Competitors prefer man-made snow at venues
Competitors prefer man-made stuff
PYEONGCHANG, South Korea – The competition in the Winter Olympics is unmistakably real, but the snow being used is undeniably fake.
So says Ian Honey, who supervised the installation of the snow-making system at Jeongseon Alpine Centre, which like many venues here is covered by what appears to be 100% real snow.
“It’s at least 98% (man made),” said Honey, project manager for Snow Making Inc., a company in Midland, Mich.
But it’s unlikely #FakeSnow will suddenly rival #FakeNews because, even though the heavy use of man-made snow might be a surprise to TV viewers and spectators, there’s no coverup or raging controversy here. As France’s Alexis Pinturault said after winning the silver medal in the men’s Alpine combined Tuesday, “We like ice. I don’t like snow.”
The natural snow might be great for snowball fights or for making snow angels, but apparently it’s less conducive for world-class competition and less and less plentiful on sports’ biggest stage. That big stage is now home to a firmer-packed, manufactured snow.
For example, the 2014 Sochi Games depended on snow that was 80% man made, according to Honey, whose company installed snow-making machines on the mountain used for skiing and snowboarding at those Olympics. He says the high performance of skiers has contributed to demand for man-made snow.
“With the speeds they’re doing and the responsiveness of their skis, it seems what they need is a more durable and better and consistent product on the mountain,” Honey said.
Mother Nature gave them little choice in South Korea.
It appears Pyeongchang lacks natural snowfall to host a Winter Olympics without substantial help from technology.
Less than an inch of natural snow was on the ground when the athletes arrived, and there was no need to panic.
The venues were packed with thick, white snow, thanks to the so-called electric “snow guns” that resemble small canons, part of a system used to ensure there would be top-notch competitive surfaces for the skiers and snowboarders.
There are 120 snow guns on the course being used for speed events, according to Geoff Marriner, the mountain operations manager.
Now natural snow is being treated like the enemy.
The work crew at Jeongseon Alpine Centre had been up as early as 4 a.m. to make sure strong winds did not leave natural snow covered atop the more firmly packed man-made snow, Marriner said.
“We’re working against Mother Nature,” Marriner said. “Once you have a course built, watered and ready to race, you don’t want any natural snow, you don’t want any wind, you don’t want a lot of stuff you normally don’t mind.
“You’re sliding down on the nice stuff, and all the sudden you hit that wind-drifted stuff and it just stops you.”
Marriner speaks regularly enough with skiers such as Pinturault — the Frenchmen who declares his love for ice, not snow — to understand what Marriner said competitive skiers want and can get from manufactured snow.
The man-made snow is more moist and dense, creating the desirable surface for skiers who expect a course to maintain its integrity for the full field, according to Marriner.
“It has to be hard enough that it’s durable and it’s not going to rut up after 10 races,” he said.
“But it can’t be so hard and just turn into a sheet of ice. There’s a balance in there.
“I love natural snow. Except for when I’m doing this stuff, I hate it.”