Lake Wanaka, New Zealand (Thursday, June 22, 2006) - The 2006 ski and snowboard season kicked off in Lake Wanaka today as Cardrona Alpine Resort opened its gates to thousands of skiers and riders eager to enjoy the best opening snow conditions in over a decade.

Lift lines formed well before for the first lift at 8:45 a.m. this morning and with over a meter of snow on groomed trails and pockets of deep, wintery powder off-trail under clear blue skies without a breath of wind, conditions were ideal.

"There were plenty of very happy people up here today," said marketing manager Bruce McGechan. "Everywhere you looked there were big smiles as everyone enjoyed a fantastic opening day. We couldn't have asked for a better start to the 2006 season."