US alpine team goes for the big drop
The world’s highest cliff jump operator proved the adrenalin activity of choice for some of the world’s fastest ski racers in Queenstown, New Zealand, this week.
Renowned for skiing at speeds of up to 130kph, Olympic gold medallist and multiple world championship winner Ted Ligety swapped highly-tuned top performance race skis for a backwards ‘canyon swing’ – at 150kph — into the 109m abyss of the Shotover River Canyon.
Joined by US Alpine team-mates and members of the New Zealand Alpine Ski Racing Team, 29-year-old Ligety loved ‘the swing’ so much he did it twice – once backwards, and again strapped into a chair.
The legendary athlete was joined by teammate Nolan Kasper who did a handstand on the edge of the jump platform before toppling into the canyon, and Kiefer Christianson who stripped down to his underwear for his turn.
The US team has been race training at Queenstown’s Coronet Peak before competing in the Audi quattro Winter Games.
Also taking the Shotover Canyon Swing ‘challenge’ were Kiwi giant slalom and slalom skiers Nick Prebble and Willis Feasey, competing in Queenstown to attempt to qualify for the Sochi Olympic Winter Games in February.
"The US team are all top world-class skiers and when they were asked what they wanted to do in Queenstown, out of all the activities on offer they chose us, which is pretty cool," said Shotover Canyon Swing general manager Matt Hollyer.
Ian Jarrett
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