Friday, 30 November 2007

Announcing the 2008 New Zealand Ski Mountaineering Race Team

A few of you out there may have already heard the news, that New Zealand for the first time will be represented at the Ski Mountaineering World Champs (SMWC), that will take place at Portes du Soleil in Switzerland. The 4th SMWC will run from February 23rd to March 1st 2008.

The team is-
Duncan Sherratt
Gary MacPherson
Grant Guise
Jane Harper
Kathy Conlan
Fraser MacIntosh -team manager/support
The 2008 NZ team has also so picked up some amazing support along the way.
Swiss company Texner will supply custom race suits and other sponsors are Icebreaker, Buff, Marvelox and the New Zealand Alpine Club.
More details of the SMWC can be seen at http://www.smwc2008.ch/

For the next 11 or so weeks we will do a series of “meet and get to know” members of the New Zealand ski mountaineering race team.

This is the first in a series of “meet and get to know” members of the New Zealand ski mountaineering race team.
This week we catch up with Jane Harper. Jane is one of the more experienced members of the team, having won the 2007 Asian Ski Mountaineering Champs in Nagano, Japan.
Jane also is undefeated, having placed 1st in both the 2006 and 2007 Temple Basin Randonnee Rally and CraigieBurner events and winning the 2007 Scarpa Ski Mountaineering Race Series.
-SkiMoNZ: How did you get into ski mountaineering Jane, in particular the race side of it?
-JH: I did the MECNZ ski patrol course in Wanaka in 2003, we had to buy all the necessary gear, including a back country ski touring set up. Part of the course included doing back country days and it just grew from there. When I first heard about ski mountaineering races it sounded like a lot fun, so I just gave it ago.
-SkiMoNZ: You have had a very successfully run so far, wining all 7 races you have enter, what do you hope to achieve in Europe this winter?
-JH: I want to see what I am capable of.
-SkiMoNZ: What kind of preparation are you doing training wise?
-JH: Currently trail running uphill at least 1hr 4-6 days a week. I will be living in France from mid December and plan on stepping training up once there. Skinning at least 1000m vert most days, as well as some skate skiing.
-SkiMoNZ: What event are you most anticipating at the SMWC?
-JH: The individual short race has me the most excited. Its 1600m vertical and the course looks really nice. If all goes to plan, I will race on it as part of a World Cup event a month before the SMWC.
-SkiMoNZ: For you, what is the best thing about these races?
-JH: The best thing about racing is you get really fit, so when you are out on a fun day back country skiing you can get more turns.

Jane standing atop Temple Peak, high above Temple Basin in Arthur's Pass National Park

No comments: