Queenstown, New Zealand – Some of New Zealand’s top adaptive snow sports athletes took to the slopes of Coronet Peak ski area for the country’s Disabled Alpine National Giant Slalom and Slalom Championships this week.nQuentin Smith claimed the National Title in the Giant Slalom with two speedy runs on the slope at Coronet Peak on Tuesday, competing on a mono ski. Joshua McKenzie-Brown became the Adaptive National Slalom Champion Wednesday, skiing an incredibly difficult course with the aid of outriggers.

“As part of the development team, coached by Ben Adams, this is the first time for Quentin competing on a full FIS GS course,” said Snow Sports New Zealand (SSNZ) Adaptive Snow Sports Manager, Libby Blackley. “Quentin stepped up to the level of the course well.”

Paralympic skier Mitch Gourley from Australia won the race.

McKenzie-Brown, who skied two steady runs through a very challenging slalom course, won the Slalom.

“McKenzie-Brown showed a huge amount of guts and determination to finish the slalom runs in a field where other adaptive athletes and over half of the able bodied men’s FIS competitors abandoned the course,” said Blackley. “Joshua, whose main sport is adaptive sailing, is developing into a good skier. He uses outriggers to assist with his skiing, as does Adam Hall, New Zealand Paralympic Gold medalist.”

Hall, and other members of the NZ Adaptive Snow Sports Team who did not compete in this National competition, are currently taking time out from competition after their Paralympic campaign in March. Hall will return to New Zealand later this month to resume training.

“With the profile raised by Adam Hall’s gold medal Paralympic win, we have some exciting new talent coming through the adaptive snow sports programs,” said Blackley.

Two development camps were run over the past two months. The most recent took place last week at Mt. Ruapehu, while the first took place at Cardrona Alpine Resort just prior to the Adaptive Snow Sports festival. Weekly adaptive race training is now available through HPC Cardrona.

“It will be exciting to see a full New Zealand team compete alongside an international line up in the 2011 NZ Winter Games next August,” said Blackley.

Interest in the IPC Adaptive Alpine Ski Racing events has been strong from other countries already, including competitors from the U.S. and the British team. Last year over sixty athletes with a disability competed in the inaugural 100% Pure New Zealand Winter Games.

With Adaptive Snowboarding on the horizon to potentially become a Paralympic sport, Adaptive Snowboarder Carl Murphy, currently ranked second in the world in snowboard cross, is being chased by other developing snowboarders.

The Adaptive Snowboard National Championships that were scheduled to be run at Mt. Ruapehu last weekend will be rescheduled for later this month. Young snowboarders with physical disabilities who would like to take the sport further are invited to contact Snow Sports NZ or their local ski area.

The final race of the National Championships, Super G, will be held at Mt. Hutt this Monday, again in conjunction with the able-bodied Alpine National Championships. The Adaptive National Champion will be announced after this race.

“This is the first time the Disabled Alpine National Championships have been held as part of the Alpine National Championships, as separate races held on the same course at the same time,” said Blackley. “This is an exciting development for athletes with a disability in New Zealand, and shows the professionalism of our athletes with a disability and the quality of racing.”