New Zealand Winter Games
A major New Zealand snow-sports and ice-sports event bringing elite domestic and international athletes to venues in the Southern Lakes region.
Last updated November 4, 2026
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Overview
The New Zealand Winter Games, commonly known as Winter Games NZ or WGNZ, is a multi-sport winter competition staged primarily in New Zealand's Southern Lakes region. It is organised by the Winter Games New Zealand Trust with support from the New Zealand Government, Sport and Recreation New Zealand, and the New Zealand Olympic Committee. The event combines competitive sport, destination marketing, broadcasting, sponsorship and athlete development, and has become one of the most prominent snow-sports events in the Southern Hemisphere. The inaugural Games took place in August 2009 across several Otago locations: Dunedin, Queenstown, Wānaka and Naseby. Its initial programme included alpine skiing, cross-country skiing, curling, figure skating, freestyle skiing, ice hockey and snowboarding. Winter triathlon and luge were included as demonstration events. Canada finished first in the overall standings, followed by the United States and Japan. The broad opening programme established the event as a platform spanning both established Olympic disciplines and emerging or demonstration sports. The second edition was held in August 2011. Methven in Canterbury was added to the venue network, and the programme expanded from seven principal sports to nine. Editions continued on a biennial basis in 2013, 2015 and 2017. From 2018, the event shifted to an annual format, allowing it to operate more continuously within the international winter-sports calendar and to make better use of New Zealand's southern-hemisphere snow season. Winter Games NZ is not tied to one permanent stadium. Its identity is built around a network of ski areas, ice facilities and mountain destinations. In later editions, venues included Cardrona Alpine Resort, Coronet Peak, The Remarkables and Treble Cone. These locations have hosted alpine disciplines, freestyle and snowboard park-and-pipe competitions, freeride events and other events sanctioned or supported by international sporting bodies. The event has also been used to stage competitions carrying FIS Australia New Zealand Cup, FIS World Cup, junior-world-championship and freeride designations, depending on the year. The 2020 edition introduced Obsidian, a team-based format designed to place athletes and digital content at the centre of the event. Because international borders were closed during the COVID-19 pandemic, the first Obsidian was contested solely by New Zealand athletes. The 2021 Winter Games were cancelled because of the pandemic. International participation resumed in 2022, when the programme included Australia New Zealand Cup events in snowboard and freeski park and pipe, alpine events at Coronet Peak, freeride competitions at The Remarkables, and an invitation-only big-air event influenced by the Obsidian concept. In 2023, Obsidian became an international competition, with four teams representing different global regions. It ran alongside the FIS Park & Pipe Junior World Championships, FIS Australia New Zealand Cup alpine events and Freeride World Qualifier competitions. In 2024, the Games again hosted FIS park-and-pipe World Cup competition in New Zealand for the first time since 2019. Cardrona staged freeski halfpipe and snowboard slopestyle World Cup events, giving athletes opportunities to earn qualification points toward the 2026 Milano Cortina Olympic Winter Games. The wider programme also included alpine events at Coronet Peak, freeride competitions at Treble Cone and The Remarkables, and Australia New Zealand Cup snowboard halfpipe and freeski slopestyle events at Cardrona. The brand's commercial model is based on event partnerships and sponsorship rather than the sale of conventional consumer products. Past sponsors and partners cited in reference material include Sky, The North Face, Forsyth Barr, Skyline, MediaWorks, Red Bull, Audi, Air New Zealand, Asahi and Champagne Mumm. Through these relationships, Winter Games NZ connects elite competition with tourism, media exposure, live-event production and brand activation. Its principal public value is its role as a southern-hemisphere training and competition platform for winter athletes, while its regional value comes from directing international attention toward Queenstown, Wānaka and surrounding mountain destinations.
History
Winter Games NZ was established as a large-scale New Zealand winter-sports event and held its first edition in August 2009. The inaugural programme was distributed across Dunedin, Queenstown, Wānaka and Naseby in the Otago region. It covered alpine and cross-country skiing, curling, figure skating, freestyle skiing, ice hockey and snowboarding, with winter triathlon and luge appearing as demonstration events. Canada won the overall competition, with the United States and Japan completing the top three. The event expanded in 2011 when Methven, in Canterbury, joined the venue network and the number of events increased. Further editions followed in 2013, 2015 and 2017 under a two-year cycle. In 2018, the organisers moved to an annual model. This change strengthened the event's role in the Southern Hemisphere competition calendar and created a more regular platform for athletes, host venues and commercial partners. Rather than operating from a single facility, the Games use a collection of mountain and ice-sport venues. Queenstown and Wānaka have remained central to the event's identity, while later programmes have used Cardrona Alpine Resort, Coronet Peak, The Remarkables and Treble Cone. The competition mix has evolved over time and has increasingly focused on disciplines with strong Olympic, World Cup or freeride relevance, including alpine skiing, snowboard and freeski park and pipe, halfpipe, slopestyle, big air, Super G, giant slalom, slalom and freeride. The 2020 edition marked a format innovation through Obsidian, a team-based event designed around athletes and content production. International border closures meant that the first version featured New Zealand athletes only. The format was presented as an athlete-centred response to the changed operating environment and as a way to maintain audience engagement during a period when international competition was restricted. The 2021 Games were then cancelled because of the COVID-19 pandemic. International competition returned in 2022. The programme included FIS Australia New Zealand Cup events in snowboard and freeski park and pipe at Cardrona, alpine Super G, giant slalom and slalom at Coronet Peak, and The North Face Frontier events at The Remarkables. An invitation-only big-air event also connected the returning Games with the Obsidian concept. In 2023, Obsidian was expanded into an international competition involving four teams representing different parts of the world. That edition was staged in parallel with the FIS Park & Pipe Junior World Championships, the FIS Australia New Zealand Cup alpine schedule and Freeride World Qualifier events. The 2024 programme further increased the event's international significance. FIS freeski halfpipe and snowboard slopestyle World Cup events returned to New Zealand snow at Cardrona, providing athletes with qualification points relevant to the 2026 Milano Cortina Olympic Winter Games. Coronet Peak hosted the FIS Australia New Zealand Cup alpine programme, while Treble Cone and The Remarkables hosted The North Face Frontier freeride events. Cardrona also hosted Australia New Zealand Cup snowboard halfpipe and freeski slopestyle competitions. The event is organised by the Winter Games New Zealand Trust with assistance from public-sport and Olympic institutions. Its partnership history has included major media, travel, financial-services, automotive, beverage, outdoor and technology-facing brands. The resulting platform combines sporting competition with tourism promotion, event content and sponsorship activation. Its distinguishing role is to provide elite winter competition during the Northern Hemisphere summer while showcasing New Zealand's mountain resorts and developing opportunities for domestic athletes.
- 2024
Park-and-pipe World Cup events return
[1]Cardrona hosted FIS freeski halfpipe and snowboard slopestyle World Cup events, the first such New Zealand events since 2019.
- 2023
International Obsidian debuts
[1]The Obsidian concept became an international four-team competition and was held alongside junior, alpine and freeride events.
- 2022
International competition resumes
[1]International athletes returned, with FIS, freeride and invitation events distributed across Cardrona, Coronet Peak and The Remarkables.
- 2021
Edition cancelled during pandemic
[1]The Games were cancelled because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
- 2020
Obsidian format introduced
[1]A new team-based and content-led format was launched with a New Zealand-only athlete field because of border restrictions.
- 2018
Games move to an annual schedule
[1]After editions in 2013, 2015 and 2017, Winter Games NZ became an annually held event.
- 2011
Programme and venue network expand
[1]Methven joined the host locations and the event programme grew from seven to nine events.
- 2009
First New Zealand Winter Games held
[1]The inaugural Games took place across Dunedin, Queenstown, Wānaka and Naseby, featuring seven principal winter sports plus demonstration events.
Products and positioning
A premium Southern Hemisphere winter-sports platform combining elite international competition, New Zealand mountain destinations, athlete development and sponsor-led event experiences.
Multi-sport winter event · 2009
Winter Games NZ
The core event brand is a recurring programme of elite winter competitions held across New Zealand mountain and ice-sport venues. Its disciplines have included alpine skiing, cross-country skiing, curling, figure skating, ice hockey, freestyle skiing and snowboarding, with later editions placing greater emphasis on FIS-sanctioned alpine, snowboard and freeski events and international freeride competitions.
Team-based winter competition · 2020
Obsidian
Obsidian is a team-format competition developed within Winter Games NZ. Its 2020 debut used a New Zealand-only field because of pandemic border restrictions and focused on athlete-led storytelling and content. In 2023, the format was expanded into an international event involving four teams representing different global regions and competing in big air, park jam and backcountry freestyle.
Marketing campaigns
- 2020Obsidian
New Zealand
Winter Games NZ introduced an athlete-focused team format combining competition with original content. The domestic-only field reflected international travel restrictions during the COVID-19 period.
Outcome. The format was positively described in the reference material for its athlete-centred and content-driven approach and later became an international competition.
Brand decisions
2021
Cancel the 2021 GamesOtherBackground
The COVID-19 pandemic continued to affect international travel and event operations.
Action taken
The 2021 edition was cancelled.
Aftermath
International participation returned in 2022.
2020
Create the Obsidian team formatOtherBackground
The COVID-19 pandemic and international border closures limited the participation of overseas athletes.
Action taken
The organisers introduced a New Zealand-only, team-based competition centred on athlete participation and content.
Aftermath
Obsidian was subsequently developed into an international format for the 2023 edition.
2018
Adopt an annual event cycleStrategyBackground
The Games had previously been held every two years, with editions in 2009, 2011, 2013, 2015 and 2017.
Action taken
Winter Games NZ changed to an annually held event from 2018.
Aftermath
The annual format supported a more regular presence in the Southern Hemisphere winter-sports calendar.
Sources2 sources
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