2018 Olympic Venue, Jeongseon Alpine Center, South Korea
Delivering reliable, world-class snowmaking for the 2018 Winter Olympics alpine speed events at Jeongseon Alpine Center.
The Challenge
Jeongseon Alpine Center was selected to host the men’s and women’s Downhill, Super-G, and Combined events at the 2018 Winter Olympics. Preparing race surfaces for alpine competition requires consistent snow quality and dependable coverage across the course. While the region experiences cold winter temperatures, natural snowfall in February can be limited and variable, making snowmaking an important part of event preparation.
SMI was selected as the exclusive snowmaking provider for the venue, marking the company’s seventh Olympic partnership. Working alongside local partner R&R Trading, SMI designed and installed a fully automated snowmaking system built to support world-class competition conditions on one of skiing’s biggest stages.
Working alongside local partner R&R Trading, SMI designed and installed a fully automated snowmaking system with centralized controls.
SMI Infrastructure Installed
100 fully automated Super Polecat snowmakers strategically positioned on towers and carriages throughout the alpine courses
10 mobile Kid Polecat snowmakers for portable deployment wherever additional coverage was needed
Fiber-optic communications providing high-speed connectivity between hardwired pods and portable radio snowguns
SmartSnow™ automation control software manages the entire snowmaking operation from a centralized command center.
Performance & Results
Starting four months ahead of the Opening Ceremony, the system converted approximately 200 million gallons of water into snow to build the Olympic race surfaces. Reports during the Games noted that roughly 90–98% of the snow used on the courses was machine-made, highlighting the scale and importance of the snowmaking effort.
SMI’s automation platform allowed operators to adapt to changing weather conditions, optimize production windows, and maintain a strong race base for athletes from around the world. The result was a successful Olympic venue with consistent surfaces ready for competition.
