Wowed by Hebei's winter wonderland

2022 venue impresses stars as new season swooshes into life

Some of the world's best snowboarders heaped praise on China's burgeoning winter-sports scene as Olympic co-host city Zhangjiakou got the new snow season up and running in impressive fashion over the weekend.

The Genting Resort Secret Garden, the venue for snowboarding and freestyle skiing at the 2022 Beijing Games, officially opened its doors to the public for the first time this winter over the weekend, with 2,500 skiers and boarders (up 300 from last year) enjoying a fun-filled time on the slopes.

Canada's two-time Olympic bronze medalist Mark McMorris was among a group of elite boarders invited to get the party started, and the 24-year-old was bowled over by what he saw.

"I've been coming back quite often over the past years and I definitely noticed the sport's growth," McMorris told China Daily at Genting on Sunday.

"This area has developed so much more for the better. Now it looks unreal and they are definitely progressing. It seems there are a lot of people eager to go snowboarding this early in the season, which is really good news."

McMorris was part of an elite squad, which also included China's Olympic medal winner Liu Jiayu and American veteran Danny Davis, to entertain the crowds on Sunday, courtesy of the athletes' gear sponsor, Burton.

Their high-flying flips and tricks wowed amateurs at the resort, which is extending its mountain trails and increasing its capacity to attract more visitors in the buildup to the 2022 Olympics.

Davis, a back-to-back superpipe winner at the Winter X Games in 2014 and '15, reckons the resort's expansion bodes well for 2022.

"Anytime that you come to a resort in November and there are a lot people out there riding, that's a great sign that snowboarding is alive and well here," said the 30-year-old.

"What's really great to see here is the infrastructure upgrade and the smiles on everyone's face. Snowboarding needs growth here. Thanks to China for taking such a liking to snowboarding."

With the profile of the resort-dense mountain area－situated in the Chongli district of Zhangjiakou－raised by its Olympic status, the region has emerged as a new destination for international competitions.

The International Ski Federation (FIS) will stage five rounds of its World Cup series, including snowboard halfpipe, slopestyle and freestyle ski aerials, at Genting resort from December to March, while two FIS alpine ski events will be held at Taiwoo and Wanlong resorts during the same period.

About 100 grassroots contests, youth clinics and other winter sports activities will be staged on the sidelines of those pro events.

To further boost its profile, the Genting resort on Sunday announced Liu as its ambassador.

Liu, who won China's first snowboarding Olympic silver medal in halfpipe in Pyeongchang this year, will be involved in the Genting Championship Winter Camp youth training program and will use the resort as a training base for the 2022 Winter Games.

"I hope my involvement will introduce the fun nature of snowboarding to more people in China," said the 26-year-old Liu, a multiple World Cup series winner.

"Facility-wise, the resort here feels no different from prestigious venues that you find in Europe and North America.

"I don't think I need to travel overseas too much to train which makes it more convenient for my preparation."