Freeski Slopestyle and Big Air athlete Luca Harrington has been crowned the 2025 Snow Sports NZ Athlete of the Year at the Snow Sports NZ Annual Awards Night held tonight in Wānaka.
Snow Sports NZ is proud to announce the following category winners:
Luca Harrington has had an exceptional 2024/25 season, winning on some of the biggest stages in freeskiing. Luca was crowned the 2025 Freeski Big Air World Champion at the World Champs held at the end of March, the first Kiwi to ever hold this title. He claimed X Games Gold and Silver in Slopestyle and Big Air at his debut event and secured five World Cup podiums.
His consistent success on the Big Air World Cup Tour meant that Harrington won the FIS Freeski Big Air Crystal Globe as the overall champion for 2025. This marks the first time any New Zealand athlete has won a FIS Freeski Crystal Globe. For these achievements Harrington was crowned both the 2025 Freeskier of the Year sponsored by Mons Royale and the overall Snow Sports NZ Athlete of the Year for 2025.
Alice Robinson was crowned the 2025 Alpine Ski Racer of the Year sponsored by Coronet Peak, after having her most successful season to date during the Northern Hemisphere. She claimed seven World Cup podiums, finishing on the podium in every Giant Slalom World Cup race she completed. She also won New Zealand’s first ever Alpine World Championships medal with a silver medal from the Saalbach Ski World Championships.
Zoi Sadowski-Synnott was once again crowned Snowboarder of the Year sponsored by Dick Schulze for the eighth year running. Sadowski-Synnott had a fantastic 2024/25 season, becoming the first Kiwi woman to claim a FIS Crystal Globe, winning the snowboard slopestyle overall World Cup standings for 2025. She is your 2025 Slopestyle World Champion, X Games slopestyle gold medalist and big air bronze medalist and finished on the World Cup podium four times this season.
Adaptive Athlete of the Year sponsored by Cardrona | Treble Cone was awarded to Adam Hall. Hall had two World Cup podiums finishes in Slalom in Tignes and Feldberg, as well as his consistency throughout the season resulting in him finishing second in the FIS Para Alpine Slalom Overall standings, his best overall placing since 2009.
Freerider Craig Murray is the 2025 Freeride Athlete of the Year sponsored by The Remarkables. Murray won the inaugural Natural Selection Ski event in Alaska, taking on some of the biggest names in the freeski and freeride world on the formidable ‘Priority 1’ face in the Alaskan ranges. Utilising a knock out format, over and over again Murray delivered his trademark huge, fluid lines for which he is so well known and respected for in the international ski community to take the win.
Snowboarder Rocco Jamieson is the Breakthrough Athlete of the Year sponsored by Forsyth Barr after having an strong breakout season claiming two World Cup podiums (Slopestyle and Big Air) and an X Games bronze medal at his Rookie event.
Snow Sports NZ freeski coach Hamish McDougall is the Coach of the Year sponsored by SITE Trampoline. McDougall is a key member of the Park and Pipe Coaching Team and is the lead coach of Ruby Star Andrews, Ben Barclay, Lucas Ball and Luca Harrington. He is dedicated to his athletes and works tirelessly to ensure that the needs of each individual athlete are met, while looking after the team as a collective.
Meg Hoyland has been crowned the Instructor of the Year sponsored by NZSIA. Hoyland is a talented and enthusiastic instructor, known for bringing positive energy to every lesson, whether teaching kids’ groups or adult privates. She quickly develops rapport with her students, earning repeat requests and consistently glowing feedback from guests who appreciate how she makes learning fun and accessible.
Marion Rolleston and Jon Wardrop are the 2025 Masters of the Year sponsored by Northbrook.
The Snow Sports NZ Annual Awards Night is a chance to reflect back on the season that has been, while also connecting with the snow sports community before they head away to the Northern Hemisphere winter. Thank you to the partners, sponsors and amazing snow sports community who supported this evening, it was fantastic to celebrate with you all!
21 hours ago