New Zealand

Classifica / Imagine de Ricardo Selvatico
Una giornata primaverile con cielo limpido ha fatto da cornice alla 55^ edizione del Monte Canin. Il tracciato che aveva un dislivello di sola salita di 2050 metri si è presentato in ottime condizioni con neve compatta e in alcuni tratti molto ghiacciata. Subito dopo la partenza, data alle 9.15 da Sella Nevea, Mario Scanu ha preso il comando della gara. Il vincitore dello scorso anno ha tenuto alto il ritmo inseguito dal compagno di squadra Alessandro Piccoli e da i due fassani del Bogn da nia.

The Tour (NZ), day 2The Tour Backcountry Ski Touring Race held in the Craigieburn Range over the 19th and 20th of September was blessed with great weather, excellent spring snow and a small, but very strong field, in what was New Zealand's first teams race, stage race and first race that took place mainly in the back country.

Javi, Grant, Lorenzo on Graham Saddle, with Mt Cook (NZ highest peak) behindA Dynafit team consisting of Spain's Javier Martin, Italian Lorenzo Holzknecht and local kiwi Grant Guise set a new speed record for the "Symphony on Skis", a 46.7 km long, 4000m vertical, east-west crossing of New Zealand's Southern Alps this past Saturday.

The 2009 version of the Scarpa Craigieburner was held on Saturday the 5th of September at both the Craigieburn Valley Ski Area and Broken River Ski Area.

Lorenzo HolzknechtThe Skin to the Summit vertical race took place on the 4th of July at Coronet Peak ski area, in Queenstown as part of the annual Winter Festival.
Not surprisingly Italian Lorenzo Holzknecht and Frenchwoman Laetitia Roux, who are both in New Zealand for the winter, dominated the short 480 vertical meter race in convincing fashion.

The 2009 Ski Mountaineering New Zealand (SkiMoNZ) race series is shaping up to be a cracker, with new race formats and world class racers set to lift the leave of ski mountaineering races in New Zealand. Both the CraigieBurner and Ruapehu Ripper, now well established races, will return, with The Tour, a multi day, team’s race rounding out the calendar.

After the success of New Zealand's first ski mountaineering race series last winter, the 2008 series has been announced. The series will again be made up for 5 races, with the Ohau, Craigieburn and Turoa events all returning and new races added that will be held at Porters and Rainbow ski area's

The inaugural New Zealand ski mountaineering race series of 2007 was nothing less than a huge success. With over 90 competitors, over 4 races, the future of ski mountaineering races and more importantly the future of recreational backcountry skiers and boarders is looking very good in NZ.

Clear skies, strong winds, slick skin tracks and steep skiing all made for an excellent final race of the SCARPA ski mountaineering race series, the Marmot CraigieBurner on the 15th of September.
As most are aware the CraigieBurner, a race between Craigieburn and Broken River ski areas that uses the tows to gain vertical is a regular fixture in mid September. This year seen the return of the “Classic Burner” as well as a new “Race” division that used no tows to gain the vert.