Expect more features up The Remarkables next season such as this “corkscrew” test-driven by retro-styled NZSki worker Bonnie Greene (right). The snow trail element, located about 100 metres above the Alta chairlift base, is a taster of what’s in store for next year at the skifield, manager Ross Lawrence says.... »»

Queenstown snowboarders Nick Hyne and Ben Ryan are living – and working – the dream. They get to ride the slopes most days with their mates – and earn an income at the same time through their internet-based Diaries Down Under.... »»

For parents at their wits’ end during the next fortnight of school holidays, fear not – skifields are at hand. Coronet Peak, The Remarkables and Cardrona all have school holiday ski and snowboard programmes to keep the kids entertained. Coronet and The Remarkables are running the Kruiser Squad from Monday – a five-day development programme helping kids aged six-17 years improve their skills through technical classes, drill ... »»

Thrills and spills AS Meredith Chittock (right), 10, screams down Cardrona on a toboggan, Queenstown’s Nicola Heath (right, below) gets wiped out by Dunedin kids Ethan Ball, 8, (left) and Gian Clark, 13.... »»

This is Queenstown’s new rail jam – where life and limb are on the line. One guy fractured ribs and was admitted to hospital with suspected delayed concussion. Another, who had a broken wrist, broke it again. Others were luckier – they just broke boards or skis.... »»

Altamate experience Future stars of freestyle skiing and snowboarding – such as snow starlet Adie Lawrence, 15 (right) – were put through their paces at The Remarkables last Sunday. The inaugural Altamate Southern Lakes Jam was held to give 10- to 14-year-old groms a taste of competition slopestyle in the lead-up to the junior nationals in a fortnight.... »»

Winter highlights A FOURTH annual Queenstown ski and snowboard highlights video put together by self-styled media assassin Matty Smith airs on Friday at Revolver bar.... »»

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Flying Tomato Snowboarders nationwide were practically wetting themselves last week with the presence of US snowboarding and skateboarding legend  Shaun “The Flying Tomato” White  on the slopes at Cardrona.... »»

O, Canada Yes, it’s that time of year again when all the different national ski teams start to arrive in Queenstown to train at Coronet Peak. First up is Team Canada – all of their finely sculpted men have arrived and will be training at the T-bar, so if there are a lot of ladies lingering around that area we’ll all know why. The team includes big names like Erik Guay, who’s the man when it comes to speed – ranked ... »»

Pain barrier: Below-the-knee amputee Carl Murphy is ready to take on the world’s best adaptive snow­boarders Painkillers – that’s how top Kiwi amputee snowboarder Carl Murphy will get through back-to-back competitive races at Cardrona Alpine Resort.... »»

Aussie rippers on form for Winter Games Taylor Rapley’s been spending time with the Australian Paralympics ski team during her training up Mount Hutt this past month. She got to know the team of six ski racers pretty well and says they’ve got talent, determination and dedication coming out of their ears. Look out for these Aussies ripping it all over Coronet Peak next month during the Winter Games. Nick ‘Frenchie’ Watts, ... »»

Young skiers and snow­boarders will descend on The Remarkables on Saturday for the first freestyle competition of the season. The first round of the K2 Parklife Mini Shred is open to competitors of all abilities aged 15 and under at the Beginner Park, with registrations at the base building from 9am-10am. The competition has three categories – under-16, under-14 and under-12 for male and female skiers and boarders. It’s free and ... »»

Five ways of blowing off hitchhikers Simply don’t pull over and ignore them. But if you want to get a chuckle ... Pull over – keep your car in gear and doors locked. Look deep into the hitchhiker’s eyes – like you’re going in for a pash but deeper – then smile and get their hopes higher than their minds.... »»

Kiwi mountaineering legend Mark Inglis insists his days of tackling the world’s highest peaks are over. Three years ago he became the first double amputee to reach the summit of Mount Everest – he had lost both legs below the knee after getting severe frostbite when stuck in an ice cave on Mount Cook for 14 days in 1982.... »»

New Zealand’s cheeky alpine parrots are returning to Coronet Peak. Native kea have been spotted at the skifield for the first time in many years and the protected parrots – renowned for their destructive habits – are already making their presence felt. Last Sunday, the Coronet Express chairlift was closed for three hours after one of the birds ate through a wire on the recently-installed new rope positioning system. ... »»

Signs of the times Coronet Peak is sporting a raft of new signs to help guide skiers and riders around the mountain. The new signs were installed over summer and NZSki boss James Coddington says they should make it easier for people to know where to go without getting off-track and into areas that might be too advanced for them.... »»

Cardies’ freshies Cardrona looks like it will be in for an epic winter – if opening day last Friday is anything to go by. Thousands of keen snow junkies trekked up for first tracks, and with over a metre of snow on groomed slopes, there were plenty of freshies off-piste to be skied or ridden.... »»

There’s already 42km between them – but the gulf between Coronet Peak and The Remarkables skifields is growing. NZSki bosses are turning the two mountains into separate target markets – one a high-end resort suited predominantly to skiers and the other a “youth action” field that also caters for families. Coronet Peak has removed all of its jumps, rails and other features as the terrain park investment turns to The ... »»

Irishman Tomas Mac Donncha (right) found himself in Lakes District Hospital last week after he was knocked out in a skiing accident. The 27-year-old fell and hit his head while skiing by himself near the Sugar Bowl chair at The Remarkables last Monday. “I can’t remember what happened or where it happened.... »»

Snowboarding pro Jordan Rehrer (pictured) makes light work of the up bar in The Remarkables’ terrain park as he performs a backside 180. Rehrer, 25, from the United States, is one of the big-name snowboarders who’ll hit the Rail Jam at Coronet Peak on Sunday – part of the last day of Winter Festival.... »»

with Mitchey Greig and Taylor Rapley   Hanging with the carnies Last week four of New Zealand’s top halfpipe snowboarders and one free skier attended a one-week training camp in Christchurch to perfect tricks on trampolines and diving boards.... »»

It’s a massive eight months ahead for the cream of winter athletes with the NZ Winter Games in August and the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics next February.... »»

Jossi Wells, New Zealand’s top freestyle skier, is an accidental star in the latest release from winter movie-making legend Warren Miller. Eighteen-year-old Wells of Wanaka takes winning international comps in his stride, but news of his appearance in Children of Winter came as a shock.... »»

The temperature has dropped, snow is starting to fall and your season pass has arrived – but is your body ready for winter? Your fitness level can make or break the season. And you don’t want to injure yourself in your first few weeks on the slopes.... »»

A change in Winter Olympics selection criteria for ski racing will see more elite international athletes descending on Queenstown’s biggest snow sports event. Owing to tightened qualifications announced last week, athletes will now be using the Winter Games as one of the last chances to improve their individual world rankings as they chase selection for the 2010 Winter Olympics. With Olympics chiefs lifting the threshold for skiers aiming ... »»

The Remarkables skifield is “next in line” for a chairlift makeover by NZSki. With big sister Coronet Peak’s lifts recently future-proofed with digital tech­nology, plans are imminent for an overhaul of The Remark­ables lifts, ski area boss Ross Lawrence says.... »»

with Mitchey Greig and Taylor Rapley Opening up options Wadduuuuup snow homies – bet you’re all hanging out to get your grind on at Remarkables Terrain Park, which we do believe opens this Saturday (as well as the rest of the mountain).... »»

with Mitchey Greig and Taylor Rapley Welcome to winter Yes, it’s time – for all you ski bums, office workers and general Joe Bloggs to dust off the boots, pull out your retro gears and get your butts off the couch. Why? Because winter is just made for all you lovelies and that white stuff is just waiting to be slayed.... »»

Coronet Peak bosses deny “profit-maximising” by not opening the Greengates chairlift when the mountain is quieter. The six-seat lift is traditionally opened a few weeks into the season – because of a lack of snow – but ample amounts of white stuff saw Greengates running on opening day last Saturday. But the chair will only run when the mountain’s busy, ski area manager Hamish McCrostie confirms – something ... »»

Snow junkies Mo Rush and John Rimmer got their fix a little easier last season thanks to a cash injection from their Queenstown skifield bosses. Rush, 30, and Rimmer, 27 – who worked at The Remark­ables and Coronet Peak respectively – were inaugural winners of the 2008 NZSki-U Scholarships. The scholarships were in recognition of all the hard work the duo did during the past ski season. They each received $2000 to get to Utah ski ... »»

This is the face of the man who hopes to make Olympic dreams come true for young Queenstown skiers. James Lazor (pictured) is the well-connected American who, as Snow Sport New Zealand’s alpine director, has a long-term plan for young talent. “I’m looking at a four-and-a-half and an eight-and-a-half year cycle,” he explains.... »»

Coronet Peak has a new comfort blanket that’s expected to ensure an extra half-metre of snow covers the mountain. The Sarah Sue reservoir (right) is the biggest and newest water pool fuelling the 203 snow-guns making white stuff at the skifield, which opens on Saturday.... »»