This February, my parents took me skiing in Nagano, Japan. The resort there was huge, with the entire mountain covered in natural snow that was super thick. The Hakuba Happo-One Ski Resort hosted the alpine skiing events during the 1998 Nagano Winter Olympics, and you can still see the giant Olympic rings standing there. The slopes there were quite varied, ranging from beginner to advanced levels. The black diamond runs were especially steep, and some even had moguls. But what I liked most were the green runs that wound through the woods—the slopes weren’t too steep, more like winding mountain roads that snaked around the forest. Gliding through the trees, I could enjoy the beautiful mountain scenery while speeding down the hill. With the wind rushing past my ears and the satisfying whoosh of my snowboard slicing through the snow, not to mention the incredible speed, it felt absolutely amazing. At that moment, I thought, how great it would be if China could host the Winter Olympics too—then I wouldn’t have to fly so far to ski.
Little did I know, the opportunity would actually come. Not long after we got back from Japan, news broke that Beijing and Zhangjiakou would jointly bid to host the Winter Olympics. I was truly happy and excited from the bottom of my heart. To be honest, our current ski resorts still lag behind Japan’s in terms of facilities, and our hardware can’t compare either. But I believe that with effort, we can build high-speed chairlifts, diverse slopes, and with improved climate conditions, we might even get more snowfall.
I sincerely hope our country can successfully bid to host the 2022 Winter Olympics. By then, I’ll be exactly 18 years old, and I want to become a snowboarder, competing on home soil and representing my country. After the games, the convenient transportation and top-notch ski resorts will bring even more winter fun to our family of skiing enthusiasts.