Snow Sports NZ Annual Awards Winners Announced

The Snow Sports NZ Annual Awards Night presented by Pisten Bully and Ski Industries Limited were held last night (Friday 3 October 2013) at the Lake Wanaka Centre. Paralympic silver medallist Corey Peters (New Plymouth) was awarded the title of Overall Athlete of the Year. 

Snow Sports NZ is pleased to announce the following winners. 

• Instructor of the Year – Richie Webb (Coronet Peak Ski Area)
• Men’s Masters Winner - Walter Unterberger (Wanaka/Nelson)
• Women’s Masters Winner – Bonny Teat (Wanaka)
• Coach of the Year Award – Bruce Wells (Wanaka)
• Breakthrough Season Award – Willis Feasey (Twizel)
• Cross Country Athlete of the Year – Nils Koons (Waitati)
• Alpine Ski Racer Athlete of the Year - Adam Barwood (Queenstown)
• Snow Sports NZ Adaptive Athlete of the Year – Corey Peters (New Plymouth)
• Freeride Athlete of the Year Award – Sam Smoothy (Cromwell)
• Snowboarding Athlete of the Year Award - Christy Prior (Kaukapakapa)
• Freeskier Athlete of the Year award - Jossi Wells (Wanaka)
• Overall Athlete of the Year – Corey Peters (New Plymouth)

This year’s Awards encompassed a 12 month timeframe including the 2013/14 Southern Hemisphere season and the 2014 Northern Hemisphere season. 

It’s been a big year for Snow Sports NZ with lots of successes for NZ’s snow sports athletes of all levels from development through to the elite athletes on the international stage.  New Zealand athletes performed well at the Olympic and Paralympic Games and the Freeride World Tour.

Attendees of this year’s Snow Sports NZ Annual Awards were entertained by a special ‘Sochi’ guest panel who gave the audience a behind the scenes look at the Olympic and Paralympic Games. The panel was interviewed by Snow Sports NZ Head Park and Pipe Coach Tom Willmott and included broadcasters Scotty Stevenson (Sky) and Michelle Pickles (TV3), Chefs de Mission Peter Wardell (Olympics) and Ashley Light (Paralympics) and John Melville from Development Snowparks the halfpipe venue contractors for the Sochi Games.

About Snow Sports NZ Overall Athlete of the Year – Corey Peters

Still a relative newcomer to the sport of adaptive skiing, Corey Peters earned himself a spot on the 2014 Paralympic Winter Team off the back off some strong results at International Paralympic Committee races. Throughout January and February 2014 Corey tallied up one silver world cup medal, two gold and three silver North America Cup medals.

Corey was able to build on this success at the Sochi Games. He placed fourth in the Super Combined and sixth in the Super G, saving the best result for last with a silver medal winning performance in the Giant Slalom on the very last day of competition for the New Zealand team.

Corey’s results are made all the more impressive given the fact that he only took up sit-skiing in 2011. The former Taranaki age group and development squad rugby representative’s life was turned upside down in September 2009 when he sustained a crushed spinal cord at a motocross event, leaving him paralysed.

Sport has played a big part in Corey's life. Before his accident the former New Plymouth Boys' High School pupil turned out for Tukapa's division one rugby side, was a Taranaki age group cricketer, a keen surfer and a motocross rider.

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Image: Wanaka TV