New professions facilitate development of ice, snow sports

As ice and snow sports surge in popularity, several new related professions have emerged in China. The Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security recognized new professions like snowmakers, snowboard maintenance technicians, and skiing rescuers. These new occupations have injected new vitality into the development of the winter sports industry.

Li Weiwei is a snowmaker at the Mazongshan Ski Resort in Hohhot, north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, which has opened over 420,000 square meters of its skating areas to the public.

①: Yu Chunsheng, a snowboard maintenance technician, maintains a snowboard. (Photo courtesy of the interviewee)

②: Li Weiwei, a snowmaker, debugs a snowmaking machine. (People's Daily/Zhao Jingfeng)

③: Yao He (1st R), a skiing rescuer, and his colleagues rescue a skiing enthusiast. (Photo courtesy of the interviewee)

"Snowmaking requires the accumulation of experience. One has to keep learning through practice," Li said. He often spent hours observing how snowmaking machines worked and frequently consulted with veteran colleagues. Through dedication and persistence, he has become a skilled snowmaker in less than four years. He can tell whether the snowmaking machines run well by listening to their sound, and assess snow quality by just walking on it. After the ski season, Li helps maintain snowmaking equipment and supports the operation of other projects at the resort.

As winter sports have heated up in recent years, more and more young people have become snowmakers. "Members of our team were mostly born after 1995 and 2000. We're always thinking about how to make better snow to improve tourists' experience," Li said, adding that transforming hillsides into ski runs gives him a real sense of achievement.

Yu Chunsheng, 31, works as a snowboard maintenance technician. Yu previously worked at an auto assembly and repair facility. As an avid skier himself, he switched his career to become a snowboard maintenance technician nine years ago.

To gain experience in his early career days, Yu frequently sought advice from skiing enthusiasts and retired professional skiers.

"The snowboards have become my 'good friends'!" Yu said, noting that he gains a sense of accomplishment from the job, as it not only enhances skiing enthusiasts' experience, but also reduces safety risks. "We must keep improving our skills to live up to enthusiasts' trust," he added.

Yao He, 32, is the head of the skiing rescue team at the Lake Songhua Resort in Jilin city, northeast China's Jilin Province.

"The more professional the rescue team is, the safer it will be for skiing enthusiasts," said Yao. He chose this profession in 2016 due to his love for skiing.

Being ready to handle emergencies at a moment's notice is just part of the job. After night skiing ends, Yao leads his team to inspect the ski slopes for any remaining skiers and check the protective padding around safety nets, snowmaking machines, and other equipment.

In recent years, as the number of skiers at the resort has grown, Yao has had to shoulder even more responsibility. Yao and his team members are now certificated ski instructors and skiing rescuers.

The official recognition of the new profession of skiing rescuer by the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security has strengthened Yao and his team's sense of professional identity. "We're always on standby, but what we hope for most is that everyone stays safe," he said.