Sadowski-Synnott top honour Snow Sports Awards
Snowbaorder Zoi Sadowski-Synnott, with her two Olympic silver medals, two X Games silvers, and Natural Selection Tour championship title, was once again crowned overall Snow Sports NZ Athlete of the Year.
Sadowski-Synnott, 25 also won the Snowboarder of the Year accolade.
The annual event, held at the Lake Wānaka Centre, celebrates the achievements of New Zealand snow sport’s best including the athletes, instructors and coaches who have enjoyed standout seasons.
Fellow Olympic medallist Luca Harrington was a winner, taking out Freeskier of the Year. Harrington is currently world #2 in Freeski Big Air and won a Slopestyle bronze at Milano Cortina, along with two X Games golds.
Ben Richards won Freeride Athlete of the Year, after an almost perfect series of wins across the Freeride World Tour and inaugural FIS Freeride World Championships.
Alice Robinson took out the Alpine Ski Racer of the Year Award, a win that reflected a thrilling season of World Cup podiums concluding with a second place overall finish in Super-G and fifth place global standing in women’s alpine ski racing.
New Zealand para alpine skier Adam Hall delivered a sensational performance to win a silver medal in the Men's Slalom Standing at the Milano Cortina Paralympic Games, earning him the Adaptive Athlete of the Year Award.
The achievement marked his sixth career Paralympic medal, making him first equal most-decorated New Zealand Winter Paralympian in history.
Up and coming star Dane Menzies crushed his season to take away Breakthrough Athlete of the Year. Menzies rocketed to the finals in both of his events in the Milano Cortina Olympics, finishing in 7th place in Slopestyle and 6th in Big Air.
Winners list:
OVERALL ATHLETE OF 2026 sponsored by House of Travel, Christchurch
Zoi Sadowski-Synnott
INSTRUCTOR OF THE YEAR sponsored by NZSIA
Robert Barry — Cardrona & Treble Cone
COACH OF THE YEAR sponsored by SITE Trampoline
Hamish McDougall
FREESKIER OF THE YEAR sponsored by Mons Royale
Luca Harrington
SNOWBOARDER OF THE YEAR sponsored by Dick Schulze
Zoi Sadowski-Synnott
FREERIDE ATHLETE OF THE YEAR sponsored by The Remarkables
Ben Richards
ADAPTIVE ATHLETE OF THE YEAR sponsored by Cardrona
Adam Hall
BREAKTHROUGH ATHLETE OF THE YEAR sponsored by Sidekick Wanaka
Dane Menzies
ALPINE SKI RACER OF THE YEAR sponsored by Coronet Peak
Alice Robinson
MASTERS OF THE YEAR sponsored by Northbrook
Maria Kan and Geoff Hunt
