Canterbury’s Club Ski Fields, or the Clubbies, are some of the most unique ski areas in the world. Nestled in Selwyn, on the Craigieburn Range and on the Main Divide, they are distinctly different from the large commercial operations
By Ollie Hunt
Canterbury’s Club Ski Fields, or the Clubbies, are some of the most unique ski areas in the world. Nestled in Selwyn, on the Craigieburn Range and on the Main Divide, they are distinctly different from the large commercial operations. They’re more difficult to get to, they have less people, and when you get there you often need to use a nutcracker and rope tow to get up the mountain - there are no chairlifts at the clubbies.
While there are some slightly different challenges to the large commercial fields, they’re well worth them when you get there. No 5.30am rush to get a carpark, very few queues, and snow that stays fresh for days rather than being tracked out before you’ve finished your breakfast latte - there is a lot to like. Add in hot tubs, saunas and on-mountain accommodation, and you can see the fields have much more to offer than just the awesome skiing. 
Renowned for the lifestyle and atmosphere, the clubbies also contribute a significant amount to a lesser known but still very cool export: The New Zealand Big Mountain Skier. With skills honed on the ungroomed slopes of the clubbies and through the series of competitions held there too, a significant proportion of the Kiwis now representing New Zealand on the Freeride World Tour hail from the clubbies in Selwyn - and have a lot to thank the competitions at the Clubbies for.
I grew up skiing with my whanau at Broken River and took to the joy of skiing like water off a duck's back. Initially, my interest in skiing was focused on one ski area. However, growing up where it is hard not to see the selection of ski areas on Highway 73. Combine this with the growth of Free Skiing in NZ in early 2000s, I can see how I came to roam the ski areas and join in with the Free Ski competitions on offer. My recount of those days starting out is shared here.
Back in 2009, after talking my Dad into buying me a pair of twin tips at the CSA ski sale, we saw a poster at Broken River advertising a Big Mountain session with Tom Dunbar. Fourteen at the time, and not really knowing what it was, I jumped for it - and while I was the youngest and smallest in the 8 person program, I loved it.
It is probably worth mentioning at this point (2008/2009) that Big Mountain skiing was not particularly common - and nor was any type of skiing with the exception of racing. This coaching session was also the first time I saw a pair of Rockered skis - Tom’s 4frnt Hojis.
Tom Dunbar - one of the top Big Mountain skiers in New Zealand or the world in the mid 2000s.
After completing the course, I happened to be at Mt Olympus on the Olympus day of the original ‘Chill Series’ Freeride World Qualifiers (Day 1 held at Craigieburn Valley). This was an event that was a qualifier for the world tour, but thanks to Stu Waddel there was a category for under 18s too - and after a brief chat with Stu I scored an entry.
Having only competed in the Chill ‘Gromfests’ at Porter's terrain park, this was a complete new world - where cliffs replaced jumps, and there were no rails to be seen. I was the youngest at 14 - and pretty scared too, but I hiked to the top of Little Alaska for both runs and ended up taking home 3rd place - (I found this out after, as my parents had taken me home before the prizegiving). 
Neil Williman - who later competed on the Freeride world tour and now commentates it, took out the competition with a ridiculous line on his second run - at 4:43 in the video below, it is one of the most high consequence lines I’ve ever seen skied in person - the video not quite doing the terrain justice - nor the atmosphere at the bottom of the run.
Fast forward to later in the year, and the 2009 Black Diamond Big Mountain was happening at Temple Basin. I had secured myself a spot at this, again in the junior division, and made my way to the field - alongside a plethora of mainly adults, plenty from overseas. 
It was a pretty cool world to be drawn into - as a young kid there were these Big Mountain heroes like Sam Smoothy, Pete Oswald, Neil Williman and others, and because there was only one division I was competing with them - and then the rest too.
With a clear demand for Big Mountain competitions from the under 18s, and no realistic way to send them all down the same course as the open category and still keep the event as a 2* FWT qualifier, Stu again came to the party with the rise of the Chill Junior Series.
These competitions had multiple age categories and were held in a number of the fields, but usually on less exposed terrain than the Open categories. The top placing juniors were then allowed to progress to the Open categories. 
These competitions were a mixture of coaching and competing, and names you’ll now see on the Freeride world tour start list were amongst those that participated - specifically at the moment, Jamesa Hampton and Craig Murray.
There were many competitions from 2010 - 2017, some which I competed in, and they paved the way for what is on offer in Selwyn now - the Chill channel from about this time has a huge number of epic videos:
The Chill competitions are no longer running but competitive Big Mountain Skiing in the Selwyn Fields is stronger than ever - and there’s more opportunities to get involved in the sport than ever. Listed below are some of the upcoming Free Ski Camps and Competitions on offer in 2022.
Coaching Camps with the MFC crew:
For the last 6+ Seasons, MFC has hosted coaching sessions for the groms - similar to those that Tom Dunbar hosted all the way back in 2009. This year MFC are hosting clinics at Broken River Craigieburn Valley and Mt Olympus this season. Some of the world’s best skiers - who grew up here in the Selwyn fields, are the Coaches - including FWT riders Craig Murray, Jess Hotter, Jamesa Hampton, and others.
The New Zealand Junior Freeride Tour
Dion Newport, who was a judge right from the earliest days of the Chill Competitions, has now established a series and a FWQ event that together are part of the pathway to the World tour for any aspiring Freeriders in NZ. Info about the events is not out yet - but the below is a summary of the usual stuff.
Keep an eye on the website for the dates to be announced.
The NZ Junior Freeride Tour is 3 competitions across 3 fields in both islands of New Zealand, and it provides a pathway for Junior Skiers to enter into the Big Mountain world in an Age Group setting - with opportunities for the top performers to head to the International Junior Freeride Tour as well.
Mt Olympus Stop #2: 14 - 16th September