NZ Freeride Camp and Wairau Snow Farm have been working together to create the first all-mountain terrain park in the Southern Hemisphere. The 50 hectare Snow Park is unique from any other resort in the world in it’s complete dedication as a terrain park.

Monster Pipes

So far $1.5 million dollars has been spent to set up the park - Among the impressive line up are two superpipes, the first is 12 metres flat bottom, 23 metres lip to lip and 17.5 % pitch. The other is 14 metres flat bottom, 25 metres lip to lip and 16% pitch.

Both will be 140 metres long and will be kept in mint condition by the new Zaugg Pipe Monster from Switzerland. The $160,000 beast is able to shape a wall up to 6.8 metres high. The park also has a new Prinoth Everest Groomer, the most powerful in the world. The Zaugg Pipe Monster will be mounted on the front of the Groomer for dressing the pipes. Both machines are the first of their kind in the southern hemisphere.

The park also includes several quarter pipes, a 900 metre super X course, and a snowskate park. The super X course will allow riders of all disciplines to ride side-by-side in various courses that can be changed several times during the winter.

International Standard Sound System

There will be 3 competition-sized tabletops, hips, spines, and tombstones, and over 20 rails and boxes including rainbows, straight C’s, kinks and possibly a banana rail. There are also several innovative designs for the park including straight, S, trapezoidal, gap, and step-up and downs. The park is aimed mainly at intermediate to advanced riders, and will be open to both snowboarders and skiiers. The park’s facilities are of an international standard, and will give advanced skiiers and riders in New Zealand a chance to train at a top level.

The park embraces terrain park culture and attitude - there is a $50,000 sound system that will pump across the park all day. A DJ booth and a computer system with 1,000’s of MP3 tracks has been installed, and DJ’s and live bands will perform at various times on the mountain.

If you missed the early bird option seasons passes for the park are now quite expensive, at $799. Day passes are $45 for adult, $35 for uni students, $25 for school kids and $15 for under 12’s. But with the new facilities it’s definitely worth checking out, and being just between Queenie and Wanaka you’d be mad not to.

[Source: Boarderzone]

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