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Calling NZ boarders!

21K views 187 replies 28 participants last post by  Mizu Kuma 
#1 ·
Hey Guys,
Just wanted to see how many kiwis we got here.
I know a lot of people tend to go to the south island with all the places at Queenstown/Wanaka.

I am more often at Ruapehu doing the deed there.
 
#9 ·
Sweet pics Jolly! Thanks for sharing the stoke. Was listening to Radio New Zealand on the ham rig this week and it sounded like your freezing levels went up to 2000M. Did you get the love or did it rain?

Haha you listen to NZ radio over there? mainly for the forecast or general listening? :p
Cant comment for the main places in the south island only for the lesser north island :p but we pretty much doubled the snow base over the past few weeks.

This was following the month before, where it rained and took about 30cms off :laugh:

This past weekend had fantastic conditions though! Sun was shining and the snow was soft:thumbsup:
 
#11 ·
I am not a Kiwi- a Brit living in Oz actually. I was in Wanaka on the South Island last week for my annual fun in Kiwiland. It was great as usual and we started with a powder day so that was good. I spend most my time at Treble Cone as it is an amazing resort with lots of great terrain. Also had a day heliboarding in Mt Aspiring National Park which was wicked. Back in Oz now and we are having great snow here too so off to Mt Hotham, one of our resorts in Victoria at the weekend for more powder.

Once the season ends it will be time to book Niseko in Japan for northern hemisphere winter. I never realised living in Oz would give me so much access to snowtime! Its ace!
 
#12 ·
I hear the prices for passes in OZ are crazy expensive?

Snowolf, OZ is definitely your best bet. As amazing as NZ is, you would probably be able to find a better job there with much higher pay. I imagine you are looking in and around Perth? Every now and then I do browse for work over there too.
Cost of living is higher there but I've been told proportionately with regard to income it is about the same.
 
#16 ·
Man I was late on this thread.

Live in Auckland, mostly go riding down in Queenstown/Wanaka though since I tend to take a week or two of leave for a decent length trip rather than do weekenders.

Our fields just feel like postage stamps having been to Canada though :/ Still love Cardrona on a good day though.
 
#17 ·
hey guys,

I am one of the many Brits living in New Zealand, hope you don't mind me joining this thread?

Stoked about this season, lets hope it follows the northern hemisphere. I mainly board Hutt, Club fields, Queenstown, Wanaka etc. Hutt got a big dump last night, could be the start of a base for the season!! Fingers crossed!!

Where else do people suggest for a trip? Wanted to head up to the north island fields but think you had a tough season last year?!
 
#18 ·
Sweet as! Seasons going to start next month[ish]! Ohakune Mardis Gras on 29th June I believe.
Good to hear there is a bit of snow building.

From what I understand the fields down in the south island are better.
Yeah it was a pretty average season last year. If I recall correctly, there was a forum member who posted a vid of themselves and it was at Whakapapa, all you could see was rocks to the left and right :giggle:
For the North Island, Whakapapa on a good day is pretty awesome otherwise Turoa is your best bet for everything else imo.

I saved up quite a few of my leaves for this season but what do you know? I get a new job starting in june..........

Planning to head down to Wanaka this year but will otherwise be at Ruapehu most weekends! Cant Wait :yahoo:

I'm up in Auckland as well. You could always do your week long trip with the other weekends at Ruapehu :laugh:
 
#19 ·
If I recall correctly, there was a forum member who posted a vid of themselves and it was at Whakapapa, all you could see was rocks to the left and right :giggle:
So nothing different than normal? Seriously, Ruapehu is a volcano with massive rocks, the amount of snow needed up there to cover them and get the season going is usually what hutt can survive on all season.
That being said, yeah they did actually have a rough season last year, but so did we in Wanaka.

Ruapehu is hands down the best natural terrain overall - it just lacks decent park and consistent weather. I've managed to get the best of both now by working in wanaka for winter and then getting that last month at ruapehu when the southern lakes closes.

I will never do another season at shutt. Ever, again. Ever. 1. Boring terrain 2. sub par weather and snow conditions 3. below average park and classic park crew that thinks they're hipper and better than they are 4. busy days are paaaacckkked - long chair waits plus the small mountain size means you're battling everyone else as you ride.

Would check out all the clubbies if you haven't; Ohau, Cragie, Olympus, Llyford, Broken River etc - just once for something different is always fun.

Ruapehu is worth checking out but you need to spend at least a week or more up there to have a chance at some decent weather (last spring I spent 2 weeks waiting in Ohakune and only rode two half days because of rain)
 
#21 ·
Yeah, I can't believe I stuck out 3 season at hutt. But as you say, it's right there and easy - back then they also had a semi decent park too. Coronet is the same as hutt, just with less park and black runs are slightly more accessible to everyone.

Turoa at Ruapehu is always open the longest. late June-early/mid November. Hutt just scores the longest in the south island usually.
 
#23 ·
I've spent a few weeks down south in Queenstown/Wanaka at various times...

Personally I like Cardrona a lot, although it's mainly intermediate terrain and not much steep stuff. The snow tends to hold up better there than at other fields in the area too. Decent parks as well (well, by NZ standards). Just a nice field to go riding on.

Treble Cone has some pretty good challenging terrain and I think has the highest average annual snowfall of any of the NZ fields, I think it's also the biggest of the fields around that part of the country.

Avoid Coronet Peak unless it's had a lot of fresh snow. There's a reason everyone calls it Concrete Peak.

Haven't been to the Remarkables yet. Might check it out for a day when I'm down there in August.
 
#27 ·
How often do you get pow days down in the South Island?

With Turoa, on weekends you'll be in lift lines for 10-15mins. Weekdays are pretty empty all around.

Just had a look at the season pass, damn those things are dear. Cardrona was $770?? $1650 for Treble Cone??
Dang thats rough!
 
#28 ·
Last season, sweet fuck all - I got maybe 4 days I would actually consider "pow days". At ruapehu I would get pretty similar (except 2011 - holy shit I had powder days for two weeks straight in October, not even exaggerating. October dumped. We used to duck the ropes to west and drop into amphitheater for all the wind loaded snow.)

The good thing about when I worked at Ruapehu was that when there was a big snow, the roads were all closed so decent powder days were just locals until about 11 or 12 before they got the roads cleared and opened and everyone managed to get up and funnel through the two man access lift. (National Park has far less residents than Ohakune so fuck yeah to the extra terrain with less people as well!)

You'll spend longer than that in lines at Turoa if you hit the wrong times. I've seen the line for the Express chair at Whaka's backed up past the get off for the centennial, and definitely waited up to 40 minutes for a chair at Turoa before.

Yeah TC used to be $1800 for a seasons. But people pay for it. Anyone who's anyone in NZ big mountain riding grew up ripping at TC. Personally I think Whakapapa has better freeride, terrain, but you have to earn it a bit more there with the locations and conditions.

It's funny watching the extreme comp though - you can tell the ruapehu riders up there, they are solid in all conditions. Watching some of the pros come in you can see they aren't used to it, even Will Jackways took a while to find his feet on the different snow conditions.

Ruapehu breeds solid riders, for sure.
 
#30 ·
Yeah. It was an option they were weighing up last year as well I believe. It's shit in a bunch of ways, but mainly for the people who work there each winter as Snow Park already said those people were welcome back and they wouldn't be hiring new staff this year.

To be fair, Cardys has been taking Snow Park's spotlight in the past few seasons. They've made it harder for Snow Park - But Snow Park doesn't have a lot going for it really. They only have park, the location can be tough for some people to get there, and they haven't been keeping up with the rest of the world's parks in recent years (bomb holes everywhere, hardly ever changing features up).

I hope they sort it out for next season though.
 
#31 ·
Can anyone recommend any good backcountry areas in the south island? Relatively close to Queenstown. Last season we didn't get a chance to go exploring with the poor snow but this year weather permitting I'd love the possibility to take the 4x4 and a good hike to some untracked areas, doesn't matter how remote.

Failing that I'll just keep enough funds for some heli boarding in September.
 
#34 ·
Yeah i think the Remarks is prolly your best bet, i havent done it personally but there are some really nice lines to be had (i watched my mates vid). When i was there i was still a newb so no BC for me then, however id hike and go now if i was there!
 
#33 · (Edited)
Hey guys, just saying hi as I'm new to the forums. Will be spending most of my time up Ruapehu this year as I'm Wellington based.
Haven't been boarding long - first tried in 97 but never really took it up. Now regretting not having taken up boarding properly earlier in life now, and am trying to make up for it now. Did Turoa/Whakapapa, Mt Hutt last season, Whistler/Blackcomb, Cypress and Breckenridge this year. Which isn't really bad for my first season of boarding :)

Current boards I have are a flow 159 Infinite, Salomon 159 Man's board, picked up a 156 Gnu Park Pickle in Whistler and now have a 161 K2 Ultra Dream on order, but thinking of swapping this upto a 164 instead of 161.

Looking forward to getting more involved in the community and might see you guys up a mountain at some point :)
 
#35 ·
Did Turoa/Whakapapa, Mt Hutt last season, Whistler/Blackcomb, Cypress and Breckenridge this year. Which isn't really bad for my first season of boarding :)
That's not bad at all! I've been riding for two years (again - started much too late in life, but better late than never)... have hit up Cardrona, Sun Peaks, Coronet Peak and Whistler/Blackcomb so far.

First board was a Ride Machete 157W, normally ride that with Union Atlas bindings. With all the sales of last year's stock happening about now, I've just picked up a K2 Parkstar 157W and some Forum Faction bindings to do a bit more freestyle stuff.
 
#36 ·
Current boards I have are a flow 159 Infinite, Salomon 159 Man's board, picked up a 156 Gnu Park Pickle in Whistler and now have a 161 K2 Ultra Dream on order, but thinking of swapping this upto a 164 instead of 161.
That is a hell of a quiver already!!

I arrived last season and this year have a season pass at Hutt which is looking good so far (Christchurch based) and have done Concrete Peak, Remarks, Cheeseman and Porters. Have a week booked down at Cardona and Treble cone this winter and hoping to give Ohau and a couple more of the club fields a go this season.

I have a 2008 Burton Jussi 159 and a 2013 Burton Antler 157.5 both with cartel bindings. Bring on the 15th!!!
 
#37 ·
I have a 2008 Burton Jussi 159 and a 2013 Burton Antler 157.5 both with cartel bindings. Bring on the 15th!!!
How do you find the Cartels on the Antler? I considered them for my K2 Parkstar but thought they might be just a touch too stiff for a freestyle board like that (but maybe I'm wrong).

Looks like a bit of snow in the forecast over the next few days too :yahoo:
 
#40 ·
Yeah I buy most of my stuff online now - most of the shops here in Auckland have either a pretty small range or are pretty Burton-centric (nothing against Burton gear but nice to have a bit of a selection to look at). SnowCentre in Newmarket and R&R on K Road are the best two.

For websites, hyper.co.nz is fairly good, though I think they're still waiting on a lot of the 2013 stock. I had a look the other day and bindings-wise it looks like they've got 2013 Rome and Technine in. A lot of the 2012 stuff is on sale including Ride and Union. Torpedo7 is worth a look too but not as wide a selection of brands.
 
#42 ·
Yeah, Snowcenter had a sale sat/sun just gone, unfortunately couldn't make those :(


All the local snow shops have a big sale about this time of year, so all the 2011/2012 gear is all about half price. R and R have a decent range of stock if all the local shops fail. Where you based?

I got very excited by the heavy snow warning but looking on snow forecast Hutt is only due 4 cm today :(
I was originally going to pick up last years TT30's from Bordertown in Botany - 5mins from my work but they seem to have sold out :(

I guess I need to go check RnR out. They usually have a sale around this time dont they......

4cm is better than nothing! Hopefully there will be more over the next couple of days.
 
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