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The Big mountain competition of the NZ Freeski open was scheduled to run on Friday, and I was stoked on a change of pace from the 2 days of halfpipe and slopestyle I had just attended at Snowpark. Sadly, or happily, depending on how you look at it, there was a big storm rolling into the area that would postpone things for at least a few days. Since I couldn't see anything at the base I figured I'd write off the day and go for some downtime in Wanaka. I didn't need a crystal ball to figure out what would happen next.
Luckily I wasn't the only one waiting for the weather to clear, and I soon hooked up with the crew from Fernie for some off hill antics. We enjoyed a rainy round of extreme mini-golf, a nice Bar-B, and an entirely too 'spirited' night on the town in which I was duped into trying some 'traditional' NZ shots that seemed nothing short of pure rat poison. Somehow an early morning followed, and I quickly noticed it was seemingly bluebird outside, at least in town.
Following some standard hung-over morning issues, including an overheated vehicle, we finally made it up to Treble Cone just in time for the fog to roll back in. "At least it's puking!" we all agreed as we headed up into the abyss. We were treated to some pretty deep turns, despite the fact that we couldn't see a damn thing. This was a very clear answer to why people tend to stay off the hill in storms in NZ. I'm used to being able to head for the trees when the light is flat, but there aren't any here. Seeing as we were the only people still riding the chair, we decided to call it a day. I still had no idea what the hill looked like or even how much vert I had been skiing.
The next couple of days brought more of the same and we all started to wonder if this comp was ever going to happen. Then on Tuesday the sky finally cleared and it was on like Donkey Kong. The venue, Motatapu chutes, had been pounded for days and cross loaded by strong winds so it was decided that the comp would have to wait until Wednesday so some control work could be completed. (One look at some of the pockets that patrols ski cutting were pulling out was all the explanation I needed).
Comp or no comp it was still on! Everyone was out shredding the fresh pow and hucking everything in sight. It felt like you were watching a comp every time you rode the lift. The ol' "no friends on a pow day" came out, and after lapping like a mad man all morning I hooked up with Alex Lynden and Tim Haggerty for a more intimate look at the mountain. They introduced me to a plethora of fun drops, gullies, and natural halfpipes in the saddles area before we headed over to the front side for more of the same.
Down the skiers left edge of the hill is a view of the lines on Black peak. We stood and discussed the many im-possibilities before moving on to shred some fresh Tussock lines down the front. Alex, a Kiwi, has a strange obsession with the 'Tussock', even using it as tranny on some occasions. After a full day of charging everyone was amped up for the comp to go off on Wednesday.
Again the sky dawned bluebird and conditions were prime for one of the best big mountain comp venues around. I squeezed in a few laps before settling in to watch some of the action. On the ladies end it was the fern crew that stole the show as Janina took 1st and Lindsay McD took 4th.
The Kiwi boys were psyched to show everyone how it should be done on home turf, and they did exactly that. Hamish Acland blew some minds as he billy-goated into a fairly exposed area and then aired out, using some smaller airs as tranny. Smooth as butter. Jeff Small and Alister Easton rounded out the all Kiwi podium.
I was able to get a lap in Hollywood bowl, lookers left of the course, before the day was out and was treated to some killer pow turns. There's a tonne of slack-country possibilities at Treble Cone, many are just a short traverse from the lift.
It's easy to see why TC is one of the most popular spots on the south Island. Its proximity to Lake Wanaka gives it one of the most spectacular views in the southern hemisphere. TC also boats some of the most modern lift systems (including a six seater) and facilities. With 550 hectares and a vertical drop of 700 meters, it is one of the largest ski hills in New Zealand. Even the Austrian race team trains here! Lift Tickets range from $57 to $89 for an adult full day. There are many discounts offered for multi-day and also other pass holders, so check before you buy. The season runs from late June to early October.
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