The Albany Gazette - Olympic champ says man-made snow in Beijing like 'bulletproof ice'

The Beijing Games, which begin on Friday, are taking place mostly on man-made snow because they are happening in one of the driest parts of China.

America's Anderson got her first taste of the course on Wednesday in Zhangjiakou, about 180 kilometres (110 miles) northwest of Beijing.

The 31-year-old, who won the inaugural Olympic women's slopestyle gold in 2014 and defended her title four years later, said the course was "very firm".

"I think the majority of it is artificial snow so it's not quite ideal, but I would say we're all making the most of it," she said.

"You definitely don't want to fall. It feels like pretty bulletproof ice."

Anderson has suffered a catalogue of serious injuries in her career, including a ruptured spleen that saw her spend six days in intensive care in 2009.

She said the Beijing course was "pretty gnarly" and admitted her first ride on it was "a little challenging".

"There's a lot of options and with the snow condition it made me feel a bit more scared," she said.

"I think it's going to get rowed in and start to ride better and better," she added.

Anderson's US team-mate Courtney Rummel said the snow was "not bad" but she did not "want to fall" on it.

"I've been adjusting to riding it," said Rummel.

"It's no different to the snow back in Wisconsin, which is all man-made."

(T.Burkhard--BBZ)