Otago University's Mikey Austin used her local knowledge and experience to carve up the competition at the Uni Snow Games Slopestyle and Big Air at Cardrona this week.

The Wanaka Ski and Snowsports Club member and former New Zealand free skier won both the Slopestyle and the Big Air and agreed plenty of Cardrona experience helped her cause.

“It's like home here,” she said.

Austin has competed internationally and, now in her first year at Otago University, is relishing the chance to compete at this week's Uni Snow Games in Wanaka. Austin also won Tuesday's Uni Snow Games Halfpipe, and claimed a silver medal in the Skier X.

Yesterday's competition saw more than 40 competitors take to the Slopestyle and Big Air courses at Cardrona.

The honours were shared around campuses in the morning's Slopestyle, with Kit Clinton-Baker (Canterbury University) and Austin (Otago University) taking gold in the ski section, and Leon Thomason (AUT) and Natalie Good (Waikato University) winning the snowboard category.

The Big Air saw competitors take on a 40-foot jump and, while there were a few impressive spills, there was also some equally impressive action.

Arran Stewart (Otago University) was the best of the male skiers, while Austin continued her winning ways to take the gold in the female ski category. Of the snowboarders, Nick Johnson (Canterbury University) won gold in the male section and Good lived up to her surname to win the female section.

Uni Snow Games snow manager Jeremy Smith said fantastic conditions at Cardrona contributed to some great competition.

“There were some keen competitors taking on the Slopestyle and Big Air today,” he said.

“There were plenty of rails in the Slopestyle course and the Big Air was pretty entertaining for the spectators - a few crashes but some pretty strong competition as well."

University Sport New Zealand executive director Peter McDonald said the Uni Snow Games had been a brilliant week so far.

They will finish today with cross-country and the biathlon, both at Snow Farm.

- © Fairfax NZ News

Comments