As weather gurus monitor ocean temperatures and wind bursts to track El Nino's progress across the Pacific, a different group of experts is beavering away on strategies to give Canadian skiers an edge if the weather pattern hits Whistler during the 2010 Olympic Games.
The Canadian ski team is working on some "top secret" El Nino projects, Alpine Canada president Gary Allan said Wednesday.
But just what they're testing - whether it's new wax, different equipment or something else entirely - nobody will say, disclosing only that the technology is Canada's alone.
"We're bound by confidentiality," Mr. Allan said, adding that funding for the research came in part through Canada's Own the Podium program.
"What we're trying to do is assess what might come at us in the future and adjust accordingly so there aren't any surprises."
El Nino is a recurring weather pattern that can bring warmer, drier weather to the usually soggy cities of Vancouver and Seattle and that's linked to weather consequences around the globe, ranging from torrential rains in the southern United States to brush fires in Australia.
An El Nino year typically means less snow and warmer temperatures for Whistler, the venue for Alpine skiing events.
This year's El Nino trend, identified in June, is expected to build steam through the winter. In a bulletin Wednesday, American weather firm Accuweather.com said the Olympics "could be impacted by the lack of snow and cold weather" and that a "dry and mild" pattern could develop near to or during the event.
Whistler's elevation and usually abundant snowfall (Whistler Blackcomb boasts average yearly snowfall of 10.22 metres at its summit) would likely blunt any El Nino-related impacts, Accuweather meteorologist Dave Samuhel said.
The Vancouver Olympic Organizing Committee has extensive weather-related contingency plans, including snowmaking equipment at outdoor venues and plans to stockpile snow as soon as temperatures allow.
Mr. Allan believes El Nino could actually work in skiers' favour. Ski race courses depend primarily on man-made, not natural, snow.
As long as temperatures remain around or slightly below the freezing mark, "we can produce very good, wet damp snow," he said.
Crushing and packing that artificial snow into a hard, icy surface results in a perfect racing surface.
Natural snow - especially the soft, sloppy stuff Whistler is known for - can create problems when it's packed down on top of a course.
If El Nino makes its presence felt in Whistler this year, it could be in the form of less rain and clearer skies.
But if the system doesn't blow in and fog prevails, the Canadians won't be downcast. They consider fog a competitive advantage, having trained extensively at Whistler, where several team members grew up and learned to ski in the mountain's notoriously variable weather conditions.
Two-time Olympian Emily Brydon experienced the ski-by-feel phenomenon during training with the Canadian alpine team earlier this year.
"I'm not even kidding, I couldn't even see the next gate," Ms. Brydon said. "My coach is like, ‘This is going to be the Olympics,' and I was saying, ‘I can't even see the gate.' "
She is, however, not the least bit worried, now that the terrain has become as familiar as an old shoe.
"I could probably ski it blind," she said, but added she's thankful there's also something else to help connect the dots. "Thank God for blue dye on the course."
Alpine Canada has a publicly stated goal to capture three medals at the Games. It's a tall order for the team, which hasn't won an Olympic medal in alpine skiing since the Lillehammer Games in 1994, when Edi Podivinsky took bronze in the men's downhill.
SOURCE: http://www.ctvolympics.ca/
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