Lake Wanaka (15 June 2012) - Snow Sports NZ today announced selections to its 2012 New Zealand Freeski Teams. Following stellar performances during the Northern Hemisphere season, New Zealand's top five (Janina Kuzma, Lyndon Sheehan, Sam Smoothy, Byron Wells and Jossi Wells) remain at the helm.
"It's an exciting time for freeski, with the introduction of ski halfpipe and slopestyle to the Olympics," said Adam Dooney, Snow Sport NZ's director of coach and sport development. "It's fantastic to have a strong contingent representing New Zealand on the international stage and bodes well for Olympic outcomes."
"Our national team continues to perform extremely well," said Dooney. "Sam Smoothy held the number one world ranking on the Freeride World Tour for most of the season, falling to number four after a missed landing in the finals. Jossi Wells took silver in the X Games and moved up in the world rankings from number four to number three overall. Janina Kuzma was on the podium twice in the Freeride World Tour and also had some podium finishes in halfpipe. Byron Wells and Lyndon Sheehan were both forced to sit the Northern Hemisphere season out, due to injury, but have now returned to training."
The development and youth squads remain the same for the upcoming season and are listed below.
2012 Development Squad
Matt Johnson
Taylor King
Hamish McDougall
Harry Pettit
Ryan Read
Matt Soundy
Beau-James Wells
Olly Allan
Nick Rapley
Rose Battersby
Alec Savery
Neil Williman
Tom Brownlee
Sam Lee
Fraser McDougall
Zak Hogg
George Pengelly
Charlie Lyons
Youth Squad
Sarah Albom
Finn Bilous
Hank Bilous
Toby Dickson
Ellito Mason
Samantha Poots
Miguel Porteous
Jordan Raymond
Max Schikker
Jackson Wells
13 years ago