Here's the snowboard/ski "slopestyle" course for the Beijing Olympics! Configuration items and their highlights

2022/02/04

A “next level” stage tailored to Untop Snow Park

Approximately 180km northwest of Beijing, the Zhangjiakou area is visited by many snow sports enthusiasts in China. The cloud top snow park in an existing ski resort will be the stage for the Olympic slopestyle. 90% of the operation is done with artificial snow in order to prepare sufficient conditions for the Beijing Olympics.

Here is the slopestyle course that was released the other day. What immediately catches your eye is its design taste. Full of Chinese culture. The snow wall, reminiscent of the Great Wall of China, functions as a windbreak for the athletes who are skating. The six sections are laid out like stairs from the top, and this is also an idea that takes wind flow into account.

It was designed and built by a German company called Schneestern GmbH & Co, which is world-famous for producing snow parks, MTB courses, skate parks, etc. It also designed a snow park for the 2018 PyeongChang Olympics. In this video, Schneestern's head shapers and designers explain the course.

It is divided into 6 sections, which are roughly divided into 3 jib (rail) sections and 3 jump sections. The variety of items, the size, the perfection of the condition, everything is praised as an artistic course of "next level (next dimension)". Now let's check out the items in each section.

6 sections and their items/highlights

Section 1

Section 1 has 5 types of jib items. The high walls on both sides of the rail are aimed at the windbreak effect. Rainbow rails, tanks, flat rails, kink rails, mailboxes that can be jumped from rails, and other items that can express different styles, so the skater's creativity is tested by which line to take.

1. Rainbow to Down
2. Tank
3. Flat Rail
4. Down-Flat-Down Rail
5. Transfer Mailbox

Section 2

Section 2 is a proud section that expresses the essence of Chinese culture with a replica of the Great Wall of China. Schneestern also said that the photogenic, so-called “shining” section, which can be said to be a symbol of the Beijing Olympics. There is no doubt that it will be a highlight of the first half.

Details of the four items are as follows.

1. Great Wall Of China
2. Down Mailbox
3. Flat-Down Rail
4. Down-Flat-Down Mailbox

Item 1 is named "Great Wall Of China" and is unique in that it is based on the R part of the roof. By the way, when you slide, you can create a really photogenic scene like this (bottom photo). All four items are perfect for showing off your technique and style. It's a sight to see which one you choose to appeal to the judges.

Section 3

The flow of sections 1, 2, and 3, the slopes of the course, and the sense of distance between sections are like this. The point is how smoothly you can take the line from section 1-2 to section 3 and enter the jump item in section 4.

Here are the details of the three items in Section 3. It consists of items that can be put in without killing the speed from above.

1. Gap to Flat Rail
2. Roller Jump
3. Cannon Industry

Section 4

Section 4, Skew Jumps, is the most technical highlight of this slopestyle. This is the return of an item that made a sensational debut at the 2018 PyeongChang Olympics. You can enter from both directions, and take off from the R, which is tailored to an exquisite angle. It may be hard to imagine from this perspective illustration, but it is a big jump with a distance of 19m from the top to the landing barn. Depending on how you enter and how you use R, you can draw a parabola in any way. From the entry to the tricks in the air, what kind of performance will be shown, it will be the highlight of the second half where the creative sensibility and technical ability of the skater will be tested.

1. Skew Jumps

Section 5

Section 5 has three typical items that are standard in Japanese and old-fashioned in English. 1 "Roller To Knuckle" is an item that can express the style of buttering, so-called jibbing that slides like licking the snow surface, and the top part is 9m high. 2 "Transfer Jump" is a 5m kicker and 3 is a quarter pipe. All three landing spots are the same, and the flight distance from the 5m kicker is 21m. This course has the highest degree of freedom in terms of which item to ski and how to ski. It can be said that how to attack at the end of the course will be the key to victory.

1. Roller To Knuckle
2. Transfer Jumps
3. Quarterpipes

Section 6

The final section 6 was a 5m big air decorated with the Great Wall of China. A standard straight jump with a flight distance of 21m. At the end of the winning run towards the top of the world and the gold medal, it is as if it is a straight-ball match without any tricks, how to fly big and technically and show off stylishly.

1.Big Air