About

The North Island Secondary Schools Skiing Competition was initiated and owned by The Laurenson Trust (earlier known as the Ruapehu College Educational Assistance Trust).  The event was first held in 1980 as a North Island schools ski team event.  It was an invitation event hosted by Ruapehu College in partnership with the Tūroa ski-field based in Ohakune.  The event consisted of a Giant Slalom event followed by a Dual.  Its form has not changed much over the subsequent years, although individual performance is now also recognised.

Schools entering teams are asked to include at least one junior and to include both genders in a co-educational school team.  This is to foster the growth of the sport in the future.  Events are split into junior and senior sections in both genders.

Slopestyle was introduced as an event due to the popularity and trend of freestyle skiing.

In 2019, RAL deemed that both GS and Dual races had to be held at Whakapapa so the Dual was dropped and replaced by a skier-x event at Tūroa.

This event was not held 2020-2024 due to Covid, poor snowfall, then the uncertainty around RAL ownership, then poor snowfall again!

The skiing event is sanctioned by School Sports New Zealand.

In most recent years, it has involved over 550 students from over 120 teams from approximately 100 North Island secondary schools.  

The event has hit an exciting new era. Bevanz Event Services has taken ownership of both the skiing and snowboarding of the north island secondary schools competitions.

In 2025, the skiing and snowboarding events will take place and consist of Giant Slalom and Slope Style and will be held at Tūroa Skifield, hosted by Pure Tūroa.