Freeskier Nico Porteous will part of Team Oceania at the International Obsidian. Photo: Ross Mackay/Winter Games
Four teams of the best freeski and snowboard athletes will battle it out for bragging rights at the inaugural International Obsidian in New Zealand in September.
Athletes representing Asia, Europe, the Americas and Oceania will compete across custom built terrain park venues at Cardrona Alpine Resort and freeride terrain in the mountains around Wānaka.
Each team will be made up of eight of the top athletes from that region, consisting of four snowboarders (two female, two male) and four freeskiers (two female, two male).
Over the five-day weather window from 9 - 13 September the teams will compete against each other in three events; Big Air, Park Jam and an heli-accessed back-country freestyle day.
With Olympic, X Games and World Cup medallists on the roster, Team Oceania will be a strong contender for the Obsidian's Edgar Challenge Trophy for the winning team.
New Zealand's Winter Olympic gold medallist freeskier Nico Porteous, freeskier Ruby Star Andrews who claimed her first World Cup podium in January and Olympian Finn Bilous will make up the Kiwi skiing contingient and will be joined by Australia's Daisy Thomas in the Oceania team.
Valentino Guseli, who this year became the first snowboarder from any nation to secure World Cup podiums in all three Park and Pipe disciplines in a single season heads the Oceania snowboarders alongside New Zealand Olympians Cool Wakushima and Tiarn Collins with Australia's Jess McGregor.
"Obsidian is a unique event, in that it's not sanctioned, it's not a part of the World Cup circuit. It's an alternative event that is crafted both for creative and competitive skiers and snowboarders that thrive in all aspects of freeskiing. It's going to be awesome to showcase the playground that we have in Wānaka on the backcountry freeride day, the Park Jam and the Big Air - we are going to get the best of everything the area has to offer," Porteous said.
Ruby Star Andrews. Photo: Ross Mackay/Winter Games
Obsidian is a one of a kind, international team challenge that is unique to Winter Games NZ.
Marty Toomey, Winter Games NZ chief executive officer said the aim was for Obsidian to be a "must-do" event on the calendar for the world's best skiers and snowboarders.
"Team events are rare in snow sports and our creative challenges make Obsidian a fun event for athletes to compete in and for fans to watch."
The three challenges that make up Obsidian are equally weighted at 33.3 percent each of the final score, to determine which team is the Obsidian winner.
Australian snowboarder Valentino Guseli Photo: Neil Kerr/Winter Games
The Big Air event will see athletes competing for points in both technicality and style, in an athlete driven format. The athlete with the combined top technical and style score will be crowned the winner.
The Park Jam Challenge will allow the park athletes to shine, providing a venue where they can showcase their creativity. Cardrona Alpine Resort is building us a custom rail garden to allow as much freedom of expression and innovation as possible. The judges will eliminate the lowest placed athletes in a nerve-wracking round robin knockout format until the ultimate winner is crowned.
In the Backcountry Freestyle Challenge expect big lines, stylish tricks and epic content. Athletes will be scored based on their creativity, fluidity and execution of their run.