Paralympics: Wells and Hall share snow award

A world champion and Paralympic gold medallist shared this year's New Zealand Snow Sports Athlete of the Year award.

Otago's Adam Hall, who also won the athlete title in 2008 and last year, won his gold medal in the stand-up slalom at the Vancouver Winter Paralympics in March. He also finished seventh in the giant slalom and eighth in the super combined races.

He shared the award with Jossi Wells of Wanaka, who is the overall world free ski champion.

Wells' memorable year also included winning the AFP Superpipe title, getting silver in Superpipe at the X Games and the overall Dew Tour ski Superpipe championship, gold at the Austrian Open and bronze in slopestyle at the European X Games.

"They each set very high goals for themselves, and they both were able to achieve those goals, so it's fitting that they share this award for their achievements," SSNZ chief executive Ross Palmer said.

Winners in other categories included:

Olympian Ben Griffin of Ohakune as alpine ski racer of the year; Nat Anglem as cross country skier of the year; Shelley Gotlieb as snowboarder of the year; and Hamish Bagley, who won the emerging talent award.