Parks Programmes

Nick grew up in Whangaparaoa, Auckland, but has been living in Wanaka since 2006. Nick is happiest when he gets to go snowboarding & loves watching other people get stoked on snowboarding too. His dream snowy destination is Japan & he is inspired by anyone who continues to shred for the love of the sport – especially golden oldies who are still ripping! Nick can’t single out a specific favourite snowboarding memory but all his best ones are either deep powder days in Japan or cutting hot laps in an epic park.

Nick has been coaching snowboarding at Cardrona for 8 years. He started in snowboard instructing but quickly moved into working with high performance athletes due to his extensive knowledge & personal talent in park, pipe & freeriding. He has worked all over the world, including Park City & Breckenridge in USA, Canada, Japan, Finland, Switzerland & New Zealand. Nick loves coaching because he gets to help & guide others to achieve their goals, watch them progress over the years & fall more in love with snowboarding. Nick thinks it’s important for an athlete’s development that their coach understands that every athlete/snowboarder learns & progresses differently.

Kia Ora, My name is Immanuel Feci, Manny for short. Aotearoa born, half American.

I've been following my passion of snowboarding for the last 15 winters, spending my time between Cardrona and Aspen Snowmass, Colorado. I have also spent time in Park City Utah, Lake Tahoe area in California and Summit county, Colorado.

It brings me joy to spread my love of snowboarding to others, planting seeds of growth and progression in the riders I coach. I've been certified through SBINZ for the last 8 plus years.Throughout this time I developed a clear understanding of building strong fundamentals and the importance of a solid foundation to build up from.

My ideal shred day would be a mix of laying out carves on some fresh groomer, then to the park tweaking & poking grabs while getting some sweet air and locking in some slick rails, pushing what I feel is possible with my good friends.

I love skating, surfing, family, nature & personal growth both metal & physical. We all have so much more potential than we know.

Ju grew up in Wellington but she now calls Wanaka home, where she lives year round. She gets stoked to snowboard when fresh powder, fresh groomers & freshly cut halfpipes are on the menu! Her biggest inspiration is David Attenborough because he teaches us all to appreciate our amazing earth. Her most memorable snowboarding moments are Les Arc to Villa Roger backcountry lines in France, her 1st place in the World Cup Snowboard Cross in Sapporo, Japan, & her 2nd place in the World Cup Halfpipe in Leysin, Switzerland. Ju’s dream snowboard destination is unique because it’s in our own back yard... the Matukituki!

Ju’s professional snowboarding career saw her attend the Winter Olympics twice (2006 & 2010), & numerous World Cups & National Open tours around the world. Her professional snowboarding career spanned more than 12 years & her global corporate sponsors included Burton & Cardrona. She worked with international snowboard companies that taught her about the business side of the sport. She was an athlete rep for snowboarding on the FIS Athlete Commission from 2008-2011. Ju also holds a certificate in Fitness Management from Otago University.

Her time spent on the NZ Snowboard Team (2003-2010) & the NZ Winter Olympic Team (2006 & 2010) has provided her with an in depth & hands on understanding of high performance sports. Ju is stoked to be able to bring all her first hand, invaluable experience & knowledge to Cardrona Parks Squad. She loves her role as a coach as it allows her to watch & assist in athletes’ improvement & progression while doing everything she can to make sure everyone stays safe. From all Ju’s experience she thinks clear, simple training programmes with concise goals, on-snow routines & a reference for achievement are the most important elements for an athlete’s development.

Nick, AKA Browner, grew up in Hastings in the Hawkes Bay but mainly lives in Queenstown now. Nick is stoked to snowboard when he gets to shred powder & fun park features, & he is stoked on life when he gets to surf, fish, hunt, go on mad missions, travel, tinker & hang with friends & family! He in inspired by Kelly Slater because he has been at the top of his game for so long, yet he seems so down to earth. Nick is also inspired by how Slater handles sponsorship & business opportunities with the future & our earth always considered–a true legend!

Snowboarding-wise Nick is inspired by anyone who he spots doing epic stuff that he can’t yet do, but aspires to. His most memorable mountain moments are any that involve powder, friends, jumps, helicopters or snowmobiles! Nick thinks the best way to learn is to do, so that’s mostly what he has been doing over the last 15 years. Currently he mostly films, shoots photos & rides big backcountry lines, but he has done his fair share of competitive snowboarding in the past & still does a few of his favourite competitions.

Nick loves coaching because he gets to help an athlete get a new trick or learn a new technique that they didn’t think they could do or that they’re stoked to learn. When the athlete gets stoked, Nick gets stoked. He believes a love of the sport & a will to progress are the most important things an athlete needs to possess in order to develop as a snowboarder.

Instagram:@throughabrownseye

Ollie is going into his fourth season at Cardrona & 14th season around the world. Last season he completed the highest level of SBINZ qualifications, the trainers cert, & is now an SBINZ Examiner. He has worked in NZ, Canada, USA, Austria & Japan. Ollie grew up surfing, so when he's not snowboarding he's in the water getting pitted. He also loves travelling – this year he spent two months in India & Sri Lanka.

Ollie loves coaching. Being able to help riders achieve their goals, especially in the freestyle arena, is extremely rewarding for him. He believes building a strong foundation of fundamental skills as contributing the greatest to an athletes long term development. He thinks it's also imperative to develop riders within all areas necessary to being a well-rounded & competitive snowboarder. He loves all aspects of snowboarding, from park laps with the crew, riding steeps & trees in pow to laying down some carves on early morning groomers.