relieving aching limbs after a hard day on the slopes. The other possibilities include squash, golf, jet boating or walking in the Hanmer Forest Park.

© Amuri, 20km from Hanmer Springs, poma lift, two rope tows, vertical lift 305 metres. Adult lift charge: $25. Hours: 9 a.m. until dark. Ski hire available.