While alpine skiing, bobsleigh, luge, skeleton, biathlon, cross-country skiing, Nordic combined events and ski jumping will take place at venues in Whistler, Blackcomb and Callaghan Valley, Cypress Provincial Park in West Vancouver - just half an hour from downtown - will host freestyle skiing (aerials, moguls, ski cross) and snowboard (half pipe, parallel giant slalom and snowboard cross).Snow has been plentiful in the Whistler region several hours away from downtown Vancouver, but there is some nail biting going on at Cypress right now.
It had been a promising start to the winter on the local mountains with a good snow base forming until January brought milder temperatures and rain, lots of it.
Cypress Bowl is an attractive location for freestyle and snowboard events, but with an elevation of 915 Meters the snow level slowly dissipated as the rain persisted.
Extreme measures were warranted to ensure the events would go ahead as planned.
At the end of January we had an opportunity to see first hand the herculean efforts underway – helicopters had been airlifting in straw to form a strong base for the runs while large vehicles trucked in snow from higher elevations, and from further afield.
Cats groomed the slopes and gravel was brought in to smooth the way for spectator walkways which should have been hard packed snow.
The two temporary stadiums draped in Olympic colours stood empty in anticipation. The athletes say they are used to competing in poor snow conditions and seemed unfazed. So long as the runs are properly prepared they will go for it, even though the terrain around them could well be bare.
A little snow from natural sources, would however be appreciated in the next week or so. Is there such a thing as a snow dance?
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