Smorgasboarder_16_March-2013

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TRAVEL: SNOW Photo supplied by Warrick Mitchell FRESH TRACKS The weightless feeling of carving fresh powder snow is a sensation like no other. There’s almost a certain mystique to it that is hard to describe unless experienced first hand. Warrick Mitchell recalls his quest to make fresh tracks with a heliskiing mission he undertook on the South Island of New Zealand. WORDS & PHOTOS: WARRICK MITCHELL 112 SMORGASBOARDER | MAR/APR <strong>2013</strong>
With a short break from work, we jump almost straight from surfing Byron onto a Brisbane flight and soon find ourselves touching down to the winter snow in Queenstown. I had with me a snowboarder from Europe and a skier who bases his worldly snow travels out of the Gold Coast. It was early winter and New Zealand was getting doused in powder making us keen to get amongst it. Stepping off the plane in Queenstown you are immediately greeted by the towering jagged peaks of The Remarkables and fresh winter air. Surrounded by two national parks, Queenstown has a landscape that inspires movie makers and adventurers alike. The mountains are pushed up by the Indo- Australia Plate and shaped by two million or so years of grinding glaciers and eroding weather systems. The feeling as you hop off the plane into the small bustling resort is surreal and seems to never grow old. We load our gear, and ourselves, into a rental campervan and head over the hill to the resort of Lake Wanaka. With its clear waters and steep alpine backdrop, Wanaka has a perfect setting, and the many bars and restaurants whet our appetite in the anticipation of the days to come. We’ve timed our visit well, with fresh powder falling overnight. Our next day riding in Wanaka is stunning, but we soon hit the road north towards the large Canterbury mountains on a mission. The South Island straddles the Alpine Fault line where the Pacific and Indo-Australian plates crash together coming ashore from the deep water off Kaikoura. They make their way south all the way down into the Fiordland, before heading back out to sea. The result is the dramatic South Island and Southern Alps rising high out of the South Pacific Ocean. At its largest in the center of the South Island are Mount Cook and Tasman, towering at approximately 3700 and 3500 metres respectively. We make our way to the north of New Zealand’s biggest peaks to the Rangitata Gorge, which twists deep into the base of the Alps. By the time we’ve made the long spectacular drive in, we are closer to the west coast than the east coast where we started out. At the end of the road, Helipark NZ, situated on a high country station and lodge, is developing their vision for the world’s first heli-accessed free-ride park. (The helicopter flies all day, dropping groups into different spots. You decide where to go and how many runs.) Our goal is to join Mark and Marie Claire (then owners of Helipark), to experience both the heli accessed riding of Helipark and to fly across the mighty Rangitata River for a second day to heli ski in the mountains to the south. For this we want a fresh powder day, and while we wait for the snow, we decide to hit the numerous club fields starting an hour to the north. We choose Broken River for our day with an overnight stay. It’s an experience all in itself. We load the gear lift and make the hike up the access path under the native trees. At the top we re-unite with our gear and hit the ‘nut cracker’ rope tows. The riding is challenging and rewarding and overall down-to-earth. The night’s accommodation is perfect, nestled on the verge of the native forest and the alpine realm. We stay in central-heated, self-contained cabins and share exciting travel stories with others who are chasing the winter powder. The Broken River Lodge is also licensed and comes with a chef if you choose to dine. mar/apr <strong>2013</strong> | SMORGASBOARDER 113
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LOVING SURFING AMAZING PEOPLE CRAFT
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The Heated Undersuit turns every we
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LATEST: INTERVIEW ERSED THE WORLD &
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latest: INTERVIEW “My first day,
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Latest: INTERVIEW Tim then went bac
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latest: INTERVIEW “these guys are
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Page 63: Gift Vouchers available - perfect f
Page 67 and 68: TRAVEL: PLANE TRIP E MAR/APR 2013 |
Page 69 and 70: LEFT: Travelling light for a fantas
Page 71 and 72: TRAVEL: PLANE TRIP Despite their ag
Page 73 and 74: WHAT YOU WANT. CUSTOM HAND SHAPES B
Page 75 and 76: LATEST: LOCAL Eddie, Indo. Photo: P
Page 77 and 78: LATEST: LOCAL Eddie, an alaia and m
Page 79 and 80: LATEST: LOCAL EDDIE’S DAY JOB “
Page 81 and 82: TRAVEL Between Eddie’s pro career
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Page 85 and 86: “Surfing lead me to exploring the
Page 87 and 88: DESIGNING DREAM BEACH PADS Peter co
Page 89 and 90: Photo: Dave Swan ABOVE: Peter at ho
Page 91 and 92: KELLY NORRIS Photo by Smico HIGH-PE
Page 93 and 94: Like many a board fanatic, Cole Tho
Page 95 and 96: leading surf and street wear, surfb
Page 97 and 98: MAR/APR 2013 | SMORGASBOARDER 97 WO
Page 99 and 100: “Red Island Really Is paRadIse, b
Page 101 and 102: Photo: Mick Curley WORLD: COMMUNITY
Page 103 and 104: purposes. The proposed mine site is
Page 105 and 106: Occy’s Left TALES: BACK IN THE DA
Page 107 and 108: AFTER many trips to various parts o
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Page 111: Great surfing spots Melanesian hosp
Page 115 and 116: JUST UP THE ROAD TRAVEL: SNOW Jase
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Page 119 and 120: DANIEL JOYCE is a multi-talented ar
Page 121 and 122: snow gave me a deeper love for the
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Page 127 and 128: Cape Woolamai Beach, on Phillip Isl
Page 129 and 130: TEAM RIDER // JOSH SLEEP ED SINNOTT
Page 131 and 132: SHAPER’S PROMOTION GEAR: BOARDS 5
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Page 135 and 136: SHAPER’S PROMOTION GEAR: BOARDS A
Page 137 and 138: shaping bay. One thing lead to anot
Page 139 and 140: WHAT TAPE? Let the beauty of the ba
Page 141 and 142: SHAPER’S PROMOTION GEAR: BOARDS 7
Page 143 and 144: Photo: Mark Chapman GEAR: TESTS Car
Page 145 and 146: Damo Davis digging it. Photo: Dave
Page 147 and 148: MASTERSTROKESTROKE Yet another pass
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Page 159 and 160: Daly Heads Surfi ng Reserve Plaque
Page 161 and 162: Photos by Brendan Dowd IMPROVED QUA
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