Over 100 athletes have converged on Wanaka for The North Face Freeski Open of New Zealand. The hotly anticipated event begins with the slopestyle qualifiers and semi-finals on Thursday 1st September at Snow Park.

Some of the hottest names around
It is now in it’s seventh year and is officially recognised on the international freeski World Tour alongside the world’s biggest freeski events and has established itself as the biggest event of its kind in the southern hemisphere. Some of the best riders in the world are set to take to the mountain to win this coveted tournament.

Confirmed riders this year include current overall world freeskiing champion and winner of both the slopestyle and halfpipe competitions at the recent Winter Games NZ, Gus Kenworthy (USA); New Zealand’s own Jossi Wells (2010 overall world freeskiing champion, currently ranked fourth overall); Switzerland’s Elias Ambuehl (ranked eighth overall and sixth in slopestyle); America’s Alex Schlopy (ranked ninth overall and fourth in slopestyle), Joss Christensen (ranked 11th overall), David Wise (ranked fourth in halfpipe), Taylor Seaton (two-time NZ Freeski Open halfpipe winner), and Nick Goepper (slopestyle winner at one of the 2011 Winter Dew Tour stops and an X-Games competitor) along with Italy’s Markus Eder (winner of the Big Air at the Polish Freeski Open and a Winter X Games Europe competitor), Finland’s AJ Kemppainen (Winter X Games Competitor), Switzerland’s Nils Lauper and Canada’s Vincent Gagnier.
 
The heavy hitting women’s field will see overall world champion and winner of all three Winter Games NZ freeski events, Devin Logan from the USA, going up against France’s Anais Caradeux (ranked second in halfpipe), Canada’s Kim Lamarre (ranked fifth in slopestyle and slopestyle winner at last year’s NZ Freeski Open), America’s Jen Hudak (ranked seventh in halfpipe), Sweden’s Emma Dahlström (ranked seventh in slopestyle and slopestyle winner at the European Freeski Open) and New Zealand’s Janina Kuzma who took second in halfpipe at last year’s NZ Freeski Open.