International success for Police ski team

Ruapehu Bulletin, Volume 12, Issue 585, 9 May 1995, Page 14 (Supplement)

International success for Police ski team

By Amiria Teki/Paul Cantwell A New Zealand Police ski team made up of many Ruapehu skiers attended the International Police winter games, held from 26 February to 3 March at Heaverily ski resort, South Lake Tahoe, California. The 10-man team flew to Summit County, Colorado for a week's race training at Keystone and the surrounding fields and then on to Jackson Hole, Wyoming, for five days skiing before attending the 10th anniversary competition. The event attracted over 260 police from law enforcement agencies from England, Australia, Japan, Canada, New Zealand, and the USA. Though most of the team members are from areas outside the Ohakune/Raetihi region, the club is based in Raetihi and each year the Police Ski Championships are held on Turoa. These championships are held as trials and a team is selected for the inter-services competition. Turoa Ski Resort Limited sponsored the uniforms this year. All members came home with a medal though for three it was not of the precious metal kind! Medal winners: Phil Wilson Glen Innes, Open B Grade, Gold in Slalom, Silvers in Giant Slalom and Super G; Malcolm

Johnson, Rotorua, Silver in Slalom and Giant Slalom in the Veteran A Grade; Paul Cantwell, Auckland, Gold in the Slalom and Giant Slalom races, Junior Veteran A. These wins bumped Paul up to Open B; Tony Bernards, Junior Vets B Grade, Bronze in the Slalom and Silver in the Giant Slalom; John Stokes, Gold in Giant Slalom and Super G in the A Grade races; Ashley Kai-Fong, Rotorua, Gold in the Slalom and Silver in the Giant Slalom in the Senior B division. . The New Zealand teams came 4th and 7th. The rules of the team competition allow for the nomination of a skier from the Nordic events, thus creating a five person team with any extra points that skier may have from any medal winnings adding to the team score. The three teams to beat the New Zealanders were able to take advantage of this situation, so given this both New Zealand teams could be proud of their results.