FIS News
Snow production started in Klingenthal
25 days before the opening of the FIS Ski Jumping World Cup, the snow production now started in the Vogtland-Arena.
The Finnish company "Snow-Tek", which also produced the artificial snow for the Olympic Winter Games in Sochi (RUS), is now on location with three technicians, and a "snow cannon" consisting of two trucks and an about 10 meter high silo. Over the next 10 to 15 days a total of about 3000 cubic meter snow shall now be produced. Then the snow will be applied to the landing area of the modern large hill with a snow grooming machine. The preparation of the hill for the first ski jumping World Cup event of the season from November 21st to 23rd shall be completed by November 20th at the latest.
Snow depot not possible
Due to the weather conditions it was not possible to set up a snow depot in the Vogtland-Arena like it was done last year to secure the first winter sport highlight of the season, so the organizers in Klingenthal decided to contact the Finnish company. Alexander Ziron, head of the OC: "We saw "Snow-Tek" on TV reports about Sochi and checked out the system ourselves a few weeks ago in Finland. There we were especially convinced by the quality of the snow. Another advantage is that the production is not dependent on the weather and it's still reasonable when it comes to energy efficiency and ecological standpoints. This kind of snow production is, of course, a financial effort. Last year we also had high energy costs to set up our snow depot. What's most important is, that, with this procedure, we are able to guarantee a perfectly prepared hill for the World Cup opening and we have more planning reliability."
Proven snow
Ants Kaeis of Snow-Tek explains the method of production: "In our two cooling trucks the water is cooled down in order to get some sort of ice. This ice is then scraped off in the silo and blown out as artificial snow. This system doesn't need any chemicals, which are harmful to the environment, and also allows snow production with temperatures of up to 30°C. The snow is good to handle and therefore ideally suited for the preparation of cross country tracks and ski jumping facilities and it's long-lasting, even under higher temperatures."
Thomas Meisinger, who is responsible for the preparation of the large hill in the Vogtland-Arena, adds: "At the beginning I was pretty sceptical, especially concerning the quality and structure of the snow. But now I'm sure that we will be able to prepare the facility perfectly for the World Cup."
Snow is white this time
Alexander Ziron said with a wink: "And the hill will look even better than last year, because this time the snow will be white instead of brown."
The Finnish company "Snow-Tek", which also produced the artificial snow for the Olympic Winter Games in Sochi (RUS), is now on location with three technicians, and a "snow cannon" consisting of two trucks and an about 10 meter high silo. Over the next 10 to 15 days a total of about 3000 cubic meter snow shall now be produced. Then the snow will be applied to the landing area of the modern large hill with a snow grooming machine. The preparation of the hill for the first ski jumping World Cup event of the season from November 21st to 23rd shall be completed by November 20th at the latest.
Snow depot not possible
Due to the weather conditions it was not possible to set up a snow depot in the Vogtland-Arena like it was done last year to secure the first winter sport highlight of the season, so the organizers in Klingenthal decided to contact the Finnish company. Alexander Ziron, head of the OC: "We saw "Snow-Tek" on TV reports about Sochi and checked out the system ourselves a few weeks ago in Finland. There we were especially convinced by the quality of the snow. Another advantage is that the production is not dependent on the weather and it's still reasonable when it comes to energy efficiency and ecological standpoints. This kind of snow production is, of course, a financial effort. Last year we also had high energy costs to set up our snow depot. What's most important is, that, with this procedure, we are able to guarantee a perfectly prepared hill for the World Cup opening and we have more planning reliability."
Proven snow
Ants Kaeis of Snow-Tek explains the method of production: "In our two cooling trucks the water is cooled down in order to get some sort of ice. This ice is then scraped off in the silo and blown out as artificial snow. This system doesn't need any chemicals, which are harmful to the environment, and also allows snow production with temperatures of up to 30°C. The snow is good to handle and therefore ideally suited for the preparation of cross country tracks and ski jumping facilities and it's long-lasting, even under higher temperatures."
Thomas Meisinger, who is responsible for the preparation of the large hill in the Vogtland-Arena, adds: "At the beginning I was pretty sceptical, especially concerning the quality and structure of the snow. But now I'm sure that we will be able to prepare the facility perfectly for the World Cup."
Snow is white this time
Alexander Ziron said with a wink: "And the hill will look even better than last year, because this time the snow will be white instead of brown."
Source: fis-ski.com
