KEY POINTS:
Queenstown snowboarder Nick Hyne has made an impressive debut on the world cup scene in Austria.
Hyne finished fourth in the opening round of the cup circuit in Graz.
It has given the New Zealand snowboard camp a real boost ahead of next week's world championships in Switzerland in what will be their debut as a world cup team.
Hyne produced strong form in the Big Air competition to qualify for the top 16 and was then involved in a series of gruelling head-to-head knockout rounds.
He produced a stunning effort with a series of flawless moves that gave him the second highest score of 26.2 in the first finals round.
He was knocked out in the semifinals by the eventual winner, Finland's Peetu Piroinen.
"I'm very pleased. I was pretty tired at the end, because I arrived in Graz at 5am by car," Hyne said. "I was happy that I made it to the finals."
It marks an outstanding return for Hyne who has been out of action for 15 months after a major knee reconstruction.
Meanwhile, Christchurch skier Mark Bridgwater will become the first New Zealander in more than 20 years to compete in a world cup downhill. He races in Wengen, Switzerland, this week.
- NZPA
