Winter Games NZ - Wanaka Local Shines At FIS Snowboard Halfpipe ANC Premium

The FIS Snowboard Halfpipe Australia New Zealand Cup (ANC) Premium presented by La Roche Posay and Cardrona Alpine Resort went down in Cardrona’s 22-foot Olympic Halfpipe.  Campbell Melville Ives (Wānaka, 18) took the win with a score of 89.33. His run featured a cab double cork 1080, alley-oop backside rodeo 540, and a backside 900, finished with a frontside 720 nose grab. The judges were particularly impressed by the difficulty of his cab double cork 1080 and the progression shown in his alley-oop backside rodeo. They also praised the variety and execution throughout his run. Reflecting on his performance, Melville Ives said, "The highlight of my day was just getting to ride the pipe again. It's been so long since NZ has had a halfpipe, so it's awesome to have one in my home country again." With only two hours of training this season\, Melville Ives was thrilled to put down a winning run. Haku Shimasaki (JAP) took second place, while Kade Martin (USA) rounded out the podium in third. In the women’s competition Sara Shimizu (JAP) claimed the top spot on the podium with a progressive and well-executed run. Shimizu's performance, highlighted by a haakon 720 into a frontside 900, impressed the judges. They commended her variety, clean grabs, strong amplitude, and overall ability to meet most of the judging criteria. "I felt really good once I started competing today," Shimizu said. "I am really happy to be in New Zealand." Joining Shimizu on the podium were Rise Kudou (JAP), who took second place, and Giada Brienza (USA), who finished third. Head judge Gareth Vogan said, "It was an incredible day under the sun, and we're thrilled that the Cardrona team was able to build the pipe in time for the event." Reflecting on the results, Gaz added, "We aimed to reward progression as much as possible because it's the aspect of the sport we want to see continue evolving. Overall, it was a really great day." The next ANC Premium event on the schedule is the Freeski Slopestyle, set to take place on the 4th and 5th of September.