Skate expectations

Four-year-old Xing Guorui was geared up for her last skiing lesson at Shijinglong, the biggest ski resort in Yanqing, in early January. Her coach said the little girl is gifted and has grasped basic skiing skills over the course of five classes.

Xing Tieniu, the father, was proud to see his daughter make progress after each session. "My girl is interested in skiing and the Winter Games will be held in my hometown, so I encouraged her to get professional training," Xing says, adding that it's worth spending the 3,000 yuan ($475) for his daughter's lessons.

"Since Beijing was named as the host of the 2022 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games, it's more convenient for people in my hometown to participate in winter sports. The infrastructure and roads have been greatly improved."

Zhang Jianghao, 20, worked as a skiing coach at the resort during snow season this year. He is also a physical education student at Zhangjiakou College, in nearby Hebei province.

Zhang's college has a training project in Alpine skiing which collaborates with nearby resorts. "Most of my schoolmates with certificates chose to work as a coach in winter,"Zhang says, adding that he can earn 300 yuan an hour by coaching trainees at the blue square.

Li Jiachen, a part-time ski blogger in Beijing, posts videos on Xiaohongshu, a lifestyle-centric social platform, to share his experiences on ski trips and to help more beginners choose the right ski equipment.

"I found people's passion for skiing is increasing. Years ago, there were not so many skiers at the resort I often visited, now I have to wait in line for a long time for the cable car," the 27-year-old says.

"Moreover, the overall level has been improving as people are trying harder to practice challenging skills rather than just enjoying it as a recreational activity or just experiencing it," he says, adding that the progress China has made in international skiing competitions backs this up.

At Huaibei Ski Resort in Beijing's Huairou district, the price list shows that a private, two-hour snowboarding lesson costs nearly 700 yuan. Yet, the 150 coaches at the resort can hardly meet the demand during the weekend peak, an employee surnamed Fang explains.

"Snowboarding has become more popular than skiing in recent years, especially among children and teenagers. The 'bunny slope' (a slope with a gentle incline used by novice skiers and snowboarders) is crowded with youngsters practicing cool poses," Fang says.

"I don't think their passion will be lost after the Games conclude. Parents and children are willing to go outside to work out during winter and skiing is a wonderful choice."

Wang, the school dean, says the 2022 Winter Olympics is a seed for winter sports being planted in China. "We will continue to inherit the spirit of the Games and keep promoting winter sport," she says.