OlymPicks: Could the Next Big Snowboarding Star Be Chinese?

Could the world's next big snowboarding star be Chinese? That’s the aim for Bud Keene, who has coached Shaun White (famed for winning a trio of Olympic gold medals) and Gus Kenworthy (who won the silver in Sochi in 2014), prior feats that helped him become China’s snowboard big air and slopestyle technique team coach for the 2022 Games.

He recently told state media, "I signed a contract with China to win a medal in 2022. So, that's the goal.”

While he remains determined, Keene readily admits the task won’t be easy. As he puts it: "We have a mountain to climb. There's no question about that. But we're going to climb it one step at a time.”

Winter sports are a growing trend overall in China when compared to more established snow and ice hubs like Canada, the US, Finland, and Russia. Historically, the Middle Kingdom has had greater success in summer Olympic sports, for example at the Beijing Summer Games in 2008 in which Chinese athletes won a whopping 47 gold medals. Its athletes, however, have not been as strong during Winter Games, winning only five gold medals at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, three at Sochi in 2014 and only one gold at 2018 Games in Pyeongchang, South Korea.

Despite that, Beijing is remaining steadfast in its goal of becoming a winter sports destination. Aside from Keene recently telling reporters that he sees “a lot of talent here" other snowboarding stars like two-time Canadian Olympic bronze medalist Mark McMorris also praised the local scene at Genting Resort Secret Garden’s seasonal grand opening a few weeks back.

At the time McMorris told journalists that he was impressed by Beijing athletes, upgrades in the facilities and overall enthusiasm in winter sports, saying: "I've been coming back quite often over the past years and I definitely noticed the sport's growth. This area has developed so much more for the better. Now it looks unreal and they are definitely progressing.” Those gains were spurned on by officials as high up as President Xi Jinping, who in 2017 made a much-hyped stop at Zhangjiakou ski resort to promote winter sports among Chinese youngsters.

A prime example from that enthused new generation: Qingping "Domo" Yu, an Alaska-trained Winter Olympic freestyle ski manager. She told the Beijinger late last year, “I think winter sports are developing exponentially in China, but most of the participants are first-timers. So if they give it a try and if their first experience isn't good, they'll probably give up and never come back to the resort.”

That means the pressure is on for those working in this burgeoning industry in China. As Yu puts it: “The key for us in the skiing industry is to provide good service and to let people enjoy the sport and stay safe.”

Yu ends on a positive note: “And as a sports lover, I think this is a wonderful moment in China, especially for much of our youth to participate in winter sports for the first time. In the past decade, I've found that China is developing a sedentary lifestyle. But now with all the ski resorts opening and the development of winter sports, we can go out and enjoy the winter more.”

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Photos: stowetoday.com, Xinhua, courtesy of Domo Yu