Lake Wanaka, New Zealand – It may be summer in the southern hemisphere, but Snow Park NZ near Lake Wanaka is preparing for the 2011 ski and snowboard season Down Under with a pair of new snowcats.nSnow Park NZ officials have purchased a PistenBully 400 (PB400) Park Bully and a PB400 Winch Cat.

“Groomers are an essential tool for any mountain,” said Sam Lee, Snow Park NZ Operations Manager. “Our new groomers boast custom made features allowing us to be more versatile and creative on the terrain, providing an even greater experience for our customers at all ability levels.”

The specially modified and extremely versatile PB 400 Park Bully is a powerful snow groomer loaded with features specifically designed for building and shaping freestyle features, while the PB 400 Winch Cat is the powerhouse of the fleet, designed to move large amounts of snow and cut quarterpipes and super-pipes.

“The PB 400 Winch Cat, coupled with the Laser cutter will ensure our pipe has straighter walls and an earlier season-opening thanks to the technological advancements in these groomers,” said Lee.

Both machines have new features ensuring the smoothest possible skiing and snowboarding surface on all levels of terrain. Priced at at close to a million New Zealand dollars, the groomers are also a significant investment for the newly formed management and ownership team.

At the request of Snow Park NZ, the PB 400 Winch Cat also features Park Bully component modifications, giving the groomer more flexibility throughout the rest of the resort.

“We are continuing a long partnership with Snow Park NZ,” said Tom Elworthy, GM of PistenBully NZ. “Snow Park recognises our strong support systems and together with the PistenBully 400 models, makes a dynamic park building team. We are especially excited about the modifications made at Snow Park’s request.”