The surreal Olympics Throat swabs, cell phones, fortified hotelsBig Air Shougang may provide the most surreal pictures: the most acrobatic pictures in the world skateboardSkaters and skaters twist and turn against the backdrop of post-apocalyptic industrial ruins. If you focus on the athlete, you’ll see Incredible body control that reaches the art level. If you adjust your focus a bit, you’ll see rusting silos and paint-chilled buildings, looking vacant – unless, God forbid, there are zombies plotting the death of humanity in an unholy alliance with Purgatory bots.
Hosted by Big Air Shougang Elaine Jo’s indelible performance by gold medal At the beginning of the Olympic Games in Beijing, but it became famous for its surroundings. Opened in 2019 and constructed on the grounds of an abandoned steel mill, the giant snow jump has provided the stage for daring achievements in sports and fodder for online memes.
“I have noticed that many media friends are covering this place … and they think that this place has some characteristics of cyberpunk,” said Beijing 2022 spokeswoman Yan Jiarong.
The venue will return to the lights on Monday, weather permitting, during the men’s and women’s snowboard major aerobic qualifiers. These riders are on the cusp of discovering the premium skaters they tested last week.
“It’s…it’s definitely different,” said Swedish skater Henrik Harlott, the bronze medalist in the air. “It’s definitely not the prettiest, but I think I’ve seen some pictures and posts on social media where she looks less beautiful. I try to see it as, I think the jump and everything is so beautiful and so beautiful. So I think it’s great that they are turning a less beautiful place into a place better “.
Chinese officials built Big Air Shougang on the grounds of the Capital Steel plant, which is part of the Shougang Corporation. The plant was closed in 2010 as China’s largest steel mill, as China sought to reduce air pollution. Once officials decided they didn’t want a smog generating plant, they needed something to fill the void. Liu Yumin, director of planning and construction for the Beijing Organizing Committee, described the 2022 Olympics as an “important impetus for the revival of industrial sites.”
On TV, it might appear that the big air jump is located near a few nuclear-style cooling towers. Shougang Park is actually a sprawling neighborhood. There are blocks and blocks of abandoned apartments and silos, some of which have been converted into office space.
“Every time we get on the bus, we talk about how it feels like we’re in a video game or a movie or something,” said American skater Alex Hall. “This is so crazy.”
The area around the Big Air Place looks like a neighborhood on the verge of improvement. Among the hollow edifices are a winter sports training center, a luxury hotel and a modern café with floor-to-ceiling windows.
“The whole industrial area is really cool,” said American skater Mac Forehand. “I love the way China has reused it as something else and they don’t just leave it here sleeping. It’s great to see this leap in the middle of this abandoned factory. I hope we come back here in the future.”
The background may be confusing to viewers, but skiers and snowboarders love to jump. Augusta may be the National for Extreme Sports. Big Air Shougang is the world’s first permanent large air space. Harlott, the Swedish bronze medalist, described the venue as “perfect” and “very well-built.” Many jumps in large aerobic competitions are surprisingly rickety, hurriedly built structures meant to crowd fans without prioritizing the athletes’ comfort or even their safety.
“We’ve done a lot of ridiculously huge air where it’s on scaffolding towers, where it’s always kind of superficial with how tight the run is or how short the landing is,” Harlott said. “Being here where there is a very wide race, and there is also space on the side of the jump so that you can go to the side if you want, you can go down and ride without fear of hitting the fence at the end. So it sure is very, very nice for us.”
“The jump is really cool,” Hall said. “The place is great.”
Zhang Li, the chief engineer behind Big Air Shougang, told state media that he wanted to design it to look like a ribbon floating in the air. Many Chinese citizens pointed out that it looked very similar to a massive dagger, with a towering staircase forming the heel. Even when looking at it, not just staring over it, people can see what they want.
“Internet practitioner. Social media maven. Certified zombieaholic. Lifelong communicator.”