The venue for the Beijing Paralympics and snowboarding will be held on a course made almost entirely of artificial snow, just like the Olympics, and the point is how to capture the artificial snow.
China's first Winter Paralympic Games will be held at the Zhangjiakou venue in Hebei Province, adjacent to Beijing, with three competitions: cross-country skiing, biathlon, and snowboarding.
Each venue was also used for the Olympics, but in this area there was originally little snow and a large amount of water was used to make artificial snow, and the course was improved.
Of these, it is said that there were few days when it snowed after the Olympics at "Genting Snow Park" where snowboarding is held.
Also, as the temperature rises, the snow melts and the gliding property deteriorates, so we use a snow compactor to repair the course every day.
The person in charge of snow maintenance at the venue said, "We prepared a lot of snow for the Olympics and held the game by relying on artificial snow. Artificial snow is more suitable for preparing the course. Even for the Paralympic Games. We have prepared 80,000 cubic meters of snow and are squeezing a very large amount of snow assuming that the temperature will be high. I hope that the athletes from each country will be happy to experience the snow at this venue. " I was talking.
At this venue, a snowboard cross will be held on the 6th and 7th, and a banked slalom will be held on the 12th, and the point will be how the six Japanese players who will participate will capture the artificial snow.
“Hard snow” risk of injury
Compared to natural snow, artificial snow contains less air, so it is said that the snow quality is hard and slippery.
Furthermore, at the Beijing Olympics last month, the temperature at Zhangjiakou, where skiing and snowboarding were held, became cold at around -20 degrees Celsius, so the snow on the course made of artificial snow has become cold and solidified. I did.
At the Beijing Olympics, snowboarding women's slopestyle Rina Yoshika and ski freestyle Kokone Kondo were forced to miss due to injuries during practice, and the risk of injuries due to hard snow was pointed out. I am.
Is artificial snow advantageous for Japanese players?
The second type of snowboarding at the Paralympics is a race that competes for speed, so it is said that heavier athletes are more likely to speed up and have an advantage.
On airy natural snow courses, athletes compress the air on the board to create propulsion.
For this reason, heavier athletes are said to be more likely to speed up by compressing snow more often on the board.
On the other hand, the snowmaking course means that if the snow contains less air and the surface is icy due to the cold, it is easier to ride at speed regardless of weight.
For this reason, the course of this tournament may be advantageous for Japanese athletes who weigh less than overseas athletes.
However, compared to last month when the Olympics were held, the temperature around the venue has risen, which is expected to affect the condition of the course.
Regarding this, director Kenichi Niboshi of Japan's snowboarding team said, "It's hard and very nice snow, but how it gets rough in the actual production depends on the temperature, so respond while feeling what kind of change it will be. I want to go. "
Also, regarding the snowboard cross course that starts on the 6th, "There are many parts where the course called the roll section is wavy, and there are parts where it is difficult to take timing. The difficulty level changes greatly depending on the speed. I point out.
On top of that, he said, "There are players who are good at timing and players who use their physique and strength to speed up, so it is important to quickly find out where you can make the most of your strengths and connect it to time." I'm talking.