NZ Freeski Association Announces National Team 2008/2009

11/11/08

NZ Freeski Association Announces National Team 2008/2009

 

The New Zealand Freeski Association (FSANZ) this week announced its National Freeski Team for 2008/2009, led by 18 year-old internationally renowned freeskier Jossi Wells of Wanaka...

Wells this year saw his career skyrocket as he became the first New Zealander to win a medal at the world’s biggest freeski event, the Winter X Games. He also won gold at the Park City World Superpipe Champs and the Nippon Freeski Open while competing at an elite level internationally.

After a breakout year in 2008, Jossi has even loftier goals for the coming year.

“I’ve been training really hard this year and plan to come back and win it all in (X Games) 2009, said Wells. “My life goal is to win X Games gold in both slopestyle and superpipe in the same year.” 

Joining Wells on the team is Wanaka’s Janina Kuzma (23), Sam Smoothy (22) Wanaka, Mitchey Greig (20) of Queenstown, Lyndon Sheehan (20) of Wanaka and younger brother, Byron Wells (16).

Sheehan and the Wells brothers who represent the sport in Slopestyle and Halfpipe and Grieg competes in Skier Cross are also supported by the New Zealand Winter Performance Programme, which supports elite snow sports athletes across multiple disciplines, while Kuzma and Smoothy represent Big Mountain disciplines.

The team members will be based in Colorado this season for training before branching off to a series of independent international ‘Open’ events such as the US and European Open, the prestigious Winter X Games, World Cups, The Freeride World Tour and the newly created Due Tour (www.ast.com) amongst other world class events.

 

 

 

National Team Members: Sam Smoothy, Mitchey Greig, Janina Kuzma, Lyndon Sheehan, Byron Wells & Jossi Wells.

Photo Credit: Tim Pierce

Wells who has three younger brothers coming up the ranks says it’s great to have the recognition from the FSANZ and to have a National Team that represents and understands the sport.

“Most countries only have national teams for the World Championships or Olympics, whereas our team represents the sport in its true form. It is excellent for the sport as whole, to be able to have recognition from your sport and peers but also for the next generation that can see a pathway to follow”.

Kuzma and Smoothy both represent the Big Mountain discipline of freeski, which evolved from early extreme skiing competitions. Kuzma, who is ranked No. 2 on the IFSA World Tour and recently won the Volkl NZ Freeski Open, is planning to compete on the Freeride World Tour this year. Smoothy, who has been injured for the past six months plans to make a comeback on the World Tour.

“I’m stoked to be part of the team and representing New Zealand”, said Kuzma who has lived in Wanaka for five years. “I’m looking forward to the competition circuit and with the support of the NZ Freeski Association and the Team I feel confident I’ll make my mark.”

Greig who trains in Skier Cross, is now ranked 18th in the world after just one year competing in the sport and plans to move up the ranks this season by competing at World Cup events throughout the Northern Hemisphere. Skier Cross is set to feature at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver for the first time.

The relatively new sport of freeskiing has burst onto the international action sports scene, and has helped re-invigorate growth in the ski industry and interest in ‘new school’ freestyle skiing.

Editor of New Zealand Skier Magazine Hamish Acland said the make up of the team is a world first, in that the team is selected across all disciplines.

“Many other countries acknowledge FIS events as the only pathway where as the FSANZ respects all athlete pathways and points to events like the Winter X Games and Dew Tour as also being the pinnacle events.” said Acland, “In Big Mountain the newly formed Freeride World Tour is seen by the skiers as the pinnacle as it attracts the worlds best skiers”.

FSANZ President and National Team Head Coach Nick Draxl said the current National Team is laying the groundwork for a healthy crop of younger competitors who are coming up through the ranks.

“The opportunity for international success is only growing for Freeskiing. There’s a good chance that halfpipe will be included in the 2014 Winter Olympics, and with Freesking being included into high profile extreme multi-sport events such as Due Tour and Winter X Games there’s a real opportunity for our athletes to perform and win on the world stage now and in the future,” said Draxl.

FSANZ represents the sport of freeskiing in New Zealand across all Freeski disciplines. FSANZ is a member of Snow Sports New Zealand, the official governing body for snow sports in New Zealand.
 
The FSANZ National Squad will be announced at the Freeski Annual General meeting, held in Wanaka on the 11th November. See www.snowsports.co.nz for further information.

NZ Freeski 2008/2009 National Team:

 Photo Credit: Tim Pierce