Press release from Coronet Peak
09 August 2011

World’s best skiers meet and greet at Coronet Peak

Visitors to Queenstown’s Coronet Peak can get up close and personal with some of the world’s top ski champions this Sunday (August 14).

Members of the New Zealand, USA, Canadian and Japanese teams will be available to pose for photographs and sign posters and ski gear at lunchtime on the Coronet Peak ski area deck from 12.00pm.

The meet and greet is part of Coronet Peak’s Kid’s Day Out, taking place between 12pm and 3pm, where there will be free face painting, live entertainment, treasure hunt and giveaways for the kids.

Coronet Peak Head of Race and Events Richard Murphy said it was a “fantastic opportunity” for ski fans to meet World Cup and Olympic medal holders and champions.

“These are all highly-tuned athletes at the very top of their game, and they’re delighted to meet Queenstown locals and ski area visitors to say ‘thanks’ for the support they’ve received here over the past few weeks,” he said.

“Ski and sports fans and many aspiring young skiers will look forward to meeting the likes of Bode Miller (USA), Ted Ligety (USA), Marco Sullivan (USA), Andrew Weibrecht (USA), Resi Steigler (USA), Julia Mancuso (USA), Hailey Duke (USA), Mike Janyk (CAN) and local boys Ben Griffin and Tim Cafe.

‘It will be a great day for all to share, from small kid’s right through to the adults.

“We’ll literally have some of the best male and female alpine ski racers on the planet signing autographs for all. They’ve been hard at work training on Coronet Peak’s designated race training area and have loved the conditions we’ve had and the snow injection system we use which makes the runs hard and consistent, which is what they need.

Training at Coronet Peak marks the beginning of the athletes world cup preparation, on what is regarded as currently the world’s best training arena.

“They love coming back to Coronet Peak and Queenstown year after year not only because of the facilities on the ski area, but because they are given a typically warm Kiwi welcome while they’re here. When they leave we’ll be watching closely and wish them all well in their Northern Hemisphere World Cup and FIS races.”

Ends

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