Lifting off to rave reviews

"Amazing", "totally cool", "awesome"－the superlatives keep coming for Beijing's Big Air ramp as the world's top snowboarders and skiers test-ride the newly built Olympic venue this week.

Located among disused smokestacks at Beijing's regenerated Shougang Industrial Park, the world's first permanent construction of its kind will make its competitive debut at the FIS Snowboard and Freeski World Cup meet, which runs from Thursday to Saturday at the former steel-mill site.

The annual event is welcoming a total of 146 athletes from 25 countries and regions, including some of the sport's brightest stars, such as Olympic champions Sarah Hoefflin of Switzerland and Anna Gasser of Austria.

"It's totally cool," enthused freestyle skier Hoefflin at the venue on Tuesday.

"This is really a good jump and it's quite different because it's a permanent structure. Everyone who's been up there loved the jump. It's awesome and I really like it."

Rising young local talents are naturally thrilled to have such a stunning facility on their doorstep.

"The new venue is an amazing building for me," said 15-year-old snowboarder Su Yiming. "And as a Chinese athlete, I'm so proud to see that we can have such an incredible venue in Beijing. Because it's also a 2022 venue, it makes me even more excited. I spend a lot time training and competing in foreign countries, so it's great to be able to come back home.

"My goal this weekend is to qualify for the final and then I hope to produce my best performance.

"When I'd just started out in the sport, I used to go Beijing to watch this event years ago. At that time, my dream was to compete in the World Cup one day. And that dream is now coming true. I'm finally here and I'm so excited."

The new ramp will be used for the Big Air disciplines of snowboarding and freeski at the Olympics. It will be the only 2022 snow sports venue located in Beijing's downtown area, with the other snow events to be staged at co-host Zhangjiakou in nearby Hebei province.

"This World Cup meet is the high-end level and you have the best riders and skiers in the world here," said FIS contest director Roberto Moresi on Tuesday.

"What's been amazing to see actually is what organizers have delivered in such a short period of time.

"I have heard so many good words from the athletes so far about what they've seen and how they've been riding on the new venue.

"I'd really like to thank the Beijing Sports Bureau, Shougang Industrial Park and the Chinese Ski Association to be putting on this massive event and giving the riders and skiers the chance to show their skills."

Founded in Innsbruck, Austria, in 1993, the Air and Style global series first arrived in Beijing in 2010, with the stop upgraded to a World Cup meet in 2017. It was previously staged on detachable ramps at Beijing's Bird's Nest and Workers' Stadium.

"Seeing the progression of the event over the past decade is really amazing," said Saskia Schnorrenberger, the director of global operations for event co-organizer Air and Style Company. "We've chosen the best location for its 10th anniversary... and for sure we want to stay in China."

The new venue can seat up to 6,000 spectators, with a rock concert featuring local bands on the final day expected to create a festival atmosphere this weekend.

Big Air, which made its Olympic debut at the 2018 Games in Pyeongchang, involves athletes hurling down a snow-covered ramp to perform aerial tricks off a massive kicker before landing.

Chinese athletes are working hard to close the gap to the sport's elite and are hopeful of making a breakthrough in 2022.

"I've just been doing Big Air for about two years, but I believe we will catch up with the best athletes in the world," said hotly tipped 15-year-old skier Yang Shuorui, who is competing this week.

"It's very comfortable to jump on the new ramp. Each venue is different, but this one feels very good to me, especially on landing.

"I hope I can make it into the final, but it's not an easy task. In the longer term, I hope I can develop quickly enough to have good performances at the 2022 Winter Olympics to win honor for our country."

After the World Cup, the new slope will be used as a professional training base and to host other events. In the meantime, it will also be open to the public, tying in with the national fitness campaign.