Successful Season for Cardrona
Cardrona Alpine Resort will close as planned on Sunday 9 October following a successful season with the less than
average snowfall doing little to dent the ski area’s visitor numbers from throughout Australasia.
Cardrona’s marketing manger, Bruce McGechan, said he was delighted with the way the season had gone and it looked like
the final day would be one of the best for several weeks.
“Cardrona’s high altitude and excellent grooming department ensured that, despite the relatively low snow fall,
Cardrona’s trails maintained a good snow level throughout the season with no closed days,” he said. “This is reflected
in our visitor statistics. Numbers are only marginally down on last year - an outstanding result when you consider that
2004 had the best snow in over a decade. With snow forecast over the next 24 hours it looks like Sunday will close the
season in style.”
During the 2005 season, Cardrona hosted the world’s best snowboarders in the Burton New Zealand Open, including Olympic
gold medallists Ross Powers and Kelly Clark and world champion, Keir Dillon. The Heavy Metal Terrain Park, which hosted
the Slopestyle was voted by head judge, Ste’en Webster, as “the best New Zealand had ever seen” and was truly at an
international level. Coverage from the event has been broadcast around the world, helping promote New Zealand as the
place for Northern Hemisphere athletes to train.
Cardrona’s sponsored athletes have also done well this season with Juliane Bray qualifying for Olympic selection and
recently gaining fifth in the Halfpipe World Cup in Chile. Jossi Wells maintained his hold on free skiing taking out not
just the junior but also senior titles in slopestyle and halfpipe. Adam Hall recently qualified for the 2006 Paralympics
and the Browns siblings, Kendall and Mitchell, are both working towards Olympic selection for 2006.
ENDS