Weather crisis rumbles on in Vancouver

From Sportsbeat staff, in Vancouver

A LACK of snow may be hindering practice time for the snowboarders and freestyle skiers at the Winter Olympics but organisers of the alpine skiing event in Vancouver are concerned there will be too much.

ON GOING: There are now concerns in Vancouver that heavy snowfall on Friday could ensure there is too much snow ahead of big kick-off (Getty Images)

The forecast at Whistler Creekside is for between five and ten centimetres snowfall on Friday night with alpine skiing's blue riband event, the men's downhill, taking place on Saturday.

But with helicopters and more than a thousand volunteers grooming the piste in preparation for one of the opening event of the Games, Vancouver 2010 workforce vice-president Dick Vollet insisted they would work as long as it takes to produce a consistent slope.

"Right now, the course is in perfect condition to race," he said.

"The forecast is for some snow but we have 1200 volunteers ready to do what we have to do and they will work through the night to remove any new snow if they have to.

"We are all very hopeful of a fantastic event on Saturday."

Meanwhile, the forecast for Cypress Mountain - the location of the snowboarding and freestyle skiing competitions in Canada - has brought more positive news.

Vancouver has experienced its warmest January on record, meaning halfpipe competitors have had two days training scrapped and helicopters have been called in to transport more snow to the top of the mountain.

But with colder weather expected to set in next week, Canadian Snowboard Federation's high performance director Christian Hrab insisted he had no worries over the condition of the course.

"All systems are go - it's going to be fine," said Hrab. "There was a rumour the first snowboard event has been cancelled but it's a false rumour.

"There's no snow outside the fields of play but the course itself is a glistening paradise where the snow is. We could do it today."