Skiing The first ski snow of the winter appeared in Hakunila, Vantaa: “Surprisingly big pile”

When Two years ago, the so-called four-month-long November, the snow-free winter in southern Finland, began, so on November 8, you could ski on a short cannon snow trail in Oitta, Espoo.

The ski slope was also opened at Hakunila in Vantaa at the same time. A year ago, the metropolitan area did not get to ski outdoors until December 11th.

What is the situation now that the weather forecast shows frost for the night between Sunday and Monday, for example?

“We have the cannons on as soon as the frost comes,” says Vantaa’s sports venue master Juha Savolainen said Wednesday.

There is already a lot of snow in Hakunila, and according to Savolainen it is the harvest of the frost on Tuesday morning.

“There was a surprisingly big pile of snow there. It was tested that the equipment works. We had half a dozen cannons on. There was such a spike, it was a maximum of eight degrees below zero, ”Savolainen said.

Savolainen said that the development of snowmaking is planned in Vantaa. If successful, the start of the ski season could possibly be brought forward from the current one.

According to Savolainen, an ice rink the size of an ice hockey field and a trough will be built separately in Hakunila next year. They are to be planed for the trail.

“It gets straight up close and pretty much. The refrigeration machines for artificial ice are a bit oversized so that you can make a hake. ”

The artificial ice is therefore intended to be frozen more than would be necessary, so that it can be planed for slatted trails.

In search mode Annual Finnish Skiing Cup competitions have been organized. In the beginning of the winter, we will be competing again on weekday evenings on 18-19. January.

Sometimes Savolainen and his crew have had to do almost magic tricksthat the racetracks have been restored in mild weather.

The construction of racetracks affects the use of artillery snow.

“We have the problem of having to save snow for the races. If there were no races, the snow would be spread immediately, but the races must be held in the back of the head, ”said Savolainen.

On the shore the snow cannons had not yet been launched in the frosts of Tuesday morning.

“It wasn’t a very sensible cannonball when it rained immediately after the frost. You have to follow the weather a bit. The forecast for next weekend didn’t look so good, and it wasn’t like frost for more than one night. It should be frosty for two days to make sense, ”said the outdoor manager in charge of Espoo’s trails. Petri Forsman.

According to Forsman, however, Oittaa is ready for cannon.

“If the weather is right, we’ll probably start shooting. But if the forecast shows it’s raining a week after that, then the start may be a little slower. ”

Read more: Espoo did not start storing snow over the summer, even though it was fully equipped – one reason is the risk of vandalism