After 10 days of competition, the New Zealand Winter Games is "being hailed an international success and talks of making it a yearly event are under way," according to STUFF. More than 600 athletes competed in adaptive skiing, freeskiing, snowboarding, cross-country skiing and curling events, which attracted the top int'l competitors in each discipline. Games Chair Eion Edgar said that there was "significant interest in the games being held every year, instead of a biennial fixture." Edgar: "If we don't become an annual fixture another Southern Hemisphere country might step in and Winter Games NZ could definitely lose their advantage." The likelihood of a new worldwide FIS Freestyle Super Series being introduced "was also driving the annual debate." Edgar said, "FIS is promoting the concept of four international events as part of the new series with two in North America, one in Europe and another in Asia. At each event there would be six World Cups for freeskiing and snowboarding including halfpipe, slopestyle and Big Air and Winter Games NZ is positioning itself to be the Asian venue." Sport NZ has "commissioned the feasibility review and several sponsors had indicated their support." The Government's Major Events Development Fund invested NZ$1.5M ($950,000) into this year's event and a further NZ$1.25M ($790,000) for '17 (STUFF, 8/31).
