Festival features fun downtown and on the slopes

Ruapehu Bulletin, Volume 13, Issue 605, 26 September 1995, Page 9

Festival features fun downtown and on the slopes

The Second annual Montana Ohakune Spring Snow Fest starts this week — Wednesday 27 September with six days of action-packed entertainment both on the mountain at Turoa and also downtown in Ohakune. "There'll be madness and mayhem for the whole family to enjoy and you don't have to be a skier to join in the fun!" says Turoa marketing manager Joanna Savage. The festival kicks off on Turoa with the Montana Restaurant Race for wine waiters, Brightstone Snow Volleyball and a Treasure Hunt for the kids with Yeti. Thursday there's some white and wild fun with the Brightstone Snow Rafting, Teams of six take to the slopes in huge rubber rafts in a real test of skill and nerve. For the kids there's a snow sculpting competition where they try to mould their favourite mascot, Yeti, from snow. On Thursday and Friday Turoa' s slopes will be on fire with the National Firefighters Championship ski races. Firemen and women from all over New Zealand will be battling it out for glory in the snow. Also on Friday, Turoa's own Demo Team will put on a display of formation skiing and snowboarding. Team members come from all over New Zealand and around the world with many having represented their country in demo displays. The Head Celebrity Day. in association with Daniel le Brun is on Saturday 30 September and some of your favourite celebrities (including Belinda Todd, Neil Waka, Lana Coc-Kroft, Maggie Barry, Joanna Paul, a few of the Shortland Street crew and the whole Fair Go team) are let loose on snow and show us what they are really made of ! Also on Saturday we have the Brightstone Giant Jump with competitors showing nerves of steel to win the highest, longest and wackiest jumps of the day. At a more sedate pace, there's a Turoa Season Pass up for grabs in the Turoa 'Hole in One' Golf.

The "hell" race of the year, the "Peak to Powderkeg" Triathlon will run on Monday 26 Sept with a ski, run and bike down the mountain followed by a well-earned BBQ and beer at the Powderkeg. Other fun and games include live music, BBQ'S, cider and wine tastings and free giveaways with Moritz ice creams, Moro bars and Pepsi product.