Report: Auckland Secondary Schools Snowboarding Championships

On Thursday 15 June, the School’s Snowboarding team competed the Auckland Schools Snowboarding Championships at Snowplanet, with over 60 competitors competing in three events (the Slalom, Slopestyle and Dual Race).

The Slalom saw competitors had two timed runs on two different courses. Form 3 student W. S. M. Tran and Form 4 student J. A. Gowing set impressive times on both runs and secured a Gold and Silver medal for the team in the junior division, meaning the team were well placed heading into the Knockout format Dual Races.

The first round of the Dual Races saw Form 6 students H. J. T. Ford and F. K. Mangan racing each other, with Mangan winning to go through to the second round. Captain of Snowboarding B. J. Li had the best run of the senior group, progressing to the final where he finished in second place, winning the Silver medal, against a Form 7 student from Rosmini College. The junior races saw Gowing pick up a second Silver medal.

For the slopestyle competition, the course was set up with a choice of rails, boxes and jumps with competitors all given just a single run to impress the judges with complexity, style and execution. The Grammar team certainly did not disappoint and scored vital points towards the team total.

Tran, in his first year in the team, secured the Gold medal with some complex cork spins on the jump. Having just recovered from shoulder surgery, Gowing had a very clean run to win the Silver medal and Li was also awarded a Gold medal after a perfectly executed front flip, proving that practice and dedication really does pay off.

The team were crowned Auckland Champions, the first time the School has won the title in the 22 years of entering snowboarding competitions. Captain B. J. Li crossed stage on Monday 19 June to receive the plaque, medals and the School’s congratulations.

A special thanks to Master in Charge of Snowboarding M. Crook for his expertise and guidance of the team.