The North Face Freeski Open of New Zealand is underway at Cardrona Alpine Resort, with the first practice session now in the books. According to the competition’s website, the closing of Snow Park NZ combined with a “more-than-challenging financial environment” has created a handful of problems for the event. Most notably, perhaps, is the downgrade from Gold to Silver AFP status, as well as a smaller prize purse than in the past. Yet, with a stellar course that is very similar to last week’s Winter Games NZ, and a stacked field of competitors vying for valuable AFP points, it’s sure to be a great show. Slopestyle qualifiers kick off August 29 at 11 AM NZST, with finals taking place August 30 at 2 PM NZST.

Also Watch: Here’s your first look at The North Face Freeski Open superpipe