Ski industry experts said that snow "won't be a problem for Beijing and co-bidder Zhangjiakou if they are awarded the right to host the 2022 Winter Olympics," according to XINHUA. Lack of natural snow was "considered as a challenge for the Beijing 2022 bid." But experts said that "the climate conditions in Zhangjiakou's Chongli county, where cross country, freestyle and other skiing events will be held if Beijing wins the bid, won't be a concern." Mojca Ogris Schimberg, deputy GM of snowmaking specialist company Demaclenko, "explained how artificial snow is preferred" by the Int'l Ski Federation (FIS), saying that "no matter how many meters of natural snow you see in an area, events such as freestyle skiing require and work best on tightly packed snow on hard ground." Furthermore, one thing she wanted to "make perfectly clear" is that "in regards to the preparation of Winter Olympics courses, the climate in Zhangjiakou is very, very good." She added, "First off, you have dry air, which is excellent for snowmaking; secondly, a cold winter is also very necessary for making snow." Aside from natural conditions being ideal for Winter Olympics events, Chongli "has become an increasingly popular location for both professional skiing teams looking to train, as well as skiing hobbyists from all over the world." Song Zhiyong, deputy GM of Genting Ski Resort, said that his resort's popularity "is drawing more than tourists." Song: "Back in 2004, I saw around 50 professional skiers from South Korea and Japan using Chongli's ski resorts as training grounds. But these days the number is closer to 600. These numbers show that Chongli is an attraction to not just causal lovers of skiing, but those who require grade-A international standard slopes." Wakatsuki Hitoshi of the Japanese Ski Association "was one of the first to conduct FIS competitions in Chongli, and sends his skiers there each year due to its cost-efficient location with 'very hard slopes and ground' that also appealed to the Japanese pro skiers (XINHUA, 7/14).
