Two young snow sports stars from the South Island of New Zealand, Finley Melville Ives and Luke Harrold, have made history in China by becoming the first two Kiwis to share a world cup podium in either freeskiing or snowboarding.
At the Secret Garden round of the freeski halfpipe world cup at the Genting Resort, 19-year-old Melville Ives, the reigning world champion from Wānaka, took the top spot, while 17-year-old Harrold from Lake Hāwea finished in second place.
Reflecting on their achievements, Melville Ives expressed, “I honestly have no words. It was such tricky conditions today, everyone skied so well, and it was really gnarly. I honestly can’t believe it. Super surreal.”
Despite challenging conditions with the wind affecting speed and amplitude, the talented freeskiers had to improvise by using duct tape to streamline their ski pants. Melville Ives shared, “I had to swap my run with about 10 minutes left of training and ended up taping my pants to try and get more speed and skiing in a T-shirt even though it’s freezing.”
In a tense final where only fourteen men qualified for two runs, Melville Ives delivered a stellar performance, securing the highest score of the day. Harrold, on the other hand, put up a strong fight but ultimately fell short of claiming the top spot from his fellow Kiwi competitor.
Melville Ives celebrated his second career world cup win, while Harrold added to his accomplishments with his second world cup podium finish. Meanwhile, another Wānaka star, Luca Harrington, continued the success for New Zealand by placing third at the freeski big air world cup round in Steamboat, Colorado.
With the X Games and Winter Olympics on the horizon, Harrington is focused on staying healthy and pushing his limits to peak at the Milano Cortina Olympics. The New Zealand snow sports community continues to shine on the world stage, showcasing their talent and determination.
— Allied Media
