Skiing ~ Another Chinese Miracle

Yesterday I did something really amusing. I went skiing in Beijing.

Who knew just a mere hour drive outside of Beijing’s busy sprawling metropolis lies a world of snow sport and skiing? Intrigued and excited, I boarded the Sunday morning bus towards the fabled Nanshan ski area. I was on a solo adventure to conquer the slopes.

Originally I hadn’t thought skiing + cities + China was a natural combination. Yet here at Nanshan was a whole small mountainside of slopes and thick snow, surrounded on 3 sides by brown dry rural farmland and shabby brick villages. So what’s the trick? Its all artificial snow… Clearly some villagers sacrificed their cropland for Beijingers leisure and winter wonderland.

On the bus ride over I met a friendly young Chinese man who called himself Titan and filled me in on China’s growing ski enthusiasm and skills. He mentioned Beijing skiers have really improved since he started skiing here in 2005 when the slopes were full of beginners. Now that Beijing has over 10 manmade ski resorts in the urban area, city denizens have the access and time to hone their technique. Titan himself goes skiing almost every weekend, although his wife does not care for the sport and usually stays at home. This particular Sunday he was skiing but also photographing the Mogul Skiing Semi Championships races, which were going to be hosted at Nanshan that morning.

It’s funny to arrive at a ski spot that survives as a day trip destination. The usual hub of surrounding winter activities and massive infrastructure I recalled from larger ski resort towns just wasn’t present. Yet Nanshan modestly meets all necessary skiing criteria with a little extra grit around the edges for character. A pretty small operation, the ski base had a few low-key places to eat, some casual outdoor seating, 4 chair lifts and many novice slopes and bunny tows. After getting off the bus and gazing at the slopes in anticipation, I struggled to collect my various tickets and gear at different little windows, offices, counters and lockers- blushing when the boot guys made fun of me for having ‘big’ (size 8.5) feet.  I then donned my new skis and unsteadily made my way down to the chair lift, chuckling as I surveyed other skiers and snowboarders all dressed in identical red plaid or neon green winter coats rented from the ski shop.

In my first 45 minutes on the mountain I conquered every slope, chairlift and roped off trail. So I spent the next hour re-skiing the easy blues and yearning for the glory days of family ski vacations to the blissfully diverse mountain slopes of Colorado and Utah. Wow back then I had it so good! Fresh powder, tree runs, enough trails to get lost on and multiple mogul fields. Despite my nostalgia, it was great to be gliding down the mountain- an exhilarating and satisfying feeling wherever you are.

That afternoon I got hooked on an awesome loop. I turned my back on the easy blue and green slopes of the larger mountain and rode down Nanshan’s single black diamond course about 25 times, blasting spirited dance tunes. The slope featured some huge moguls, that usually got the better of me, as well as a steep decline seeminly built for speed. I got some serious air on the small jumps at the slope’s base and waved to the cheering old lift attendants as I hurtled past them and plunked myself on the small lift that rose vertically through the trees and back to the mountain summit. For most of the afternoon I was the only one on the slope, it was magnificent.

I arrived back in Beijing that night thoroughly pleased and a mere $60 poorer. Three cheers for urban skiing and Chinese snow miracles.