Top skiers dropped in to a massive Olympic half-pipe at Cardrona Alpine Resort today to kick off a freestyle world cup as part of the Winter Games 2013 qualifiers.

The International Ski Federation ski and snowboard freestyle world cup is also the first time competitors can qualify for the winter Olympics in Japan in 2014.

Freestyle ski qualifiers were held this morning before the finals later this afternoon.

Thomas Krief, of France, Torin Yater-Wallace, of the US, and Antti-Jussi Kemppainen, of Finland, scored the top three slots in the men's qualifiers.

Wanaka-based brothers Jossi and Byron Wells were a shade behind the top three, securing fifth and seventh places in the qualifiers respectively.

In the women's qualifier, the top three slots went to Devin Logan, of the US, Manami Mitsuboshi, of Japan, and Ayana Onozuka, also of Japan.

The Olympic-grade halfpipe is 165 metres long, 18 metres from wall to wall with a slope of 17 degrees.

Snowboard halfpipe qualifiers will be held on Saturday with the semi-finals and finals on Sunday.

- © Fairfax NZ News