Ski Mount Hutt or Porter Height from Methven                            

Page updated: 24 July 2010



Young freestylers to light up the slopes at Mt Hutt

Mt Hutt is gearing up for a mountain of fun this weekend with the first of the Streets Youth Mini Shred competition series, in association with BWM Snow.

The annual freestyle series kicks off on Saturday 24 July at the Dirty Dog Beginners Terrain Park and invites young skiers and boarders of all abilities to come along and show off their latest tricks and turns.

In the first round of the series, mini-shredders aged 16 and under compete for an awesome pack of cool prizes and the opportunity to advance to the next stage. The second and final rounds will take place at Mt Hutt on Saturday 21 August.

Ski Area Manager, Dave Wilson, said the Streets Mini Shred was all about getting kids involved during the race season with a competition that is a fun experience and not at all intimidating.

“The Dirty Dog Beginner Park is perfect for the Mini Shred because it has a chilled environment, the features are reasonably easy to navigate and kids are free to push their boundaries a little, get inspired by others and just enjoy themselves on the slopes,” he said.

Mr Wilson said the youth event is one of the most popular competitions on the freestyling calendar with impressive abilities shown from all age groups every year.

“The kids love it because it gives them the chance to compete in a mellow and supportive environment,” he added. “We’ve seen some really skilled skiers and boarders on the slopes over the school holidays so are looking forward to the upcoming event,” he said.

“There is always a great atmosphere at the Streets Mini Shred with a great turn out from competitors, spectators and staff. There’s plenty of action to watch and some great prizes on offer thanks to Streets and BWM Snow.”

There are three categories in the competition - Under 16, Under 14 and Under 12 - for both male and female skiers and snowboarders with a range of prizes from sponsors Streets, BWM Snow, Dirty Dog, and Mt Hutt up for grabs.

Registration is free and there is a $20 refundable bib deposit. Competitors only need to turn up on the day and register at the Sky High Cafe in the base building between 9:00am and 10:00am to secure their slot in the competition. Entrants without a season pass can purchase a day pass at 50% off when they register. Helmets are compulsory.

Mount Hutt stacked for school holy fun

Some pics from our visit to Hutt this week

Not as crowded as you might expect at Hutt despite being school holidays and a weekend.
This is the beginners area with the enclosed magic carpet

A good place for school holiday fun it is!

The views over the back of Hutt speak for themselves!

Great facilities and great snow backed up by some great service well done nzski.com RAL could learn from guys that's for sure

Mt Hutt opening pics

Click the photo for a big version

As you can see Mt Hutt has added a new enclosed magic carpet facility. This will improve maintenance no doubt and will be fun for the kids. Shame about the loss of the views though!

Local ski fields and status 2010 season, snow conditions Mount Hutt Just over 1 hour from Christchurch and 25 minutes from Methven. Status: Open for season Snowbase : 115 - 135cm powder ski vote & profile Snow report   Porter Heights Just over 1 hour from Christchurch. Status: Open for season Snowbase:50 - 160cm super! Snow report ski vote & profile Club Fields (Aka the hidden stashes) And there is plenty of powder around! Great conditions.   Mount Olympus 1.5 hours from Christchurch. Status: Open for season Snowbase: 60 - 140cm good ski vote & profile Snow report   Craigieburn 1.5 hours from Christchurch. Status: Open for season Snowbase:30 - 60cm variable ski vote & profile Snow report Mt Cheeseman 1.5 hours drive from Christchurch Status: Open for season Snowbase:15-90cm dry snow good coverage ski vote & profile Snow report   Temple basin 1.5 - 2 hour drive from Christchurch Status:Open for season Snowbase:80cm ski vote & profile Snow report Broken River 1.5 hours drive from Christchurch Status:Open for season Snowbase: 45 - 95cm good base ski vote & profile Snow report Mount Hutt Canty's premium ski area had a primo season in 2008.

Methven New Zealand Methven is the home of Mount Hutt skiing. Base yourself there for the season and you can get quick access to snowboard or ski Mount Hutt. Methven is a small but friendly town with a vibrant night life. You can also base yourself here to ski the local club fields or the other Canterbury commercial field - Porter Heights. These fields are actually closer to Christchurch than Methven but at Powderhound we like ski towns! So we recommend Methven if you have a vehicle. If you just want to rip it up at Hutt the local mountain transport is affordable.   Mount Hutt can have some huge powder days!