Rising to the challenge

    By Sun Xiaochen in Zhangjiakou, Hebei Province | China Daily | Updated: 2017-12-22 10:50
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    Liu Jiayu of China soars to victory in the women's event at the FIS Snowboard Halfpipe World Cup in Zhangjiakou, Hebei province on Thursday. Feng Yongbin / China Daily

    Thumbs-up

    On Thursday, World Cup competitors gave the results of that upgrade a resounding thumbs-up.

    "Coupled with the good weather today, I feel really satisfied with this halfpipe which is of Olympic caliber," said Chinese boarder Liu Jiayu after claiming the women's title with three difficult routines.

    "Anybody who knows this sport can tell how good this pipe is from the speed and difficulty of runs we finished today. I really enjoyed riding on it."

    Ultra-perfectionist Goodrich, however, said his best course is always his next one.

    "It's never good enough," said Goodrich, who started his winter-sports design career at Mount Shasta Ski Park in northern California in 1998.

    "We've tried to get rid of the mentality of 'cha bu duo', which means 'almost perfect' in Chinese. "Even the good pipes, if you go down to find the detail, there is still room for improvement no matter what."

    Facilitating the World Cup event is just the beginning for Goodrich and his foreign assistants, who have also been tasked with training up the local staff to maintain and operate the ramps, slopes and pipes.

    The language barrier and his pupils' relative lack of experience have meant that has proved to be an even tougher job than making snow or operating track groomers up to 10 hours a day in the freezing cold.

    "It was a learning curve because the skiing industry is very new here," said snow-making specialist Chris Walker from New Zealand.

    "The lack of experience here is the biggest challenge."

    Still, Goodrich insists his hosts' work ethic and sheer determination compensate for the skills gap.

    "I am truly amazed at how much they just keep going toward their tasks. Even without the right skills they still manage to do it," Goodrich said of his Chinese colleagues.

    Chongli's rapid rise from its humble beginnings as a rugged and raw mountain county to a state-of-the-art Olympic venue underlines Goodrich's observations.

    In 1996, the only ski facility of note there was a hand-paved 160-meter snow ramp. Now it boasts seven major resorts operating 166 ski courses totaling 160 km in length.

    And with the Olympics adding extra impetus, Walker is sure Chongli's ski industry will soon take off in a big way.

    "I've definitely seen it growing. All the hype of the Olympics really helped get people paying attention to it," said the 29-year-old.

    "And, from where they are now, I'm sure the local staff will be well able to operate the facilities we leave here."

    sunxiaochen@chinadaily.com.cn

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