With registrations now finalised, a record 260 riders from 16 countries will descend on Snow Park NZ for the Burton New Zealand Open, starting on Wednesday August 8.

In addition to top names already announced such as last year’s winners, Mason Aguirre (USA) and Kelly Clark (USA), the event has attracted the likes of Ryo Aono (JPN), currently ranked number one on the World Cup circuit, Anti Autti (FIN) who scored silver in the US Open Halfpipe and Iouri Podladtchikov (RUS), a silver medalist in the European Open Halfpipe.

The women’s field is also extremely strong with reigning champion Kelly Clark up against some strong contenders. Paulina Ligocka (POL) is currently ranked number four on the World Cup circuit and Torah Bright (AUS), is a Winter X-Games 2007 and US Open 2007 gold medalist as well as current World Superpipe Champion.

The competition gets underway on Wednesday August 8 with the men’s and women’s halfpipe qualifiers in Snow Park NZ’s giant superpipe. On Thursday August 9 the action moves to Snow Park NZ’s slopestyle course for the qualifiers followed by the slopestyle semi-finals and Finals on Friday August 10. 

Friday night will see the quarterpipe contest under floodlights with music from top New Zealand DJ’s. Spectators can watch all the action for free from a specially created grandstand carved out of snow. All eyes will be on the superpipe semi-finals and finals on Saturday August 11 when the world’s best will fight it out for the Open title.

Off snow, there’s plenty going on in downtown Wanaka with the evening Open Sessions featuring live gigs from top Kiwi bands Opensouls (Thursday 9 August) and Shapeshifter (Saturday 11 August).

For more information on the Burton New Zealand Open head to www.opensnowboarding.com