Wanaka skier proud of win
Wānaka's Craig Murray proudly accepts the first-place prize at the Inaugural Yeti Natural Selection Ski in Alaska's backcountry. PHOTOS: SUPPLIED
Wānaka's Craig Murray has won the inaugural Yeti Natural Selection Ski event, held in the Alaskan mountain ranges.
The Red Bull sponsored-competition took place on April 18 among the Tordrillo mountain range in Alaska.
Wanaka athlete and film producer Craig Murray took the first-place prize with pride as he displayed some trademark moves.
"I feel incredible. Today has been something out of a dream. This whole setup being out here in the Tordrillos is crazy ... I honestly can't believe I ended up in the finals and ended up taking it out," he said.
The three winners of the Yeti Natural Selection Ski (from left) Sam Kush, Craig Murray and Marcus Eder.
Utilising a knockout format, over and over again Murray delivered his trademark huge, fluid lines for which he is so well-known and respected in the international ski community.
Murray continued to rise to the occasion in the final round with a precision-crafted run that earned him an 85 and ultimately, the win.
Attacking the face with a shockingly fast, smooth line, Murray strung together a series of stylish 360s and flips, lacing them seamlessly from top to bottom.
His composure under pressure and ability to flow through complex terrain with freestyle finesse exemplified the Natural Selection vision: freeride meets freestyle at its highest level.
Murray was joined on the podium by Sam Kush of Canada in second, who also competed in the final round alongside Murray. Italy's Marcus Eder had the next highest score from his semifinals bracket and finished in third place overall.
— APL
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Otago Daily Times
2 days ago
- Otago Daily Times
Artistic swimming success sees young club dive into spotlight
Since its launch in 2022, athletes from Selwyn Artistic Swimming have impressed as the club continues to grow. Head coach Chantelle Murray is expecting bigger and better things from her young team. Sam Coughlan reports New Zealand's youngest artistic swimming club, Selwyn, was founded just three years ago. It began with just five athletes who followed coach Chantelle Murray from her former club Canterbury. Today, the club boasts more than 40 swimmers and recently claimed five gold medals at the South Island Championships, held at the Selwyn Aquatic Centre. Murray said it took a lot of hard work to get to this point. 'In the first year, I think I grew about five (members) and then lost a few. Then it wasn't until the second year, 2023, we grew to about 30, which was like 'wow, this is really big'.' Keen to start her own club in 2022 after moving to Rolleston the year before, Murray said it was a natural fit to be based in the region. 'I thought, 'I want to have it just at one pool, I want to build the relationship with the aquatic centre and the community out here and be able to offer things just to Selwyn.' 'So when I moved out here, I thought it was the perfect opportunity to start.' With a strong artistic swimming background and more than a decade of coaching – including 11 years at Canterbury and six with national development squads – Murray brought plenty of experience to the venture. The jewel in Murray's crown at Selwyn is Kristina Stepchenko, 15, who joined in July last year after moving from Russia with her family. A competitive swimmer since the age of six, Kristina has quickly risen to become the club's top performer. She earned three gold medals at the South Islands and another at last year's national championships in Hamilton. 'We work together really well,' Kristina said of her teammates . 'I feel like I've known them for my whole life, even though it's almost a year.' She normally trains 18 hours a week, a combination of working on her routines, regular swim training, and on-land stretching and going through the movements of her routines. But even for such a dedicated athlete, balancing school and training isn't always easy. 'I need to focus on my time management,' the Rolleston College student said. 'The temptation is sometimes just to stay on my phone, but I think it (swimming) lets me grow as a person, so I'm really glad I have that.' Murray praised Kristina's ability and drive to improve herself. While focusing on the highest-performing athletes is important, Murray is passionate about growing Selwyn Artistic Swimming and attracting new members. She offers sessions for local schools where kids get the opportunity to give the sport a go and see if it sparks their interest. One such recruit is 12-year-old Matthew Hamilton-Cross, who visited the club late last year with his classmates at West Rolleston Primary School and stuck with the sport. His decision has already paid off – Matthew won gold in the mixed aquarina duet alongside partner Kelicia Purcell at the South Island Championships. ' I'm getting way better than I was when I started,' he said. Like Kristina, he has a busy schedule, training Wednesday mornings and afternoons as well as Sundays – but he does not mind the workload. ' If I was able to, I would definitely train more,' he said. The club is now preparing for its next major challenge – the national championships in Wellington at the end of September. Seventeen Selwyn athletes will be competing in the event, including Kristina and Matthew. ' I'm just hoping to do my best and do the cleanest swim I can do,' Kristina said. Said Matthew: 'I definitely (want) to at least get a medal at nationals.' Murray is optimistic about her team's chances. ' I feel like this year I think we're going to make a pretty good mark on nationals,' she said. 'As well having Kristina and Scarlett (Hardy, Kristina's duet partner) to look up to, we've got a quite decent chunk of athletes. 'There's some duets I really think that could do well. I think most could make the podium.' A strong showing in Wellington would cement Selwyn's status as one of New Zealand's rising forces in the sport.
NZ Herald
2 days ago
- NZ Herald
Liam Lawson's replacement Yuki Tsunoda will be given ‘time and support'
By Red Bull say they will give Yuki Tsunoda time to settle into his Formula 1 seat. The Japanese driver replaced Liam Lawson after just two races of the 2025 season after the New Zealander struggled in Australia and China. Team boss Christian Horner has
RNZ News
5 days ago
- RNZ News
From a tragic accident to a sporting dream
On March 4th 2016 Bailley Unahi suffered a severe spinal injury following the collapse of a crowded balcony at a Six60 concert on Dunedin's infamous Castle Street. Trapped underneath, her life may have changed in a few fateful moments but Bailley says there is much to be thankful for. She talks to Kathryn about the career she never knew she wanted and the sporting pursuit which she hopes will take her all the way to next year's Winter Paralympics. Bailley Unahi Photo: Red Bull
