Wānaka snowboarding phenomenon Zoi Sadowski-Synnott (21) was crowned the Snow Sports NZ athlete of the year in Wānaka last night (Friday September 30).

The award was presented to Zoi at the Snow Sports NZ Annual Awards held at the Lake Wānaka Centre in front of a sold-out attendance of 250 guests and caps off a remarkable season for the world’s number one ranked snowboarder.

Zoi claimed eight event podiums, including New Zealand's first ever Winter Olympic gold medal, an Olympic silver medal, two X Games gold medals (Slopestyle and Big Air) and a Dew Tour win.

She took the top spot at the Natural Selection Baldface Stop, third place at the Natural Selection finals in Alaska and a second-place finish at the Mammoth Mountain Slopestyle World Cup.

Fellow Wānaka athlete Nico Porteus was named Freeskier of the Year. Nico is ranked the number one freeski halfpipe competitor in the world after claiming gold at the Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games, defending his X Games title and winning the Mammoth Mountain World Cup.

The Breakthrough Season award went to Wānaka based Ben Barclay who had his best season to date, taking second place at the Font Romeu Freeski Slopestyle World Cup, the first World Cup podium result of his career. 

Sitting Downhill gold medalist at the Beijing 2022 Paralympic Winter Games, Corey Peters, was named Adaptive Athlete of the Year.

The full list of awards is:  

• Instructor of the Year sponsored by New Zealand Snowsports Instructors Alliance – Katharina Mueller 
• Masters Ski Racing Champions sponsored by Aspiring Lifestyle Retirement Village – Bonny Teat & Geoff Hunt 
• Coach of the Year sponsored by Blackwells Mazda – Sean Thompson for Snowboarding (Queenstown) 
• Breakthrough Season sponsored by Salomon – Ben Barclay (Auckland) 
• Freeride Athlete of the Year sponsored by The Remarkables – Jess Hotter (Ohakune) 
• Alpine Ski Racer of the Year sponsored by Coronet Peak – Alice Robinson (Queenstown) 
• Snowboarder of the Year sponsored by Dick Schulze – Zoi Sadowski-Synnott (Wānaka) 
• Freeskier of the Year sponsored by Mons Royale – Nico Porteous (Wānaka) 
• Adaptive Athlete of the Year sponsored by Cardrona Alpine Resort / Treble Cone – Corey Peters (New Plymouth) 
• Snow Sports NZ Overall Athlete of the Year – Zoi Sadowski-Synnott (Wānaka) 

The Snow Sports NZ Annual Awards presented by Racers Edge celebrates the very best in New Zealand snow sports over the past 12 months.