Spring time ski fun at Whakapapa

Waimarino Bulletin, Volume 6, Issue 254, 14 September 1988, Page 7

Spring time ski fun at Whakapapa

The frivolity continues at Whakapapa Ski Area after the holidays with a series of fun events for the whole family.

First up on September 17 is the Blue Hawaii Fun Day. Crazy hats and fancy dress are the order of the day with great spot prizes for Hawaiian dress. There'll be a band playing on the veranda of the Knoll Ridge Ca!feteria, a barbecue and plenty of Blue Hawaii wine cooler to sample. The following weekend, September 24, tjie Bolle Fun Day

promises all sorts o f fun with an obstacle race, shove race and a waiter's race by Chateau staff. There will be a band playing at the Knoll Ridge Cafe and a Zinka Face Painting competition with great prizes including Bolle and Bill Bass sunglasses. October 1 sees the Coca Cola/RAL Masters Race, a handicap race for all ages, and a Ski Patrol Demonstration.

The Patrol demonstration includes a cliff rescue demo, a n avalanche dog exhibit and guided tours of the skifield. Mad-cap fun continues on October 8 with the Kiwi Lager Fun Day. Once again fancy dress and crazy hats are the order of the day. A band will be playing at the Knoll Ridge Cafe

and there'll be plenty of Kiwi Lager to sample. Weather permitting there'll be a bikini and swim suit competition with great prizes for the best bikini, suit or painted body. For the more serious fun seeker the Kiwi Lager sponsored Te Heu Heu Trophy offers an opportunity for teams

to compete in a Slalom, G. S. Downhill combination race with a social occasion for entrants at the Matamata Ski Club afterwards. After cancelling the Crater ^ake walk on two occasions due to bad weather, RAL is determined to entice as many people as possible to accompany the Volunteer Ski Patrol to

the Saddle overlooking the Crater on October 15. It's not a race; it's a leisurely walk with participants encouraged to bring their lunch and appreciate the magnificence of the Tongariro National Park from atop. The spring skiing festivities draw to a close on October 23, the Sunday of Labour Weekend, with the

Rheineck Beer Festival. "We've had an excellent season so far", says Scott L e e , Marketing Manager for RAL. "With the good snow cover we'll be skiing right through until November. "The best skiing is in Spring because the weather is more settled, and the corn snow is just great. There's also a lot less people."