Benjamin Griffin (alpine skier)

Benjamin "Ben" Griffin ( born September 22, 1986 in Wellington ) is a New Zealand ski racer. It starts in all disciplines and took previously participated in two World Championships and once at the Olympic Winter Games. His greatest successes he has scored in the Australia New Zealand Cup with ten top 5 results and at the New Zealand Championships, where he won five titles.

Biography

Ben Griffin was born in Wellington, New Zealand and in 1990 moved with his family to Whakapapa Village, where his father took over the management of the Chateau Tongariro. There, in the ski resort Whakapapa Skifield on Ruapehu Griffin, who exercised as a child also several other sports began with regular skiing. Since August 2001, Griffin starts in FIS races in Australia and New Zealand Cup. In the following years he was connected to the national peak in February 2006 and won his first FIS races, a downhill in Apex, British Columbia. In the same year he reached the fourth place overall in the Australia New Zealand Cup. Then Griffin was nominated for the 2007 World Championships in Åre, Sweden. He started out in the downhill in all competitions, but only came in the Super -G as 57 to the finish. In September 2007, he was New Zealand champion in Giant Slalom and Super -G. After another strong performance in the winter of 2007 /08, including one obtained with the fastest time in the second round in sixth place in the Nor -Am slalom at Sunday River, Griffin came on 8 March 2008 in the giant slalom in Kranjska Gora his first appearance in the World Cup, but where he qualified for the second round did not succeed. Four days later he celebrated in the Super- G of Spital am Semmering his second victory in a FIS race.

On 28 May 2008, Griffin injured in a trampoline jump during a training session difficult with the New Zealand ski team and suffered a fracture of the seventh cervical vertebra. After several months of rehabilitation, and less than a year break from racing he takes from March 2009 again part in competitions. In summer 2009, he scored two wins in New Zealand FIS races and his first podium in the Australia New Zealand Cup. He was also, as already two years ago New Zealand champion in Giant Slalom and Super -G. Since November 2009, Griffin starts sporadically in the European Cup, but came so far in any race in the top 50 in January 2010, he started again in two giant slalom in Kranjska Gora in the World Cup, but resigned in two out. After he did not participate due to an injury at the 2009 World Cup can, Griffin was in February 2010 alongside Tim Cafe one of two New Zealand ski racers at the Winter Olympics in Vancouver. He started in the Giant Slalom and Super- G, but fell in both contests from. In June 2010, Griffin was awarded for the third time in a row, Alpine Ski Racer of the Year of the New Zealand Snow Sports Association Snowsports New Zealand. In the summer of 2010, Griffin reached in the Australia New Zealand Cup third place in the Super G at Mt Hutt and other two top 5 results third overall, equal on points with the Norwegian Iver Bjerkestrand. End of August 2010, he was the third time New Zealand champion in giant slalom.

In the season 2010/11 Griffin resumed at three World Cup races in part, but in both the Super -G and giant slalom from Hinterstoder and in the giant slalom in Kranjska Gora, he left. At the World Championships 2011 in Garmisch -Partenkirchen, he was 32nd in the Super- G, while he did not see the target in the slalom and giant slalom.

Achievements

World Championships

• Åre 2007: 57 Super -G
• Garmisch -Partenkirchen 2011: 32 Super -G

Australia New Zealand Cup

• 2 podiums

New Zealand Championships

• New Zealand champion in giant slalom (2007, 2009, 2010 ) and Super- G (2007, 2009)

Other successes

• 4 wins in FIS races