(Reported by Wang Xiaoxiao) This afternoon, the 2015 “Air & Style” Beijing World Snowboard Competition and live concert will take place at the National Stadium. The construction of this year’s competition course employed advanced liquid nitrogen snow-making technology, providing athletes from around the world with a higher-quality hardware environment. According to Hai Zhenwen, director of the Municipal Sports Competition Management Center, the use of liquid nitrogen snow-making is the first of its kind in China. “The introduction and implementation of this technology will help promote snow sports in Beijing and across the country.”
The “Air & Style,” which has been popular in Europe for 20 years, is part of the World Snowboard Tour and is a top-tier six-star event. This is its sixth time being held in Beijing. Yesterday at the “Bird’s Nest,” a course over 100 meters long—with the start area equivalent to the height of a 16-story building—had already been laid out, with a pristine layer of snow covering the slopes and landing zones.
“In previous years, snow for Air & Style was transported from remote districts such as Miyun and Yanqing. Not only was the transportation cost high, but the quality of the snow would also deteriorate during loading and transit, failing to meet international top standards.” According to Hai Zhenwen, this year the organizing committee collaborated with a Dutch technical team to produce over 1,600 cubic meters of snow on-site using 400 tons of liquid nitrogen, significantly improving the snow quality. “Liquid nitrogen snow-making is not only more efficient and environmentally friendly, but it is also unaffected by temperature or environmental conditions, ensuring the provision of the highest-quality ski runs even in areas without natural snow.” Additionally, during the cold winter months, the completed course can be preserved for reuse during the FIS Freestyle Ski and Snowboard World Cup Beijing Stop—Aerials, which will be held at the “Bird’s Nest” on the 19th and 20th of this month, greatly reducing event organization costs.
According to Hai Zhenwen, liquid nitrogen snow-making is widely used internationally. The Innsbruck and Los Angeles stops of Air & Style also employ this technology. Air & Style is the first large-scale snow event in China to use this technology, with the entire snow-making process taking four days and proceeding very smoothly. “More importantly, it will provide experience for hosting snow events and activities in urban areas across Beijing and the whole country.” Hai Zhenwen revealed that next year Beijing will also host an indoor snowboard halfpipe competition, and Air & Style may be moved up to October. “Air & Style is usually held in December, which is a big challenge for outdoor spectators. Using liquid nitrogen snow-making allows us to move the event earlier, so everyone can enjoy the thrill of extreme sports in lightweight autumn clothing during Beijing’s most comfortable weather.”
Additionally, in June of this year, the big air snowboarding event—part of the Air & Style competition—has officially become a medal event in the Winter Olympics. When Beijing applied to host the 2022 Winter Olympics, the event had not yet been included in the Olympic program, so no specific plans were made for its competition venues. “Personally, I believe that by using liquid nitrogen snow-making technology, we could consider holding the big air event within Beijing city. With active practice over the next seven years, we can definitely ensure the smooth running of the competition,” said Hai Zhenwen.
Meanwhile, liquid nitrogen snow-making will also serve as a valuable experiment for promoting mass skiing. “The main significance of this technology is to enable snow activities in areas without natural snow, providing more people with greater and better skiing conditions, thereby advancing the popularization of snow sports. We have previously conducted snow-making tests in Hangzhou. If this can be promoted in more regions without suitable climates, it will greatly contribute to achieving the goal of ‘getting 300 million people on the snow.’”