By Shaun Summerfield
Skiers and snow boarders from 24 nations are in Wanaka this week for the New Zealand round of the half pipe world cup at Cardrona.
There was an extra draw card for skiers this year, with today’s event marking the start of Olympic qualifying.
World class style was on show today from world cup champion Benoit Valentin.
- Watch the video to see the skiers in action.
But the Frenchman was one of many who struggled to better the Jekyll and Hyde nature of the Cardrona half-pipe - as one side was softened by bright sunlight.
Shining even brighter was the strongest ever field for a New Zealand round of the world cup freestyle skiing.
Wanaka's Byron Wells qualified for the finals, but when the helicopter pilot made a rough landing he was grounded with an injured knee.
A dodgy knee has also plagued older brother Josi for seven years, meaning agony on every run. The pain was made worse when the top kiwi crashed out of the final.
"I haven't had a day in my life since I was 14 or 15 that I haven't had the pain in my knees,” says Josi Wells.
“The half pipe is the worse thing I can do for it. I should probably stop, but it's not about to happen.”
This is an historic day for the sport because this is the first ever Olympic qualifying event, with the ski half pipe making its Olympic debut at the Sochi games.
The lure of Olympic gold adding to the $70,000 prize purse.
Devin Logan claimed the women's purse with a stunning final run.
“The girls in front of me that were in second and third they were killing it, so I had to pull something out, and I just did it I guess,” she says.
And Torin Yater-Wallace made it an American double. The world number two claimed the men’s title.
“I just kind of went for some style and just cleaned up and it ended up working,” he says.
The tricks will only get more wild - with Cardrona hosting the snowboard world cup over the weekend.
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