An Olympic snowboarding silver medallist appeared in Christchurch District Court yesterday, charged with carelessly driving a van on Cardrona’s ski slopes at Wanaka. American Danny Kass, 26, who won silver medals at the 2002 and 2006 Winter Olympics, four United States Open Championships and seven Winter X Games medals, was fined $400 and $130 court costs after entering a guilty plea.

Kass drove his snow-chain-equipped van up the alpine resort’s crowded main trail for a photo shoot, The Press reported.

The vehicle then got stuck in soft snow, in such a way it could have rolled down the slopes, Sergeant Stephen Burke told the court.

The Olympian, who made his court appearance shortly before flying out of the country, had already apologised to the field manager, done voluntary work for the skifield and given the van to a Wanaka snow park, his lawyer Jonathan Eaton said.

Kass was “very remorseful, but relieved it’s only a careless-driving charge.”

“Although there was some risk, there was no immediate danger.”

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