(For immediate release)

September 2, 2010

`Sweet’ grabs in half pipe

Fresh snow contributed to a “creative” half pipe competition at the 2010 Uni Snow Games at Snow Park, near Wanaka, today (Thursday).

Event manager Cam Craighead said persistent snowfall all morning slowed down the transitions.

“It definitely forced competitors to get creative with their riding when there wasn’t enough speed to huck spins. Luckily the pipe got faster as the day wore on and people started pulling more spins and some sweet grabs,” he said.

Head judge Tori Beattie said height proved the deciding factor in most categories.

“The key to winning half pipe is how big you go – the thing to really wow the judges is height and that takes skill,” she said.

Otago’s Tom Grooten notched up his second gold medal in as many days, taking out the men’s snowboard title ahead of a competitive field which included CPIT’s Ben Comber.

The leading Kiwi performer at the Junior Worlds staged earlier in the week, earning 5^th in slopestyle and 7^th in Big Air, Comber added a Uni Snow Games bronze to his achievements – just .5 points behind Grootin and .2 points shy of Otago’s Marc Riedi, who snatched silver.

“Uni Games is something I’ve always wanted to do – it’s a good opportunity to have a wind down and meet some people,” he said.

Comber is a firm favourite to take out the slopestyle title, which has been postponed until tomorrow (Friday).

“There are a couple of old rivals here so that will be fun competing against them,” he said.

In the women’s snowboard event, Auckland’s Nicola Peters secured top honours, followed by Georgina Allen and Chelsea Martinez, both of Canterbury.

Undaunted despite competing in half pipe for the first time, Massey Albany’s Emilie Tait-Jamieson claimed gold in the women’s ski, with Georgia McNamara, of Canterbury, and Emma Thompson, of Otago, second and third respectively.

“An aggressive approach to the pipe with speed and some grabs won it for her,” Beattie said.

Otago’s Hamish McDougall won the men’s division, followed by team-mate Matt Johnson and Canterbury’s Ovila Juneau.

“We definitely saw some height out of the pipe and a 540 at the bottom,” Beattie said.

(For immediate release)

September 2, 2010

World stage beckons uni athletes

Athletes competing at the NZ Uni Snow Games in Wanaka this week could propel themselves onto the world stage.

Jon Turnbull, Chef de Mission for the 2011 World University Winter Games in Erzurum, Turkey, said the national event was a valuable opportunity for athletes to stake their claim for selection.

“This is a platform where we can progress university sport … it gets people involved and gets us a good catchment area,” he said.

Turnbull, performance manager for the New Zealand Academy of Sport Winter Performance Programme, was assistant Chef de Mission at the world event in Italy in 2007 and an official with the New Zealand contingent at the Vancouver Winter Olympics earlier this year.

The World Universiade is the second largest winter sports event on the planet.

“It hasn’t got the prestige of the Olympics but I think it’s certainly going to go that way,” Turnbull said.

“If you have aspirations to compete at Olympic level, this is a good stepping stone to that.

“There’s a World Cup field in the ski races … strategically it’s a good move for athletes to compete. I think it’s massive in terms of preparation for a winter campaign.”

Turnbull and assistant Chef de Mission Cam Craighead met with perspective competitors in Wanaka this week to outline the Turkey event, to be held from January 27 to February 6, 2011.

“It will be world-class with all of the facilities brand new,” Craighead said. “The ski jumping course is literally right in the middle of a city that’s home to a million people.”

At the 25^th bi-annual universiade, competitors from 51 countries will contest 14 disciplines – from ski racing and freestyle snowboarding to ice hockey and curling.

University Sport New Zealand president Ian Murphy said the organisation would continue its support with a competitive New Zealand delegation in Turkey.

“We’re about performance and putting a team together that will come back from the world event and ultimately benefit New Zealand’s winter high performance programme,” he said.

(For immediate release)

September 2, 2010

Double disciplines for Estelle

After an impressive six consecutive stints competing at the NZ Uni Snow Games, Otago University’s Estelle Baker decided an even bigger challenge was needed for her seventh.

So, instead of her traditional snowboard, she also packed skis this year and effectively doubled her competitive schedule – her tally of nine events the most of any of the 150 students gathered in Wanaka for the annual event.

“It’s the first time I’ve done both ski and board events – I thought it would be a bit of fun,” Baker, who is studying a PhD in Microbiology, said.

“It’s been a while since I was on skis but luckily I’ve remembered how to do it.”

Slalom ski and board, GS ski and board, skier-cross, boarder-cross, half-pipe, slopestyle, Big Air and even cross-country feature on Baker’s racing itinerary this week – and she’s even adopted the role of team manager for the 42-strong Otago contingent.

“It’s just good fun having some chilled competition,” Baker said. “Snow Games is a great opportunity to catch up with people from other universities as well.

“And its great having the event split over four resorts and three mountains – they’re completely different terrains.”

Winning the gold medal in the GS board event on Tuesday, a fifth placing in the boarder-cross and top 10 finishes in every other event, Baker has contributed valuable points as Otago strives to defend the coveted Mike Forrestal Memorial Shield, which it has dominated for the past few years.

“For the Otago University Alpine Sports Club, this is the big one – everyone builds up to it each year,” she said.

And there’s another annual custom – Baker’s birthday.

“I’ve celebrated my last seven birthdays at Snow Games – it’s a bit of a tradition.”

(For immediate release)

September 1, 2010

Thrills and spills in gravity cross

Snatching the gold medal in the Burton boarder-cross at the 2010 NZ Uni Snow Games took one crucial element according to Otago University student Tom Grootin.

“Just make sure everyone is looking at your bum as you cross the finish line,” he quipped.

Grootin reigned supreme in a highly-charged final at Cardrona today (Wednesday), beating Canterbury University’s Cody Logan by a snowflake. Otago’s Nick Conroy finished third.

In the women’s event, Canterbury’s Georgina Allen emerged victorious from the latest tussle on the slopes with team-mate Hannah Orchard, while Otago’s Mallory Nordblad was third.

Winter Olympian Mitchey Greig earned the Queenstown Resort College its inaugural Snow Games medal, predictably securing gold in the women’s skier-cross ahead of Caitlin Feasey, of Canterbury, and Courtney Tate, of Otago.

“It was great to be out there on a skier cross course in New Zealand,” Greig said. “It was a very mellow course but good fun though.

“It’s just cool to get this sport more well known in New Zealand – if there’s one way to grow its profile, it’s by holding events like this.”

Greig had enjoyed her first Uni Games experience, even rekindling old friendships – albeit while soaring over jumps at high speed.

“The four girls I was in the final with I used to race against in alpine so it was good to see each other again,” she said.

“It was a great atmosphere and everyone is having an awesome time.”

For Feasey, there was no shame in coming second to an Olympian.

“It was so good to watch what she does and try and follow her … she was in my semi as well so I tried to pick up a few hints,” she said.

Both the skier-cross and boarder-cross had proved popular amongst athletes, with 106 competitors contesting the events.

“It’s not as boring as normal racing against the clock – there’s a greater competitive element when you’re racing side by side,” Feasey said.

Otago’s Matt Johnson, who claimed gold in the men’s skier-cross, agreed.

“You’ve got all the jumps like freestyle but you’re racing against other people so there’s a bit of argy-bargy and some antics down the course,” he said.

“It got a little hectic out there but I’m stoked with the win.”

Stefan Calder, of Auckland University, and Tim Harker, of Lincoln University, rounded out the podium finishers.

The action continues with the Mad Wax ski and Burton board half pipe and slopestyle events at Snow Park tomorrow (Thursday), followed by the Big Air on Friday. The neighbouring Snow Farm will host cross country skiing on Friday afternoon.

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(For immediate release)

August 31, 2010

Second gold for Tait-Jamieson

Even the blokes are proving no match for Massey Albany student Emilie Tait-Jamieson at the 2010 NZ Uni Snow Games in Wanaka this week.

The former elite ski racer blitzed her opponents in the Giant Slalom ski event staged at Treble Cone today, clocking a fastest run of 29.93sec - the only competitor in the 52-strong field to break the 30sec mark.

The victory, in a combined time of 60.78sec from her two runs, adds a second gold to Tait-Jamieson’s medal tally after she won the slalom title on Sunday.

“I don’t think I’ve ever won two races in a row so that’s nice,” she said.

“It was a good course – not too difficult but enough to challenge the more experienced racers.”

Canterbury University’s Caitlin Feasey earned silver in 63.42sec, followed by Courtney Tate, of Otago University, in 64.90sec.

In the mens’ ranks, Canterbury University’s Dominic Campbell claimed his second gold medal by just half a second over Stefan Calder, of Auckland University, with a time of 61.26sec.

Tait-Jamieson, 23, is continuing a remarkable family feat in elite events over the past few days.

Sister Lucie, a finalist in the 2010 NZ Snow Sports Alpine Ski Racer of the Year awards, spent yesterday competing at the alpine nationals at Coronet Peak, while youngest siblings, twins Benjamin and Sophia, performed strongly at the Junior Worlds, placing 11^th and 14^th respectively.

“Sibling rivalry isn’t an issue – we’re quite cruisey around each other … it’s good to have family alongside and supporting you.”

Tait-Jamieson has an impressive racing resume to her credit after competing and training internationally, including four years in the FIS ranks, before retiring last year.

Tomorrow (Wednesday) she will return to familiar territory at Cardrona, where she spent four years as a member of the resort’s elite women’s team, to race in the skier-cross alongside Winter Olympian Mitchey Greig, of Queenstown.

“It will be good to compete against Mitchey and have some Olympic competition – hopefully she doesn’t leave me too much in her dust … or powder,” she said.

The Uni Snow Games provided an excellent platform to continue competing internationally, with Tait-Jamieson a member of the New Zealand team which attended the 2009 World University Winter Games – the second largest winter sports event behind the Olympics – in China. She now has her sights firmly set on the 2011 event in Turkey in January.

“I think in New Zealand the perception is that its’ fun and students just having a good time, but in reality internationally it’s very competitive with only the elite selected to compete,” she said.

“China was huge – it was a great experience.”

University sport also had a valuable role to play in terms of increasing participation in snow sports.

“It’s really great that students of varying abilities are still able to race and don’t feel intimidated by the seriousness of competition,” she said.

Tomorrow (Wednesday) the highly-anticipated skier-cross and Burton boarder-cross events will be staged at Cardrona. The action continues with the Mad Wax ski and Burton board half pipe and slopestyle events at Snow Park on Thursday, followed by the Big Air on Friday. The neighbouring Snow Farm will host cross country skiing on Friday afternoon – which Tait-Jamieson has also entered.

“I’ve never done cross-country skiing in my life but the opportunity was there so why not take it,” she said.

(For immediate release)

August 30, 2010

Racing postponed at Uni Snow Games

High winds and a large dumping of snow forced the postponement of racing today at the 2010 NZ Uni Games in Wanaka.

The highly anticipated skier-cross and Burton boarder-cross events were scheduled to be held at Cardrona but conditions were deemed unsuitable earlier today.

“The safety of our competitors is paramount so the call to postpone had to be made,” games director Dene Lynch said.

“Conditions are looking great for Wednesday so we are looking forward to heading up then.

“Students are still hitting the slopes today – just without the pressure of racing.”

Competitors will return to Treble Cone for the ski giant slalom tomorrow (Tuesday), followed by the Emberley Night Session at Snow Park.

After the rescheduled skier-cross and Burton boarder-cross events at Cardrona on Wednesday, the action continues with the Mad Wax ski and Burton board half pipe and slopestyle events at Snow Park on Thursday and the Big Air on Friday.  Snow Farm will host cross country skiing on Friday afternoon.

The slopes of Wanaka, where Gotlieb is based this winter, will host 150 student athletes from 11 campuses throughout New Zealand when the event kicks off on Sunday (August 29).

With two of her main sponsors – Burton and Mad Wax – backing the event, Gotlieb, who won silver at the Burton Open earlier this month, is taking a keen interest in proceedings.

“I will definitely catch some of the action – they’re competing at all the resorts I train at so I’ll be keen to check out the talent,” she said.

“It’s grass roots but you have to start somewhere and it’s always good to compete against others and develop those competition tactics.”

University Sport New Zealand national event manager and games director Dene Lynch said the iconic fixture was fiercely contested among campuses.

“University snow sport clubs have been battling it out on the slopes for over 40 years and 2010 will be no exception,” she said.

“This is the first time we’ve held the event across three mountains. It’s great to be able to encompass the whole snow scene in Wanaka and experience the unique terrain each field offers.”

Tertiary sporting events were an integral part of the university experience.

“Students are gearing up for a really solid week of competition and bringing together all the campuses creates a lively atmosphere which is a trademark of university sport.”

Auckland University has the biggest contingent heading south with 44 competitors, followed closely by Otago University with 41. Teams from Canterbury, Lincoln, Massey Albany, Massey Palmerston North, Massey Wellington, Otago Polytechnic, Victoria, Waikato and the Queenstown Resort College have also registered.

Despite having one of the smallest teams, QRC boasts experienced campaigners with Winter Olympians Mitchey Greig and Sarah Murphy in the ranks.

Students will strive for medals in a host of events while the campus with the highest points will secure the coveted Michael Forrestal Memorial Shield.

Competition begins on Sunday with the ski slalom and Burton giant slalom at Treble Cone, followed by the skier x and Burton boarder X events at Cardrona on Monday. Treble Cone hosts the ski giant slalom on Tuesday with the Emberley Night Session planned for the Snow Park.

After a scheduled weather day on Wednesday, the action continues with the Mad Wax ski and Burton board half pipe and slopestyle events at the Snow Park on Thursday and the Big Air on Friday. The Snow Farm will host cross country skiing on Friday afternoon.

(For immediate release)

August 29, 2010

Canterbury dominate early at Uni Snow Games

Experience competing on the world stage held Cody Logan in good stead on the opening day of the 2010 NZ Uni Snow Games in Wanaka today.

The Canterbury University student, who represented New Zealand at the World University Games in China last year, posted the two quickest run times to win the Burton Boarder GS event at Treble Cone with a combined total of 73.791sec.

Marc Riedi, of Otago, placed second just over 5 seconds adrift, with Richard O’Brien, of Canterbury, less than a second behind him to claim third.

“It was fun – there was a bit of fresh snow about,” Logan said.

He now switches his focus to his favoured boarder X event, in which he placed 17^th at the world fixture, to be staged at Cardrona tomorrow (Monday).

“It’s such a rush – slalom is fun but you don’t have that added challenge of people racing right there beside you.”

Logan has his sights set on returning to the World University Games, the second largest winter sports event after the Olympics, which will be staged in Turkey in January.

In the womens’ ranks, Estelle Baker, of Otago, clocked 84.042sec, narrowly holding off a strong challenge from team-mate Mallory Nordblad, who finished the course with a combined 85.662sec.

“I knew she (Nordblad) was pretty quick so it’s good to get the win,” Baker said.

Hannah Orchard, of Canterbury, finished third in 87.586sec.

NZ Uni Snow Games event manager Cam Craighead said limited visibility made for challenging conditions in the slalom ski events.

“It was a tight and pretty technical course,” he said.

Emilie Tait-Jamieson, of Massey Albany, proved untouchable in the slalom, producing a combined time of 76.28sec – even bettering the efforts of her male counterparts.

Courtney Tate, of Otago, earned second in 80.58sec, followed by Caitlin Feasey, of Canterbury, with 81.059sec.

Dominic Campbell, also of Canterbury, dominated the mens’ event with a combined time of 78.03sec, followed by Kevin Schreiber, of Otago, and Tim Harker, of Lincoln, in 84.33sec and 89.27sec respectively.

Fastest run of the day went to Ben Ridley, of Otago, with an impressive 36.51sec but disqualification in his second run ruled him out of contention.

The Uni Snow Games has attracted 150 competitors from 11 campuses throughout New Zealand. Students will strive for medals in a host of events while the campus with the highest points will secure the coveted Michael Forrestal Memorial Shield.

“There’s a really good vibe amongst the students,” University Sport New Zealand games director Dene Lynch said.

“They are all really keen and motivated to compete strongly for their respective campuses and that was evident on the slopes today.”

The skier x and Burton boarder X events will be staged at Cardrona tomorrow (Monday), before competitors return to Treble Cone for the ski giant slalom on Tuesday, followed by the Emberley Night Session at Snow Park.

After a scheduled weather day on Wednesday, the action continues with the Mad Wax ski and Burton board half pipe and slopestyle events at Snow Park on Thursday and the Big Air on Friday.  Snow Farm will host cross country skiing on Friday afternoon.

Results:

Burton Boarder GS:

Men: Cody Logan (Canterbury) 73.791s, 1; Marc Riedi (Otago) 78.808s, 2, Richard O’Brien (Canterbury) 79.674s, 3.

Women: Estelle Baker (Otago) 84.042s, 1; Mallory Nordblad (Otago) 85.662s, 2; Hannah Orchard (Canterbury) 87.586s, 3.

Ski Slalom:

Men: Dominic Campbell (Canterbury) 78.03s, 1; Kevin Schreiber (Otago) 84.33s, 2; Tim Harker (Lincoln) 89.27s, 3.

Women: Emilie Tait-Jamieson (Massey Albany) 76.28s, 1; Courtney Tate (Otago) 80.58s, 2; Caitlin Feasey (Canterbury) 81.59s, 3.

The annual fixture, run by University Sport New Zealand, will feature over 150 students from tertiary institutes throughout the country, all vying for the coveted Michael Forrestal Memorial Trophy.

QRC will compete for the first time at the event, to be staged from August 29 to September 3, and boasts Olympians Mitchey Greig and Sarah Murphy in its 7-strong contingent, along with Rhys Cochrane, Matt Fallaver, Mark Jury, Charmaine Fitton and Giles Cooper.

“We are all really excited to be part of it,” QRC domestic marketing and recruitment manager Sarah Cairns said.

“It gives our students the opportunity to experience a Uni Games event which is fantastic.”

For Greig, 21, the opportunity to hurtle down a skier X course on home turf proved irresistible – she even opted to compete at Snow Games instead of chasing the New Zealand GS title the same day.

“I’m just stoked to be back on a course … there’s usually none in New Zealand,” she said.

“We need to build skier X up here. There’s a few people interested but there’s not really the facilities … it’s a lot of time and a lot of effort and would need some good drive behind it to make it happen.”

She aptly described skier X as “like motocross or BMX on skis”.

“It’s definitely pretty hard out but it’s good fun and gives you a great buzz,” Greig said.

“The best thing is competing with your friends … at the time you’re going hard but at the bottom they’re still your buddies.”

The former alpine racer is scheduled to undergo a shoulder operation on September 7 and, with three months recovery looming, is anticipating her first summer in over eight years.

“I’ve had 17 back-to-back winters,” she said. “I’ll go in for the slice and then be back ready to compete overseas again.”

Ranked 24th in the world, Greig competes “in a different country every week” on the prestigious World Cup circuit.

“It’s the pinnacle of skier X and, ultimately, I want to be at the top,” she said.

It’s a quest she shares with QRC team-mate Sarah Murphy, who etched her name in the history books as New Zealand’s first Olympic biathlete, a discipline which combines shooting and cross country skiing.

“Competing for New Zealand and being their first biathlete was a very proud moment for me,” Murphy, 21, said.

She will strive for Snow Games gold in cross country but has also entered boarder gravity cross “to have some fun”.

“It’s something I’ve never done before so I’m keen to give it a try … I have high expectations for myself in the cross country skiing but with boarder cross, if I make it down with no injuries I think that will be a really good day for me,” she said.

Murphy and Greig were both studying towards an Adventure Tourism Management diploma at QRC – the only course of its kind in New Zealand.

“It’s exactly what my life is about – it’s a great programme and a really good option for athletes,” Murphy said.

The QRC structure enabled them to study while remaining committed to training and their aspirations of competing at the Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics in Russia.

“As soon as Vancouver finished, the focus switched to planning for 2014,” Murphy said.

“I’m at a stage where I’m ready to be at the top physically and mentally so it’s exciting to think about the opportunities ahead.”

Since opening in 2006, QRC has quadrupled its intake numbers and offers programmes including Hospitality Management and the new Snowsport Business Management in partnership with NZSki.

Ends

For further information, contact:

Kate Buchanan
Media Manager
2010 Uni Snow Games
021 292 1660

The match will be a special fixture for both sides as it centres around the Koroneihana for the Maori King’s Coronation celebrations and will bring together a rare playing of two of the New Zealand Rugby League’s affiliate bodies against each other.

The NZUTRLC side will carry three surviving players that participated at the 2008 Student World Cup: Isaac Beach, Kererua Savage and Rema Smith, who are all University of Otago students.

The side also features Luke Laban, a Warriors age grade player and son of the former 1986 New Zealand Universities player Ken Laban. It is the third father and son combination to play for the side following Trevor and Hone Patrick and Cameron and Daniel McGregor.

Trevor Clark of Wellington returns to coach the side after a ten year absence, having previously taking the side to victory at the 1999 Student World Cup along with a series win over the touring 2000 Great Britain students side.

A senior tutor in sports and exercise science at Massey-Wellington University along with being a PhD student, Clark said he is looking forward to taking up the challenge.

“As it is an unknown team and is being played during a big occasion I will be looking to install pride and enthusiasm on the players and as many of them are Maori, it will also be a chance for them to be seriously looked at for selection for the New Zealand Maori fixture against England in mid October.”

The squad is (with three to be omitted from the final playing squad) with their respective study institutes are: Mohi Aupouri (Wellington Institute of Technology – Weltec), Isaac Beach (Otago University), Danny Connell (Otago University), Hiwaroa Grant (Waikato University),
Bernard Gregorius (Massey-Wellington University), Raynard Haggie (Waikato Institute of Technology), Troy Handley (Auckland University), Aidan Howard (Auckland University of Technology), Denzil Hokianga (Weltec), Michael Ioapo (Whitireria Community Polytechnic), Eru Kepa (Waikato University), Luke Laban (Auckland University), Sean McDowell (Weltec), Rawiri Maniapoto (Christchurch Polytechnic Institute of Technology), Simon Nash (Massey-Wellington), Pat Numanga (Weltec), Peter Rata (Te Wānanga o Aotearoa), Kererua Savage (Otago University), Rema Smith (Otago University), Viliame Taukiuvea (Massey-Albany University), Anthony Utanga (Weltec).

Officials: Trevor Clark (Coach), Carey Clements (Manager), Shane Foster (Assistant Manager), Doug King (Trainer-Medic).

The game will kick off at 2.30pm.

For further information please contact the manager Carey Clements on 021 073 4133 or email of cnathanclements@hotmail.com

Ends