Nominees Announced for the HOUSE OF TRAVEL CHRISTCHURCH  2026 Snow Sports NZ Awards Night

Snow Sports NZ is excited to announce the nominees for the House of Travel 2026 Snow Sports NZ Awards Night. The annual awards will be held at the Lake Wānaka Centre on Friday October 9 and will celebrate the achievements of the New Zealand snow sports community including the athletes, instructors and coaches who have enjoyed standout seasons.

The awards encompass a 12-month timeframe, which includes the 2025/26 Northern Hemisphere season and the 2026 New Zealand season. With this being a winter Olympic and Paralympic year, and Kiwi snow sports athletes competing at an exceptionally high level, there will be plenty to celebrate as the winners of 10 categories are decided. Event tickets are available on the Snow Sports NZ website.

INSTRUCTOR OF THE YEAR sponsored by NZSIA

• Stephanie McDonnell — The Remarkables

• Thomas Galletly — Porters Alpine Resort

• Andrew Swallow — Mt Dobson

• Robert Barry — Cardrona & Treble Cone

COACH OF THE YEAR sponsored by SITE Trampoline

• Aaron Jamieson

• Daniel Bogue and Sam Lynch

• Hamish McDougall

• Sean Thompson

• Tim Cafe

FREESKIER OF THE YEAR sponsored by Mons Royale

• Ben Barclay

• Ben Harrington

• Fin Melville-Ives

• Luca Harrington

• Luke Harrold

• Mischa Thomas

SNOWBOARDER OF THE YEAR sponsored by Dick Schulze

• Dane Menzies

• Cam Melville-Ives

• Lyon Farrell

• Rocco Jamieson

• Zoi Sadowski-Synnott

FREERIDE ATHLETE OF THE YEAR sponsored by The Remarkables

• Ben Richards

• Finn Bilous

• Fynn Powell

• Hamish Henderson

• Jessie Violet

• Zoi Sadowski-Synnott

ADAPTIVE ATHLETE OF THE YEAR sponsored by Cardrona

• Adam Hall

• Corey Peters

BREAKTHROUGH ATHLETE OF THE YEAR sponsored by Sidekick Wanaka

• Alaska Speedy

• Cooper Breen

• Dane Menzies

• Hamish Henderson

• Lucas Ball

• Mischa Thomas

The Masters of the Year Award sponsored by Northbrook and the Alpine Ski Racer of the Year award sponsored by Coronet Peak will be announced on the night, along with the Snow Sports New Zealand Overall Athlete of the Year award.