Skiing councillor's unlucky break

Pip Hannon enjoying her winter holidays in Queenstown before she was injured.

A Masterton District Councillor got more than she bargained for these winter holidays.

Pip Hannon was skiing in Queenstown over the weekend with family and friends when she twisted her leg, snapping her fibula and tibia inside her ski boot.

She was airlifted to Invercargill hospital on Saturday afternoon and admitted to surgery the next morning.

Yesterday she said she had "definitely been better".

Masterton District Councillor Pip Hannon broke her fibula and tibia below the left knee in a ski injury on the weekend.

"It wasn't anything spectacular I was doing at the time of the injury.

"We were up at the Remarkables on Saturday and I was just heading down to the base.

"I was sort of on the flat ground but I think I lost one of my skis and that caused my foot to hit the ground which then made the other one twist so I snapped my fibula inside my ski boot.

"The mountain has first aid up there so I just laid on the ground and called for help."

Ms Hannon was taken on a stretcher up to the medical room on the ski field where they decided "that it was a pretty serious break".

"So they sent me on the chopper down to Invercargill.

"I got to Invercargill late in the afternoon on Saturday and then I was really, really, really super fortunate that they slotted me in and gave me surgery the next morning."

Ms Hannon, who is a self-proclaimed "beginner skier of 30 years", said she was looking on the bright side and is grateful for being "very well looked after" at Invercargill Hospital.

But she will miss out on her daughter's 10th birthday celebrations back home.

"Once I get a bit more mobility I'll be coming back to the North Island.

"The less you have to move around and the more you can stay in a stable position, the better it is for rehabilitation."