To our snow sports communities,
As we approach our fourth week of staying home in our bubbles, we hope you and your loved ones are doing well. These are difficult and challenging times in so many ways and our thoughts are with you. While the daily news reports are sobering, it has been heart-warming to see people finding a few positives and making the most of the lockdown lifestyle where they are able.
We have been entertained watching how sport enthusiasts as well as professional athletes all around the country have found creative ways to keep up with their training despite limited resources. Check out our Facebook page to see nine-year-old Michaela Bridgens training on the ramp her dad built in the backyard – now that’s what we call a great project!
We’ve also partnered with Sky Sport Next and the NZ Sport Collective for the Home Advantage– a series of workout videos from some of the country’s top athletes.
As we mentioned in our previous newsletter, our high performance athletes as well as national development skiers and snowboarders are training at home in their bubbles, with online support from their coaches and support staff including strength and conditioning, physio, nutrition, mental skills coaches and athlete life advisors.
Individual planning, predictions and options are constantly being discussed and assessed between the athletes and their coaches. They have all adapted to the new training environment and come up with innovative ideas but, like most, are keen to get up the mountains. As soon as possible the coaches and athletes will return to on-snow training and working out in the Wanaka HPSNZ gym. Training options are being developed for each alert level.
We are in regular communication with our major stakeholders and can pass on the following updates.
Sport NZ are working hard with the government to establish clarity for the sporting sector as to what activities will be permitted at each alert level, aligning with gathering size, what travel is allowed, risk of the activity, and what is practical/realistic. Snow Sports NZ would like to thank Sport NZ and HPSNZ for their continued support.
FIS have advised us that if the borders remain closed (or with a limitation of quarantine for those arriving from overseas) races cannot be valid for FIS points. A FIS race can only be officially scheduled with the possibility of foreign racers being able to arrive and start.
Snow Sports NZ will respond as quickly as possible to government alert level changes and the permitted access to ski fields and will adjust calendared events as necessary. While no international events are likely, National Championships and National Points at Youth level could be held when national travel is freely permitted throughout New Zealand. Local Interfield, Youth and training opportunities may still be able to proceed in a modified way when national travel restrictions are in place. The timing of the lifting of restrictions will impact on whether the resorts can host events.
The major resorts are modelling the potential impact of Covid-19, using various scenarios based on the government alert levels to assess what this winter season could look like operationally. As the industry experiences a high degree of uncertainty, all we can do is await further directives from the government regarding timing of alert level changes and what is permissible at the four levels.
The smaller resorts are working through the same process. We have heard from Porters and Ohau that they remain confident about opening this season. Rainbow have suspended 2020 operations for now and their ability to open this winter will depend on the Government Alert Level in the Nelson/Tasman region. Snowplanet have advised that they will open as soon as they can in compliance with the alert levels.
We respect that many of our stakeholders will be experiencing extremely challenging and difficult times and would like to thank you all for work you are doing to stop the spread of Covid-19.
4 years ago