W I N T E R 2017
CONTENTS 6
Gallery
12
A Lift for Everyone – the McDougall’s Express Chondola
16
The Rebels Who Struck Gold
20
Insider’s Guide to Cardrona
24
First On, Last Off
26
Jossi Wells: Pioneer of Style
32
Road to PyeongChang 2018
34
Audi quattro Winter Games NZ Preview
36
From the Stage to the Slopes
38
#thisismyrealjob
40
The Other Cardronas
42
Mezz Café Seafood Chowder
44
Good to the Last Drop
46
Geoff Wayatt’s Cardrona Snow Cake
48
Get Fit for Snow
52
2017 Events Calendar
54
See You in Summer
C OV E R: W I L L JAC K WAY S BY T I M P I E RC E
CONTRIBUTORS Bridget Legnavsky Nadia Ellis Geneviève Montreuil Jen Houltham Matt McIvor James Mulcahy Shay Williams Geoff Wayatt Russ McIntosh Robert Smith Richard Lauder Charlotte Rodgers
Jenny McLeod Tommy Pyatt Danny Warley Dougal Allan Christy Prior Stef Zeestraten Julian Apse Mickey Ross Adam Walker Tim Pierce Laura Williamson Pete Legnavsky
THANKS TO Mat Woods Nick Noble Rachael Milner Georgina Cleave George Berry The Cardrona The Cardrona Distillery
P.Digsss Jossi Wells The team at Cardrona Alpine Resort Graham Dunbar Ewan Straight Hamish Acland
FROM THE GM’S DESK BY BRIDGET LEGNAVSKY
Tēnā koutou katoa Cardrona is a truly special place. Our people come from all over the world, drawn to a mountain with a rich history & a culture that keeps them returning year after year. Our team are not only passionate about the industry & their work, but have a connection to the mountain which makes this more than just a place to work. When asked to describe Cardrona in one word, an overwhelming number of our team called it “Home”. This is our very first magazine, & we think it’s a perfect way of communicating our deeper stories to you. You’ll understand that for us, this is more than just a job – it’s a spiritual connection to this place. It’s an authentic way of showing who we are. We have so many incredible stories to share. Heart of Gold is a story of our past, present & future. It’s about where we’ve come from, where we are now, & where we’re heading.
When you dive into this magazine, we hope you’ll come to understand what makes Cardrona such a magical place. These are our stories: our heritage, our people, our mountain, our heart of gold. Ngā mihi aroha
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H A R RY M c FA D D E N BY MICKEY ROS S
B E AU -J A M E S W E L L S B Y T O M M Y P YAT T
PETE SPEIGHT B Y T O M M Y P YAT T
NICK HYNE B Y S T E F Z E E S T R AT E N
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DY L A N H E D L E Y- D U N B A R & KAISA PUTTONEN BY JULIAN APSE
ROCCO & AARON JAMIESON B Y S T E F Z E E S T R AT E N
A LIFT FOR EVERYONE The McDougall’s Express Chondola
Wait – what on earth is a chondola?
The facts
Long story short, a chondola is a “combined” express lift of gondola cabins & chairs. We’ve all got a little bit of Sir Ed in us... we just want to get to the top of the mountain. At 1860m above sea level, the snow is amazing, the trails are longer & the views are simply breath-taking. Now absolute beginners, sightseers & even toddlers can “knock the bastard off” with no worries at all.
– First cabin-style lift on a ski area in New Zealand – Under 4mins from Base Area to top of the mountain – 10 x 8-seater gondola cabins, 40 x 6-seater chairs – Uphill capacity: 2550 people per hour (150% uplift increase) – 7 towers (old McD’s Quad had 11) – Automatic safety bars – Drive station at the top to minimise noise – Top lift station building can withstand winds of up to 300km/hr – Bottom lift station 100m closer to Base buildings – Gondola cabins & chairs will be stored in the lift’s top station & can be reconfigured depending on weather conditions
The Chondola isn’t just for beginners – it’s truly a lift for everyone. Put simply: the easier it is for beginners to get on & off the lift, the more often the lift can run at full speed. Everyone will get to the top in under four minutes. We hope you like shredding... a lot. So whether you’re heading out to Captain’s Basin to score some freshies, wanting to update your Instagram with a Southern Alps background, or on your way for a morning session in the Olympic Halfpipe... this lift has you covered.
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McDougall’s Quad... Cardrona loved you The old McDougall’s Quad was a Cardrona stalwart, taking guests to the top of the mountain since 1985. The lift was named after the proprietor of the Cardrona General Store, which sat next to the iconic Cardrona Hotel in the gold mining days. The McDougall’s Quad became a staple of a beginner’s day at Cardrona, providing access to green trails like Skyline Ridge & Footrot Flats. She was an oldie, but never let us down. In honour of a Cardrona Valley historical icon, & the lift we loved for over 30 years, we’ve kept the name. The McDougall’s Express Chondola is the first cabin-style lift on a ski area in New Zealand, just as innovative as its predecessor was in the 80s. So what’s going to happen to the McDougall’s Quad? It’s still up here, watch this space...
Onwards & upwards In 2016, the first-time skier & snowboarder experience at Cardrona was changed forever with NZ’s first “gallery” tunnel over our 160m Learner Conveyor. The see-through tunnel was installed before last winter by our friends at Doppelmayr. It was a hit with our guests (especially on those breeeezy days), so we asked Doppelmayr to pitch for our next exciting development – a new McDougall’s lift. They came back with an innovative solution that we LOVED. It’s the best of both worlds – fast & comfortable with cabins & chairs. Whether you prefer skiing on & off, or walking on & off – the choice is yours.
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Better than we found it We love this maunga – it’s our home & we are privileged to work & play here. We want to leave this incredible alpine environment better than we found it. We teamed up with environmental & engineering consultants Tonkin & Taylor, & Doppelmayr to make sure that Mt Cardrona would be improved by the Chondola construction. The Infrastructure Sustainability Rating Scheme will determine how effective our efforts have been. It’s administered by the Infrastructure Sustainability Council of Australia (ISCA), who evaluate the sustainability of infrastructure projects. Environmental projects like replanting, topsoil rehabilitation, & recycling waste are all part of our mission to create sustainable fun for years to come.
THE REBELS
WHO STRUCK GOLD
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OF T E N W H E N YOU’R E TOL D YOU C A N’ T D O S O M E T H I N G , T H AT ’ S A L L T H E M O T I VAT I O N Y O U N E E D. T H E E A R LY D AY S O F N E W Z E A L A N D S N OW B OA R D I N G A R E T E S TA M E N T T O T H E FAC T T H AT S O M E T I M E S YO U N E E D T O K I C K U P A STORM TO MAKE SOMETHING HAPPEN...
In the ‘80s, a new era of snow sports began. A bunch of surfers & skateboarders decided to take boards to the slopes... snowboarding was born. Snowboarders had a rough start to say the least. While they were busy experimenting with board, boot & binding systems, many ski areas decided the sport was altogether too reckless. Following a collision between one of New Zealand’s early snowboarders & a ski patroller, Cardrona became the only ski area in the country to ban snowboarding. “That was more of a one season ‘take a breather’ to see what was going to happen with the sport,” says Kiwi snowboarding pioneer Ewan Straight. It wasn’t until 1989, after a lot of campaigning, that an Austrian named Michael Bosch convinced operations manager Shaun Gilbertson to lift the ban after giving him a snowboard lesson. When Shaun finally experienced sliding sideways on a board, he was hooked. The ban was lifted & construction began on Cardrona’s first halfpipe the following year. The pipe attracted some of New Zealand’s best snowboarders of the ‘90s. Among them were Ewan Straight & Graham “Spy” Dunbar. The pair worked tirelessly for years to make snowboarding an accepted sport on Kiwi ski fields – forming the NZ Snowboard Instructors Association, & running snowboard competitions at Cardrona including the NZ Snowboard Nationals.
“Spy & I came up with a logical progression that could be taught nationwide. Not cloning people, but saying incorporate these movements into your riding as a solid base to make your own style” says Ewan. “I’m proud to say that we were ahead of the rest of the world with our thinking.” The steady growth of snowboarding in the 1990s had a direct impact on Cardrona. Along with continuous halfpipe development, the resort’s first terrain park was built in 1994. It’s been constant since then; Cardrona now boasts the most extensive terrain park & pipe facilities in the Southern Hemisphere with four terrain parks, two halfpipes, a big air jump & a gravity cross course. Cardrona Parks has come a long way from when its pioneers carved out the country’s first halfpipe with a chainsaw. Ewan & Spy have seen a whole new generation of snowboarders come through Cardrona Parks – a direct flow-on result of their hard work almost 30 years ago, which made snowboarding at Cardrona what it is today. But their legacy isn’t just for snowboarders. In the late 1990s, they saw a natural comradery build between freestyle snowboard & ski athletes as they began competing side by side. The impact of snowboarding on both Cardrona & the future of Kiwi freestyle snow sports is plain to see. It’s fair to say Cardrona’s freestyle facilities have been partly responsible for X Games medal wins, World Cup wins & development programmes to grow the sport. The New Zealand contingent of freestyle athletes to next year’s Winter Olympics is likely to be the biggest the country has ever sent. “The guys who were at the top of the game in the competitive scene, like Mitch Brown, are now coaching the next generation of competitive athletes. That’s so important for the continuing growth of the sport” says Spy. “Our vision has come full circle – we’re living vicariously through the next generation.” These days you’ll find Ewan living the pirate’s life on his yacht in summer, & keeping the Cardrona lifts running as part of the
maintenance team in winter. Spy is the Cardrona Sport Manager, running the GoldX Events division & witnessing the next generation of Kiwi athletes take on the world at home. When he’s not overseeing events, he’s out on the Beginners’ Area, passing on his love of snowboarding to his young son Dylan. If you saw them at Cardrona, you’d have no idea that these men were instrumental in giving birth to snowboarding in NZ. They’re still up the mountain most days, working at the same place they used to pave the way for freestyle snow sports & snowboard instructing in Aotearoa. So what makes them stick around? “Those mornings at the top of the mountain, watching everyone throw down in the park, seeing race training & everyone going hard down the gravity cross. It’s thousands of likeminded people with grins on their faces, all there to have fun,” says Spy.
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INSIDER’S GUIDE
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USE THE DROP OFF ZONE Score ultimate brownie points with your friends & fam by dropping everyone off right by the Base buildings. Park in one of the carparks, take the shuttle up if necessary & collect your "Team Player" medal... you’re a legend.
NEED A HAND? Our Mountain Hosts float around the Base Area & their only job is to make your day easier. Look out for them in yellow pants & blue jackets – they’ll point you in the right direction & even help you carry your equipment. The Hosts are besties with our mascots, Pengi & Frosty – spot them for a photo, high five or snowball fight!
PARK AT VALLEY VIEW >> Last winter our new Valley View carpark was a hit with locals, so we’re adding more spaces this year! Park up, grab a coffee at Little Meg & use the 10mins you’ve saved on the drive to visualize the turns you’ll soon be making. Lift queues at Valley View occur about as often as a solar eclipse. Just make sure you can ride a blue run before heading up Valley View – if you need more time on green trails, head up to Base.
WATCH THE BEST IN THE WORLD When you’re heading up Whitestar, watch the world’s best skiers & snowboarders ride Big Bucks Park. Don’t miss the Audi quattro Winter Games NZ in late August, & the Jossi Wells Invitational Big Air the week after... the athletes always put on a show!
TAKE A PHOTO ON QUEENSTOWN RETURN/ SKYLINE >> The best views on the mountain can be seen either from the top of Captain’s on Queenstown Return or the top of McDougall’s on Skyline. Snap a selfie or include all the crew with the Southern Alps & Lake Wakatipu as the backdrop – you can even see Mt Cook from up there!
SKI IN FOR LUNCH Because walking is overrated – ski in for lunch. You can ski in to four of the seven Cardrona Cafés: Noodle Bar (off Skyline), Captain’s Café (bottom of Captain’s Basin), Little Meg (bottom of Valley View) & The Lounge (slope-side next to the Archway).
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JUMP IN AN AFTERNOON GROUP LESSON If your morning on the slopes didn’t go exactly as you imagined, join an afternoon group lesson! Let one of our instructors show you their secret spots on the mountain, help you stomp that new trick, or get you turning more comfortably. Afternoon lessons are cheaper & generally have smaller groups!
DEMO A BURTON SNOWBOARD If you’re thinking of getting a new snowboard, try before you buy! Cardrona is a Burton Demo Centre – pop into the General Store or the on-snow demo tent to check out all the new season gear. Buy a board you know you’ll love.
GIVE YOUR LEGS A REST Go tubing! If you’ve been shredding hard & your legs feel like jelly, head into the Ticket Office to book an hour’s tubing. Tubing requires no skill at all, just hold on & have fun!
GET SORTED BEFORE YOU GO Head into one of our offices in Queenstown or Wanaka the day before you head up the mountain. You’ll be able to pick up lift passes, pay for rental & safety equipment , book lessons & accommodation – it’s the perfect idea if you want first tracks.
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T H E H A M I S H AC L A N D & M O N S R OYA L E STO RY BY LAURA WILLIAMSON When Hamish Acland first showed up at Cardrona Alpine Resort to work as a rookie ski instructor, not many people, himself included, would have predicted he’d one day be at the helm of a global clothing brand. Maybe they should have. The story of Wanaka-based Mons Royale is one with very local origins. It started in 1997, when Hamish, then 17, moved to Wanaka for the Otago Polytechnic ski instructor course at Cardrona. One of his trainers was Bridget Legnavsky, a former competitive skier, & now Cardrona’s General Manager. “He probably had the lowest attention span of anyone in the group,” she says. “I distinctly remember the powder days... just giving him the nod & telling him to get outta here, as there was no point even trying to get him to listen! But he was so into skiing, enormously passionate & obviously had a real talent.” Hamish was hooked from the start. “That first season was amazing, I remember just skiing every day & just trying to jump off everything,” he says, adding it’s something he did both in his free time & while working; a Cardrona Events department drill Hamish lost while
skiing down the Arcadia Chutes is still out there somewhere. It was a good time to get into the industry. Snowboarding was taking off, skiers were learning new tricks from their sidewardssliding brethren, & Cardrona was leading the way. The first halfpipe in Australasia, & one of the first in the world, had been built at the resort in 1990. In 2000, Cardrona hosted New Zealand’s first ever freeski halfpipe competition; Hamish entered & placed second. He applied his talents to big mountain freeskiing, & became one of the first skiers to throw freestyle tricks into big mountain competition. He ranked 5th on the Freeride World Tour in 2005. The same year Hamish had his inaugural crack at business, launching the New Zealand Freeski Open,
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which combined big mountain, slopestyle & halfpipe. Injury & the passage of time led Hamish to contemplate life beyond the pursuit of fresh lines, & he started to kick around more business ideas. “While travelling, I would test my ideas with friends, & continually looked at what was happening around me. I was a total sponge,” he says. He found his answer in merino. Hamish knew from experience that merino performed brilliantly as a base layer (especially for couch-surfing skiers with limited access to washing machines). He also knew the merino products available lacked one thing the skiers & snowboarders he had worked, travelled & competed with demanded: style. “I wanted something I could wear not only on the hill, but into the bar too,” Hamish says. He set up shop with his now-wife, graphic designer Hannah Aubrey, & they shipped their first Mons Royale orders in 2009 (“I think to five retailers,” Hamish recalls). A spare bedroom served as their office, their garage as a warehouse. By 2014, they were dressing the New Zealand Winter Olympic team, & today Mons Royale is a global company with 30 employees supplying more than 400 stores around the world, including in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Canada & Norway. As for his journey from ski instructor, to pro skier, to entrepreneur, Hamish says being a “ski bum” turned out to be exactly the right
background he needed to make Mons a success. For one, the ski industry gave him the right contacts – it was the head of marketing for Volkl, one of Hamish’s sponsors, who connected him with a Swiss distributor during the company’s first year, ensuring a global reach from the start. Some of Mons’ strongest advocates have been the people Hamish worked alongside in the mountains. “Resort staff have been rad at taking the Mons story around the world,” he says. Recently, as Cardrona has expanded into a year-round endeavour, opening in summer for mountain biking, tubing & walking, so Mons has looked beyond winter too, finding fresh audiences for its street-wise merino. Mons Royale is a major sponsor at Crankworx Rotorua, which attracts the mountain biking’s top media, & top stars. What Hamish is doing with Mons today is something he’s done from the start, when he found out, like many in the ski industry have, that with a lot of hard work he could combine what he loves to do with what he does for a living. “There’s a blur between passion & business. You want to do things you’re passionate about, & I’m extremely passionate about taking New Zealand action sports global & bringing the world to New Zealand. Mons Royale is simply a vehicle to do that.”
JOSSI WELLS PIONEER OF STYLE WORDS & IMAGES BY SHAY WILLIAMS
We can measure Jossi’s career in wins, awards, trophies, & accolades. But what you can’t discount is what he means to the sport. He spans generations. He spans industries. His style is universally known & adored. He’s brought skiing into the mainstream, & he’s done it on his terms. He’s kept style, in many ways, in the sport. He hasn’t allowed it to lose sight of itself. For me, that’s better than any photo I will capture of him.
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JOSSI WELLS B Y T O M M Y P YAT T
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“To do a dull thing with style is preferable to doing a dangerous thing without it. To do a dangerous thing with style is what I call art” – Charles Bukowski
“This quote is something that has resonated with me for a long time. Skiing is a dangerous sport, & when done well I believe it is an art form. The way you interpret the mountain is totally up to you. It’s a canvas to paint your personal expression. This is what I strive for during my time on the hill.” – JOSSI WELLS
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Road to
PyeongChang 2018 It feels like we haven’t even had a chance to wax our bases since the last Winter Olympics in Russia; now it’s South Korea’s turn. It’s been years of preparation for a select few that call the bottom of the world home. Cardrona continues to play a pivotal role for Kiwis looking to succeed at the largest winter event known to man. The road to PyeongChang has been different for all Cardrona’s Team Riders, however one thing remains constant – hard work. First lift starts at 8.30am right? Not for the pipe athletes. They’ve probably done 20 runs through the halfpipe by the time you’ve checked the morning snow report. Have a crack at some of the core strength exercises the slopestyle riders have been doing after a long day of hitting jumps. You’ll soon discover that this new breed of freestyle athlete must be the “full package” to get a ticket to South Korea next February; dedicated, strong, focused & of course, ballsy. The journey to PyeongChang for Cardrona’s athletes has had its ups & downs. While we acknowledge the “downs” & sincerely hope those who’ve been injured recover swiftly, there have been a lot of “ups” to get excited about...
also taken home X Games medals since her Olympic debut in Sochi - a silver & bronze. The younger Team Riders have taken notice & are following in rapid succession. Miguel Porteous, at just 17, won a silver medal on debut in a stacked field of halfpipe superstars at X Games Aspen this year. Jackson “Wacko” Wells entered his first X Games event (Big Air) in March, qualified first then took home the bronze medal... insane results from the young guns. Cardrona’s athletes have been on a tear in the Northern Hemisphere Olympic qualification season. For the snowboarders, Zoi SadowskiSynnott has definitely made her presence
Remember how huge Jossi Wells winning NZ’s first Winter X Games GOLD medal last year was? While X Games doesn’t necessarily mean anything for Olympic qualification, if you can win an X Games medal, you definitely have the goods to win an Olympic one. Christy Prior has
Miguel Porteous - X Games rookie to silver medallist
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Zoi Sadowski-Synnott on top of the Slopestyle podium in the Czech Republic
known through the top female ranks, grabbing a 1st (Slopestyle) & 3rd (Big Air) at World Cup events & placing 2nd (Slopestyle) at the World Champs this year. Tiarn Collins & Carlos GarciaKnight have been racking up impressive performances against snowboarding’s elite & aren’t slowing down. The freeskiers are busy hunting Olympic qualification with Byron Wells, Janina Kuzma, Finn Bilous & Nico Porteous making finals of key events to keep the dream alive. Beau-James Wells is back from injury this year & is bound to land some hammers. The Audi quattro Winter Games NZ at Cardrona is a key stop on the road to PyeongChang. Our freestyle athletes will be on home turf, taking on the world in their bid to compete on winter’s biggest stage... You won’t want to miss it.
Wacko Wells sending it during the 2016 JWI at Cardrona.
AUDI QUATTRO WINTER GAMES NZ 2017 PREVIEW
BY JENNY MCLEOD
Cardrona’s world-class reputation in the development & management of freeski & snowboard facilities continues to grow. It has made the venue the overriding choice as host for the prestigious Winter Games NZ since the event’s inception in 2009. “Over the past four Games the resort has hosted multiple World Cups, providing outstanding international standard pipe & park courses which have showcased both Cardrona & the Games globally,” says Winter Games NZ CEO Arthur Klap. Cardrona is again staging two freeski & two snowboard FIS World Cups at the 2017 Winter Games, both in slopestyle & halfpipe. “We are confident that this year’s Games are going to deliver the best World Cups so far, due to the new facilities on the mountain & the expanded support programme Cardrona is providing,” he says. The Winter Games NZ events are critical this year for athletes from all over the world aiming to qualify for the 2018 Olympic Winter Games in PyeongChang. “This is one of the last opportunities for athletes to compete in World Cups & qualify to represent their countries in South Korea,” says Klap. “The halfpipe events in particular are likely to be a big drawcard, with fewer held in the Northern Hemisphere this season.” Big international names are expected to be at Cardrona for the freeski & snowboard competition including US snowboarding superstars Kelly Clark & Shaun White, who are regular Games competitors. All eyes will be on young Estonian freeskiing sensation Kelly Sildaru who, at only 14 years old, claimed the two freeski Cardrona Games titles in 2016. She continued her outstanding performance to win her second X Games slopestyle gold medal in Aspen in January this year. Now 15 years old, Sildaru is eligible to enter her first World Cup events at Cardrona. Winter Games defending freestyle halfpipe champion & Olympic medallist Kevin Rolland of France is a possible contender, along with Great Britain’s James Woods (Woodsy) defending his 2015 Games slopestyle title. Kiwi athletes, many of them Wanaka & Cardrona based, have been making waves in the Northern Hemisphere this season & there is strong competition for places on the New Zealand
team for Pyeongchang. The Wells brothers Jossi, Byron, Beau-James & Jackson will have star billing in the events along with 17-yearold Miguel Porteous who went from rookie to medallist overnight when he won silver in Freeski Halfpipe at the Aspen X Games this year. Other talented young New Zealand freeskiers include Finn Bilous & Nico Porteous, while Sochi halfpipe Olympian Janina Kuzma heads the women’s field. Numbered amongst the Kiwi snowboarding hopefuls are Tiarn Collins & Carlos Garcia-Knight along with Sochi Olympian Christy Prior & emerging world-class athlete, 15-year-old Wanaka rider Zoi SadowskiSynott. Zoi will be out to impress the judges following her first successful season on the FIS World Cup Tour. “Exceptional fields representing a big cross section of countries are expected at Cardrona for the FIS World Cups. While spectators can easily access the halfpipe & slopestyle courses, we will also be screening all four World Cups live on TVNZ,” says Klap. “This year’s television coverage will be at its highest ever level with TVNZ confirmed as the Winter Games official broadcast partner.”
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CARDRONA – 2017 WINTER GAMES NZ F R E E SK I & SNOW B OA R D WOR L D C U PS
26 AUG.
FIS Freeski World Cup Slopestyle
Qualifier
27
FIS Freeski World Cup Slopestyle
Finals
31
FIS Freeski World Cup Halfpipe
Qualifier
1
FIS Freeski World Cup Halfpipe
Finals
3
FIS Snowboard World Cup Slopestyle Qualifier
4
FIS Snowboard World Cup Slopestyle Finals
8
FIS Snowboard World Cup Halfpipe
Qualifier
9
FIS Snowboard World Cup Halfpipe
Finals
AUG. AUG. SEPT. SEPT. SEPT. SEPT. SEPT.
Shapeshifter frontman P.Digsss is no stranger to the world of snow – he cut his teeth shaping terrain parks before his career in music took off. We had a chat to the man himself to find out what makes him so pumped on music & the mountains.
Now we all have our own studios & computers, & we’ll work on ideas at home prior to rehearsals. Then when you go to rehearsals you bring your A-game – you bring all your ideas that are a good feel for the band & we’ll all listen & jam them out.
How did you get into music? My whole family have been a musical inspiration to me really. My brothers & sisters all listened to soul & reggae, but I went the punk/rock/heavy metal route. By 16 years old, all I wanted to do was be in bands & play music.
How did you get into snowboarding? It was really easy – it was just the coolest sh*t out in the ‘90s! I did skiing first. I first got to do it in 1994 at Ruapehu – Whakapapa. We were psyched ‘cos we were all surfers & skaters. There were no snowboards for hire because it was really early & nobody was really doing it yet. I went skiing twice, but I remember every time we went skiing we’d always see one dude snowboarding… we’d be frothing to do it too. Once I tried it, that was it.
What’s your song writing process? In the early days it was just like a normal band really – we’d just get in the room with each other to play.
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Name: Paora “P.Digsss” Apera Hometown: Wellington Home Mountain: Cardrona Alpine Resort Stance: Goofy Mic: Right hand (but left if it’s on a stand) Favourite Trick: Method Air Favourite Track: Angels Sing – Drum Machine Sponsors: Adidas, Originals, Nixon, Electric, ilabb, Ducati (please hint hint) & Mons Royale give love Check out P.Digsss’ Cardrona Mountain Playlist on Spotify.
What keeps you coming back to the mountains year after year? I love the feeling of riding powder, riding snow, flying, & being with really good friends. If it wasn’t for Shapeshifter, being my bread earner for everything I need to do (& for being the best job I’ve ever had), I would be working for Cardrona. What’s the connection between music & snowboarding for you? They go hand in hand. Each are as complementary to each other as can be. When I’m riding, I hear music – hearing music in my head or playing music with a boom box that’s on me. Snowboarding is music – it’s just what you do on the snow.
What’s the plan for the next year? We’ve just realised our sixth album, & we just got signed to Hospital Records in the UK, one of the world’s biggest dance music labels. It’s quite exciting times – we’re not babies in this, we’re quite long in the tooth at 18 years old. You never know what’s going to happen, but we’re just stoked to get this opportunity to go & get on some really awesome tours in Europe. We’ll be doing some fairly extensive touring this year & I’m excited. Although not too much touring – I want to snowboard too! @diggypeacekeeper @shapeshifterlivenz @peacekeepersnz www.shapeshifter.co.nz
#ThisIsMyRealJob LIZ NELSON S K I K I N DY C O O R D I N AT O R & S N OW S P O RT S I N S T RU C T O R
Education: BA (Hons) in Political Science How I got here: Worked for the Queen at Buckingham Palace for 7 years before coming to NZ in 2010
“Cardrona really is a family... it means a lot”
JONNY MOODY FO OD & B EV E R AG E DU T Y M A NAG E R
Education: Course in early childcare & child development How I got here: Left a role as a nursery nurse (childcare supervisor) in Scotland to chase the snow in New Zealand
“I just want to ski – everything is better covered in snow!”
TESSA CROSS LIFT SUPERVISOR
Education: Diploma in Film & Television in Production Design How I got here: Took a break from throwing fake blood on things for Spartacus to work on a ski field for a year...
“This mountain doesn’t let you leave very easily, & nor would I want to!”
THOMAS MCRAE CAMPBELL T E R R A I N PA R K B U I L D E R
Education: Once read a book in the Otago Uni library How I got here: Been in a groomer as long as I’ve been alive – Dad’s been driving one for over 30 years
“I was a bee keeper about as long as it took me to figure out they can still get in the suit”
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STEVE TROUT 64 SEASONS’ SKI INSTRUCTING
Education: Chemistry degree How I got here: I was 2 semesters from finishing a business degree, but decided a ski instructor course would be more fun
“This certainly is a better office, but sometimes the heating doesn’t work”
HANNAH BUDD SA L E S & GU E ST SE RV IC E S M A NAG E R
Education: BSc (Hons) in Physiology, Masters in Research How I got here: Signed up for my PhD but came to New Zealand instead to do one winter season in 2009
“I could have been Dr Budd by now”
MARK “E MARK” EBBINS HOST SUPERVISOR & SKI INSTRUCTOR
Education: Master’s degree from the University of Life How I got here: Pro chef for 12 years, floor layer for the UK Ministry of Defence, but becoming a ski instructor was my life-long ambition
“I decided to follow my heart & change my life for the best”
SCOTT PALMER SK I & SNOW B OA R D I N ST RUC TOR
Education: Certificate in Snow Sports Instruction How I got here: Didn’t want to go straight to university, so trained to become an instructor at Cardrona
“Nine years later... I’m still here!”
GINA GOODWIN S Y S T E M A D M I N I S T R AT O R ( I T )
Education: Business Degree in Finance & Marketing How I got here: Since being rescued by lifties as a kid, I always wanted to work in the mountains
“I get to snowboard on my lunch break – what could be better??”
OTHER CARDRONAS
The
Between Queenstown & Wanaka lies the rugged Cardrona Valley, surrounded by pristine mountains & overflowing with southern charm. It’s been the site of continued struggle, elation, tenacity & innovation. From the days when Maori first trekked to find karamea, to when
gold was first struck in the 1800s, to the very first turns down an untouched, snow-covered slope. To this day, the people of Cardrona uphold the hardworking, tenacious spirit of those who walked the Valley before them. They take pride in being pioneers & embracing change. It’s this collective spirit that makes the Cardrona Valley iconic; the other Cardronas give our Cardrona a place, a community, a home.
H E A RT O F G O L D 41
The Cardrona Hotel The iconic, historic Cardrona Hotel is a must-visit for aprés ski next to the fire. cardronahotel.co.nz
The Cardrona Distillery The spirits of Cardrona – pure Cardrona alpine water used to make the finest whiskey, gin, vodka & more. cardronadistillery.com
The Cardrona Horse riding, 4wd buggies, quad bikes & snowmobiling in the heart of the Valley. thecardrona.co.nz
The Cardrona Bra Fence A rebel, just like the mountain. Donate to Breast Cancer Research or add a bra to the collection.
Mezz Café Seafood Chowder 1 x Leek stems – diced & washed 1 x Carrot – peeled & diced 3 x Garlic cloves – finely sliced 3 x Garlic cloves – halved 1 x Sprig fresh thyme 250ml White wine
1L Fish stock 1 x Shallot – roughly chopped 1kg Fresh mussels – washed & de-bearded 500g Fresh clams – washed ½ a Lemon ½ a Lemon – juice & zest 15ml Pernod
Cook the leeks & carrot in a large pan in butter until soft without colour - Add the sliced garlic & thyme & cook until garlic is soft but not brown - Add 125ml of white wine & stir until almost all of it has disappeared - Add the fish stock & reduce by a third
separate large pan & cook with oil until translucent - Add the garlic halves, mussels & clams & stir all together - Quickly squeeze in the juice from the lemon & add the two halves, followed by the Pernod & the rest of the wine in quick succession - Put on the lid & steam the shellfish for 3–4mins or until all have opened - Strain the shellfish liquor
While the fish stock reduces… - Place the shallots in a
1 x Bay leaf ½ tsp Black peppercorns 1 x Star anise 250g Smoked trevally – skinned, boned & flaked 500mL Double cream 2 x Agria potatoes – peeled & diced (1cm)
through a fine sieve into the fish stock While the shellfish cool… - Place the cream, bay leaves, peppercorns, star anise & smoked trevally in your empty shellfish pan - On a low heat, slowly bring to the simmer - Strain the cream into the fish stock once it has reduced - Set aside the trevally for later
500g fresh salmon – skinned & cubed (2cm) Salt & white pepper to taste Fresh chives & chervil – roughly chopped SERVES 4–6 PEOPLE
Add the potatoes to the cream & fish stock, simmer gently - Pick the shellfish from their shells & halve the mussels - Once the potatoes are a few minutes away from being cooked, add the salmon cubes, trevally & shellfish & bring back to a simmer - Season with salt & white pepper to taste - Add the zest & juice of a lemon & lots of fresh herbs
H E A RT O F G O L D   4 3
GOOD TO THE LAST DROP BY RICHARD LAUDER, Real Journeys Chief Executive
Every year, I sit down with a panel of sommeliers & other wine experts to select New Zealand’s best wines for the Real Journeys wine list. 450 wines from both well-known & new Kiwi wineries are submitted & separated into grape type & price point. Over two days, the wines are blind tasted & ranked. The blind tasting method means that the wines are selected based on their quality, not their reputation or market value. Once the best wines are chosen, they’re revealed to us. We then select the entire list, making sure there is a wide representation of New Zealand’s best, with all the main varieties featured at a range of price points. The final list of around 30 wines generally has no more than two per producer, & reflects New Zealand’s classical winemaking regions. You’ll see Central Otago Pinot Noirs, Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc & Hawkes Bay Merlot. It’s a total collection of some of the greatest New Zealand wines by value.
Photo credit: Gibbston Valley Winery
If you’re up in Mezz Café, out on The Lounge deck, on a Doubtful Sound overnight cruise, or dining across at Walter Peak Station, your wine has been hand-selected by a passionate group of people in a rigorous process. It’s a hard job, but somebody’s got to do it.
H E A RT O F G O L D 4 5
Wine Lis2t01 7 SPARKLING
NV Quartz Reef Méthode Traditionelle Brut (Central Otago) Brancott Estate Brut Cuve (Marlborough)
SAUVIGNON BLANC
ROSÉ
2016 Cloudy Bay (Marlborough) 2015 Wither Hills (Marlborough)
2016 Terra Sancta, Pinot Noir Rosé (Central Otago)
2015 Villa Maria Reserve Wairau Valley (Marlborough)
DESSERT WINES
2015 Spy Valley (Marlborough)
2013 Villa Maria Reserve Noble Riesling Botrytis Selection (Marlborough)
CHARDONNAY
2012 Mt Difficulty Mansons Farm Pinot Gris (Central Otago)
2011 Vidal Legacy (Hawke’s Bay) 2014 Cloudy Bay (Marlborough) 2016 Church Road “McDonald Series”ǯ(Hawke’s Bay) 2014 Spy Valley (Marlborough)
PINOT GRIS 2013 Gibbston Valley La Dulcinée (Central Otago) 2014 Greywacke (Marlborough)
PINOT NOIR 2011 Peregrine (Central Otago) 2012 Surveyor Thomson (Central Otago) 2014 Lake Hayes (Central Otago) 2015 Explorer (Central Otago)
SYRAH
2016 Amisfield (Central Otago)
2014 Craggy Range Gimblett Gravels (Hawke’s Bay)
2016 Saddleback (Central Otago)
2015 Couper’s Shed (Hawke’s Bay)
RIESLING
CABERNET /MERLOT
2015 Mount Maude East Block (Central Otago) 2014 Peregrine Rastasburn (Central Otago) 2014 Framingham Classic (Marlborough)
2013 Church Road Grand Reserve, Cabernet Merlot (Hawke’s Bay) 2014 Te Mata Awatea, Cabernet Merlot (Hawke’s Bay) 2013 Pegasus Bay, Merlot Cabernet (Waipara Valley) 2014 Villa Maria Cellar Selection Organic Merlot (Hawke’s Bay)
by Geoff Wayatt – Master Snow Cake Chef To make a 1m snow cake, mix together: > 1 x very strong, cold southerly air flow from the Southern Ocean (pre-cool to –10°C) > 1 x pineapple storm for the North Tasman Sea (pre-warmed, moisture-laden tropical air) > Mix them over the Southern Alps, lifting the mixture to be light & fluffy > Plunge all the ingredients onto the Southern Lakes mountains, with a turbulent flow of nor-wester winds, to form a 60cm snow cake base > Add a southerly change to provide 20cm of icing on the cake (40cm if you have a sweet tooth) > Slice cake with a pair of fat skis & bon appétit!
w cake day o n s t c e f r Your pe a. at Cardron
1010
Cardrona 995 Snow Cake
H E A RT O F G O L D   47
GET FIT FOR SNOW Whether it’s your first day of the season, or the middle of winter – you’ll be grateful you put in a few training hours beforehand. Don’t join your friends in complaining about burning thighs, make sure you still have plenty in the tank! Elite Kiwi triathlete Dougal Allan has written a programme to get you fit for snow. These exercises are designed to strengthen the body & prevent injuries on the slopes.
01
02
SIDE LEG LIFTS (lying down or kneeling plank)
HIP DRIVES
Works the hip abductor muscles on the side of your glutes – critical in supporting your hips & knees.
03
SQUATS Helps create mobility & strength around the hip, knee & ankle. When done regularly with good technique, the squat helps delay on-snow fatigue, keeping the entire lower body strong & robust. Focus on hip-knee-ankle alignment & a neutral spine throughout. Only go as deep as you can with heels flat on the ground & a neutral back position.
Athlete: Christy Prior Cardrona team rider @christyprior @kiwi_yogini Images: Stef Zeestraten @stefzeestraten
Works the major muscles of the glutes & hamstrings, which also help create a strong & stable platform at the hip & knee.
H E A RT O F G O L D 49
04
FORWARD ALTERNATE LUNGES, ON THE SPOT Your legs work independently in skiing, so teach them to work independently in a strength & injury-prevention context too. Remember to keep the front knee in line with the hip & toes, & the upper body tall throughout.
05
SINGLE LEG ROMANIAN DEADLIFTS Works to both lengthen & strengthen the posterior chain muscles as they cross both the hip & knee. It also teaches you to maintain your back position & left-right balance (unilateral symmetry). Try to keep your supporting leg slightly bent to help with balance.
06
PRESS-UPS Helps build & maintain strength around the front of the shoulders, chest & core. The goal is to improve your ‘robustness’ & ability to absorb impacts from on-snow falls & bails.
07
SHOULDER COMPLEX Seated overhead press, lateral raise & reverse fly – can be done with or without weights. The shoulder joint is capable of a wide range of movements, which can also make it vulnerable to impact-related injuries. Helps strengthen the overall shoulder joint.
08
PLANK A simple way to load the majority of your core muscles. A strong core forms the platform for healthy posture & movements both on snow & in daily life.
More about Dougal Allan: > BPhEd (Hons) > Two-time Challenge Wanaka champion (Course record holder 2016 & 2017) > Record-breaking cyclist – currently ranked 2nd in world iron-distance cycling > Triathlon, Xterra, Mountain Bike, Adventure Racing & Road Cycling champion > Professional coach/strength & conditioning trainer – two years for Snow Sports NZ dougalallan.com/coaching
H E A RT O F G O L D   51
Winter 3
JUN.
Welcome to Winter Snow Jam
10 JUN.
Cardrona Opening Day 2017 & McDougall’s Chondola Opening Ceremony
12
Cardrona Park Attack Slopestyle
16 JUL.
Youth Freeride Series Event 1: Big Mountain Youth (Pīki Maunga Rangatahi)
26 JUL.
Mount Aspiring College Champs
JUL.
27-29 JUL. 30-1
JUL. AUG.
7
AUG.
Dynastar Ski Masters FIS Tech Series GS & Slalom Otago Southland Secondary School Champs
10
Special Olympics
12
Billabong Banked Slalom
AUG. AUG.
13 14-18 AUG.
Cardrona Junior Interfields
26-9
Audi quattro Winter Games NZ
12-15 SEPT.
Jossi Wells Invitational Big Air The event will take place on the Cardrona Big Air jump beside the halfpipes. Expect to see insane freestyle skiing & boarding, with all the latest tricks thrown on what last year’s athletes dubbed the “best jump in the world”.
16-17 SEPT.
South Island Secondary School Champs
AUG.
AUG. SEPT.
19
SEPT.
20 SEPT. 20-21 SEPT. 22-24 SEPT. 2-6 OCT. 9-22 OCT. 15
OCT.
FIS Continental Cup
Upper Clutha Primary Schools Race Airtime Minipipe World Champs FIS Spring Series New Zealand Alpine Youth Series Cardrona NZ Junior Ski & Snowboard Nationals Cardrona Spring Camp The Fun Never Stops & Cardrona Closing Day 2017
H E A RT O F G O L D   53
Summer 23 NOV.
Rocky Roller Rhythm & Speed
2
Queenstown Downtown Cart Experience
3
Wanaka Downtown Cart Experience
9
Dirt Star Downhill
DEC. DEC. DEC.
31
Roll On 2018
14
Cardrona Mega Avalanche 2018 will be the fourth annual Cardrona Mega Avalanche race. Ride from the top of Cardrona all the way down to the Cardrona Village, in an epic downhill race for prizes & glory.
DEC.
JAN.
28 JAN.
Gravity Enduro Race 1
10 FEB.
Gravity Enduro Race 2
23-25 FEB. 3
MAR.
New Zealand National Mountain Bike Championships Gravity Enduro Race 3
17-18 MAR.
Uplift Wellbeing Retreat
24-25 MAR.
Culinary Calibre Retreat
ON THE MOUNTAIN...
2017/18
Events calendar is subject to change. Check out cardrona.com for current event information.
H E A RT O F G O L D 55
Getting dirty a mile-high might raise some eyebrows, but it’s what we do in summer at Cardrona. In the past, when the lifts stopped turning in October the gates were closed & remained that way for seven months. It seemed like such a waste. If you’ve only visited in winter, you’ll barely recognise the place in the warmer months. Alpine meadows, golden tussock, rocky outcrops & views that stretch forever… it was too good not to share. So we decided to open up our incredible alpine environment for summer. For a couple of years in the ‘90s, Cardrona hosted the NZ Mountain Bike National Champs, but it wasn’t until 15 years later that we gave summer a real crack. In 2015, we opened with some bike trails for the summer holidays, & we’ve been adding to our range of activities every summer since. We now have a network of bike trails for all abilities, the Southern Hemisphere’s only mountain carts, a summer tubing track, disc golf, orienteering, & hiking trails with stunning views of the Southern Alps. The apartments are in hot demand for those wanting a full summer alpine getaway, with the Southern night sky providing the ultimate stargazing experience. If you’re in Wanaka or Queenstown this summer, come on up & have a look. Captain’s Basin is home to grassy alpine meadows & lengthy mountain bike & cart trails. There are beginner mountain bike trails to sharpen
your skills before moving on to some of our more challenging ones. More experienced mountain bikers can head down our advanced trails, like the Nationals “Long Black” downhill track, or enter one of our events like the annual Cardrona Mega Avalanche. Sightseers can ride to the summit in style on the McDougall’s Express Chondola for the 360 degree panoramic views (Instagram heaven). Take a break in the heart of the Southern Alps & enjoy a taste of New Zealand in our on-mountain café. Match your meal with a drop from our extensive wine list or a craft beer, & soak up the sun on the deck or in the Courtyard. Summer at Cardrona is more than just tackling trails & eating good food. It’s about taking in views that take your breath away. It’s your heart beating & your lungs pumping as you suck in the fresh mountain air at altitude. It’s the bragging rights you get when you beat your friends in a mountain cart race. It’s knowing that if you’re looking for an adventure, you’ll find it here. All year round.
CARDRONA.COM