Looking for the ultimate guide to watching the Winter Games NZ at Cardrona? Find out all about the biggest event on our calendar here!

Winter Games NZ is an annual elite international winter sports event showcasing some of the world's best winter sporting talent. Cardrona will be hosting five thrilling events over 16 days between the 23^rd of August and the 7^th of September. Come and check out Olympic Winter Games medallists and Winter X Games champions battling it out for the top spot on the Winter Games NZ podium. See below for some top tips to make the most of having a world-class sporting event on your doorstep!

TOP TIPS FOR WINTER SPORT SPECTATORS

It can get pretty chilly, even on a really nice day, if you’re sitting and watching events for a period of time. So we recommend having an extra layer to pop on and make sure you bring your keep cup so you can take one of Cardrona’s epic coffees or hot chocolates out with you to help stay warm. A pocket full of snacks, sunblock and a reusable water bottle all make for a much more enjoyable experience out on the mountain!

WORLD CUP BIG AIR | 24 & 25 AUGUST

They say go big or go home, and these snowboarders are going to be going huge! For an awesome view of the big air, ski along Skyline to Tom's Rock and then take a perch on the edge there. It can get a little bit chilly sitting on the snow so bring your backpack with snacks in and then use it as a seat. Keep an eye out for Kiwi legend and Olympic Winter Games bronze medallist Zoi Sadowski-Synnott flying through the air!

WORLD CUP HALFPIPE | 6 & 7 SEPTEMBER

With some of the biggest names in halfpipe skiing confirmed, this is an event not to be missed! Get ready to have your mind blown by the difficulty and amplitude of the tricks these phenomenal athletes will be performing. The best spot to watch from is the bottom of the halfpipe – easily accessible by taking the Learner Conveyor up and then walking the last 50m or by skiing in from the side via Footrot Flats. Keep an eye out for Olympic gold medallist Cassie Sharpe from Canada and Winter X Games gold medallist, American Aaron Blunck.

ANC HALFPIPE | 26 & 27 AUGUST

The next generation of up-and-coming freeski and snowboard halfpipe athletes will take on the Olympic Halfpipe to battle it out to win the Australia New Zealand Cup. Check out the talented young Kiwi and Australian athletes fighting it out for the top spot to earn themselves a World Cup start for the 2020 season!

ANC SLOPESTYLE | 30 AUGUST – 1 SEPTEMBER

Big Bucks Terrain Park (underneath the Whitestar Express) holds the epic slopestyle course. The freeski and snowboard athletes ride down the course, utilising the technical rail section to feature their best skills and then onto the big jumps for their epic moves. The fence running down the side of Race Course is a great spot to watch from, just remember to keep your equipment off the trail! The rail section up the top of the course is always an impressive display of skill or move further down to watch the third jump, where it all comes down to the wire, a real nail biter!  

PARA ALPINE SLALOM & GIANT SLALOM | 4 & 5 SEPTEMBER

Held on Goldrush, beside the slopestyle course, para-alpine athletes make their way down technical race courses, weaving through the gates as fast as they possibly can without losing control. A great spot to watch these high-speed racers from is up on the hill above Goldrush - just make sure you don’t sit where others are traversing to the Arcadia Chutes with speed!

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