New Zealander and Queenstown local Chuck Berry marked the 50-day countdown to Audi quattro Winter Games 2015 with the first ever wingsuit flight over Auckland, New Zealand’s largest city.

           Veteran New Zealand sky diver Chuck Berry approaches land after his wingsuit flight over Auckland City to mark              50 days until Audi quattro Winter Games 2015.   CREDIT: Getty Images

The RedBull sponsored adventurer performed the wingsuit flight together with Jim Scott, an international skydive coach from Auckland. 

Jumping from 7,000 feet, they soared together for approximately 60 seconds above the central city looking down on landmarks such as the Sky Tower before opening their parachutes and landing in Auckland’s popular Victoria Park.

Chuck Berry said the wing-suit flight was a unique way to get people excited about the 10-day Audi quattro Winter Games NZ taking place in Queenstown, Wanaka and Naseby from 21 August.

“The jump went exactly as planned. It was such an amazing rush to fly over Auckland and see the city from a completely different perspective,” he said.

First to greet them were Corey Peters and Anna Willcox, two of Snow Sports New Zealand’s elite winter athletes. 

Corey Peters won a silver medal at the 2014 Paralympic Winter Games in Sochi, Russia and is a double 2015 IPC (International Paralympic Committee) Alpine Skiing world champion. 

Anna Willcox is a member of the New Zealand national freeski team and competed at the 2014 Olympic Winter Games in Sochi.

“Life’s all about pushing yourself with new challenges and I have total respect for athletes like Corey and Anna who perform at the highest level in their sport. With only 50 days to go, I’m really looking forward to having the Games on my home turf and welcoming the world’s best to the Southern Alps,” Berry said.

The Winter Games takes place in the Southern Lakes region of New Zealand, a two-hour flight from Auckland or direct flight from Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane.

One of the top five winter sport events in the world, the Winter Games takes place every two years and attracts some of the best athletes in the world.

Chuck Berry will perform another wing-suit flight at the Audi quattro Winter Games NZ closing ceremony at Cardrona Alpine Resort near Wanaka on Sunday 30 August.