Race teams in NZ
Monday August 2, 2010 - Email this article to a friend

The US and Canadian skiers are training at Coronet Peak where the resort has been making extra efforts to ensure conditions are right for some of the best ski racers in the world.

The race runs in the Rocky Gully race training area have been specially prepared by injecting the surface with water to create the ice hard surface preferred by racers.

 "Snow injection involves a process using an injection bar - basically a snowmaking hose fitted to the injection bar with nozzles that pump water beneath the surface of the ski race course," says the head of Race and Events at Coronet Peak, Richard Murphy.

"If timed perfectly with weather conditions it creates slopes and training conditions that are very firm and which get minimal wear from racers as they tear down the slopes at speeds of up to 80-100 km/ph."

The work has been going on for the last 2 weeks.

Preparing for the best in the world

The Canadian Team arrived a week ago and have overcome the small problem of having their equipment destroyed in a fire at Heathrow airport while in transit.

We reported on it here on PlanetSKI.

The US Team has just arrived and one of its stars, Julia Mancuso, has decided to delay her training for a bit as she wants to go and do a bit of big mountain heli skiing in the World Heli Challenge.

See this related story on PlanetSKI.

Coronet Peak has been the main Southern Hemisphere training centre for the US Alpine Ski Team for around 18 years.

It is a training destination for many other national ski teams.

STOP PRESS: We have just heard, via Facebook, that Chemmy Alcott is in New Zealand too. "1st day skiing in NZ! bit soft and wet but winter fun!" she has posted.

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