Surging passion for winter sports fuels smart upgrade of ice, snow equipment

CHANGCHUN — As this year's snow season begins, ski resorts across northern China are opening their slopes, reigniting people's passion for winter sports and driving a notable shift toward domestically manufactured, technologically advanced gear.

The trend is evident among enthusiasts like Jiang Dechao from Shanghai, who recently embarked on his season's first run at Jilin province's Beidahu Ski Resort in Northeast China. This time, his equipment, from skis and goggles to his jacket, was entirely from Chinese brands.

"Through product upgrades, I find the craftsmanship of domestic brands now rivals top international standards. Coupled with their competitive pricing, they are gaining widespread market acceptance," Jiang said.

The growing consumer confidence mirrors the rapid evolution of China's ice and snow equipment manufacturing sector. Although a late starter, the industry has expanded swiftly, propelled by robust market demand and technological innovation.

Official data show that China has established a comprehensive product system covering 15 major categories of ice and snow equipment, thereby forming a complete industrial chain.

The sector's sales revenue soared from less than 5 billion yuan ($708 million) in 2015 to around 22 billion yuan in 2023.

The upgrade to "smart manufacturing" is becoming a core engine of growth, transforming the sector from scattered original equipment manufacturing into a comprehensive system that produces everything from skates and snowboards to snowmakers and grooming vehicles.

Just an hour's drive from Beidahu, at Jilin Chemical Fiber Group's carbon fiber production plant, automated lines operate at full capacity, transforming white precursor fibers into black carbon filaments through oxidation and carbonization. They become the raw material for lightweight, high-strength carbon fiber snowboards.

"This is our new initiative, to venture into winter sports equipment manufacturing and expand carbon fiber's downstream applications," said Li Jiaxin, production manager at the group's composites subsidiary.

Carbon fiber boards are about 30 percent lighter and three to five times stronger than conventional ones, offering superior flexibility and stability, she explained. The company's "Xifei" brand now includes skis, helmets and ice hockey sticks.

Innovation extends beyond Jilin. Across China, enterprises and universities are advancing "smart manufacturing" in winter sports gear. In Heilongjiang province's Qiqihar, a company pioneered the use of titanium alloy in speed skating blades, achieving top-tier international standards. At Jilin University, a key laboratory has developed products such as ski-penguin robots and resort patrol drones.

Supportive government policies are providing further momentum. Recent plans in Jilin province and Harbin, Heilongjiang province, emphasize tackling core technological challenges and fostering distinctive industrial chains for equipment and facilities.

Furthermore, winter sports are transcending geographical and seasonal limits, creating new opportunities. Jilin Jinlun Technology's indoor ski simulators, which offer an experience over 80 percent similar to real skiing, are now used in schools and training centers from Beijing to the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region.

Wang Zhaohong, a professor of sports and exercise at Beijing Normal University, noted that supportive national policies will accelerate breakthroughs in research and development for key equipment such as snowmakers and gondolas, thereby enhancing self-sufficiency.

Wang also highlighted the widespread application of digital technologies, such as smart resort management systems and virtual simulators, injecting powerful tech-driven momentum into the winter sports economy.

"With technology as the engine, we must fully leverage our manufacturing prowess and vast market resources to cultivate new quality productive forces and drive the high-quality development of China's ice and snow equipment industry," said Xin Benlu, director of a key laboratory of ice and snow tourism and sports equipment at Jilin University.