Reports from New Zealand Rookie Fest Cardrona 2019

The World Rookie Tour is an under 18 snowboard and freeski freestyle international series founded in 2004. Supported since day 1 by the World Snowboard Federation (WSF) and the former TTR World Snowboard Tour, today it is the largest and oldest youth international action sport series, including also skateboard and with events all around the world. It is now partner of some of the most prestigious world class events such as X Games Norway, Audi Nines, Red Bull Roller Coaster, Simple Session and, for snowboard and freeski champions, it award personal spots for the FIS World Cup Tour.

With wind increasing throughout the morning a call was made to cancel the women’s finals and results were taken from yesterday’s qualifying rounds meaning that Eileen Gu (CHN) would take the top spot on the WRT Rookie women’s ski podium with Ruby Andrews (NZ) second and Shuorui Yang (CHN) third. With only one skier in the WRT Grom Girls’ category, Ruyi Yang could claim her spot in the finals.

The WRT podium for Women’s Snowboard saw Cool Wakushima (NZ) in first, Hikari Yoshizawa (JPN) second and Meila Stalker (AUS) third.

NZ’s Luca Harrington backed up a strong performance in the qualifying rounds to take out the top spot in the WRT Rookie Boys’ Ski division, with compatriot Max McDonald in second. Toma Matsuura (JPN) rounded out the podium in third.

NZ athletes also claimed the top two places in the WRT Grom Ski division, with Gustav Legnavsky in first place and Finley Melville-Ives second. “I’m so stoked,” said Gustav, “it’s the first time I’ve made finals in an open men’s slopestyle comp, I’m just really happy to get that run down.” Gustav put down his top scoring run (72.33) on his first attempt of two, one of the only riders to land a clean run in the first round windy conditions. Gustav’s run was: Front 4 on A frame, k-fed on down flat down, back 6 on cannon, right 9 safety, switch bio 9 safety, cork 7 left safety. Third place went to USA’s Daniel Hough.

A hotly contested Rookie Boys Snowboard division saw China’s Yiming Su score an impressive 98 points from a possible 100, taking out first place ahead of Hiroaki Kunitake (JPN) on 95 points. Yuto Yamada (JPN) finished third.

The Grom Boys’ Snowboard podium went to Taiga Hasegawa (JPN), Chaeun Lee (KOR), Hiroto Ogiwara (JPN).

You can download all the Snowboard results here & all the Freeski results here.

The World Rookie Tour is organized by the Black Yeti ssrl in collaboration with World Snowboard Federation, National Snowboard and Ski Associations and selected action sport agencies. It was born in 2005 as a series of youth snowboard event and it consists now of a selection of high quality International events for snowboard, freeski and skateboard, the so called “Rookie Fests”, reserved for riders under 18’s only, in Europe, North and South America, Oceania and Asia. The World Rookie Tour consists not only of competitions: it also features loads of other activities to help rookies to grow in the field of professional action sports, such as photo & video shootings, avalanche and rescue clinics, meetings with photographers and international team managers, parties and English talks. Since year zero it awards tickets to world class events such as X Games Norway, Audi Nines, The Arctic Challenge, The Air & Style, The World Snowboarding Championships, invitations to professional photo & video shootings, and shooting trip all around the world. Every year the tour crowns the World Rookie Champion at the end of season, at the World Rookie Finals, a unique event where the best youngsters from almost 30 countries compete and have fun. More information at www.worldrookietour.com.

The Black Yeti is an amateur sport club dedicated to the realization of snowboard, freeski and skateboard projects for boys and girls up to 18 years of age, in Italy and abroad. One of the most successful project is the World Rookie Tour, the biggest and the most famous tour in the action sports world that attracts 2.000 young athletes from 30 nations to the events called “Rookie Fest”, organized all over the world: Italy, Europe, North and South America, Oceania and Asia. The Rookie Fests program includes not only the competition but also many side activities such as avalanche and rescue clinics, workshops and English talks.

For more information on World Rookie Tour & The Black Yeti, please head here.    

For further information about Spy Optics NZ Freestyle Open Rookie Fest Slopestyle event, please follow these links: Snow Sports NZ Facebook page, Instagram & Twitter.