Making Snow for the Olympics | National Geographic

you know I probably spend two-thirds of

you know I probably spend two-thirds of my life thinking and working on snow and

my life thinking and working on snow and

my life thinking and working on snow and snow making and projects around the

snow making and projects around the

snow making and projects around the world machine-made snows like

world machine-made snows like

world machine-made snows like two-week-old natural snow in that

two-week-old natural snow in that

two-week-old natural snow in that natural snow sometimes takes hours or

natural snow sometimes takes hours or

natural snow sometimes takes hours or days to form as it’s going through the

days to form as it’s going through the

days to form as it’s going through the sky and small particles and it’ll form

sky and small particles and it’ll form

sky and small particles and it’ll form those dendritic arms

we’re forming that snow crystal in

we’re forming that snow crystal in somewhere between three and 15 seconds

somewhere between three and 15 seconds

somewhere between three and 15 seconds armed snow is more like a BB or a

armed snow is more like a BB or a

armed snow is more like a BB or a grapple and it doesn’t have the

grapple and it doesn’t have the

grapple and it doesn’t have the dendritic arms but even natural snow

dendritic arms but even natural snow

dendritic arms but even natural snow after it’s compact and loses though

after it’s compact and loses though

after it’s compact and loses though times I’m a second-generation snow

times I’m a second-generation snow

times I’m a second-generation snow making person my father had been a skier

making person my father had been a skier

making person my father had been a skier and started to see a need for snow

and started to see a need for snow

and started to see a need for snow making people looking to stabilize their

making people looking to stabilize their

making people looking to stabilize their business and for some type of insurance

business and for some type of insurance

business and for some type of insurance and without snow they don’t really have

and without snow they don’t really have

and without snow they don’t really have a business our company has been involved

a business our company has been involved

a business our company has been involved into the Winter Olympics

into the Winter Olympics

into the Winter Olympics for a long time now we’re quite proud of

for a long time now we’re quite proud of

for a long time now we’re quite proud of being associated with Sarajevo Calgary

being associated with Sarajevo Calgary

being associated with Sarajevo Calgary Salt Lake Nagano with Vancouver and now

Salt Lake Nagano with Vancouver and now

Salt Lake Nagano with Vancouver and now was so cheap this was a bit unusual in

was so cheap this was a bit unusual in

was so cheap this was a bit unusual in that it was a system where there was no

that it was a system where there was no

that it was a system where there was no snow making there was really no resort

snow making there was really no resort

snow making there was really no resort there we were fortunate to get access to

there we were fortunate to get access to

there we were fortunate to get access to a couple helicopters and we found a a

a couple helicopters and we found a a

a couple helicopters and we found a a beautiful pristine clear cold water

beautiful pristine clear cold water

beautiful pristine clear cold water source the higher up the mountain you

source the higher up the mountain you

source the higher up the mountain you can find the water the less energy it

can find the water the less energy it

can find the water the less energy it takes to pump and deliver it finding

takes to pump and deliver it finding

takes to pump and deliver it finding this river on a shelf where we could

this river on a shelf where we could

this river on a shelf where we could build a couple of lakes to store the

build a couple of lakes to store the

build a couple of lakes to store the water sort of anchored the snowmaking

water sort of anchored the snowmaking

water sort of anchored the snowmaking system solution they have a snow making

system solution they have a snow making

system solution they have a snow making capacity of 12,000 gallons a minute and

capacity of 12,000 gallons a minute and

capacity of 12,000 gallons a minute and they have over 400 of our snow making

they have over 400 of our snow making

they have over 400 of our snow making machines and they’re all fully automated

machines and they’re all fully automated

machines and they’re all fully automated they communicate via fiber optic or via

they communicate via fiber optic or via

they communicate via fiber optic or via radio modems and it’s a very big

radio modems and it’s a very big

radio modems and it’s a very big complicated high energy using system but

complicated high energy using system but

complicated high energy using system but very efficient and very effective for

very efficient and very effective for

very efficient and very effective for the size of it

the size of it

the size of it there’s some concern about what’s going

there’s some concern about what’s going

there’s some concern about what’s going to happen with the weather there it can

to happen with the weather there it can

to happen with the weather there it can be a bit marginal of a climate

be a bit marginal of a climate

be a bit marginal of a climate fortunately the cold weather has set up

fortunately the cold weather has set up

fortunately the cold weather has set up across the northern hemisphere and

across the northern hemisphere and

across the northern hemisphere and they’re off to a very good snowmaking

they’re off to a very good snowmaking

they’re off to a very good snowmaking start the only thing that really cancels

start the only thing that really cancels

start the only thing that really cancels an event per day might be fog or

an event per day might be fog or

an event per day might be fog or visibility where the athletes can’t see

visibility where the athletes can’t see

visibility where the athletes can’t see where they’re going and they’re used to

where they’re going and they’re used to

where they’re going and they’re used to that

[Applause]

[Applause] snowmaking loves a lot of water

snowmaking loves a lot of water

snowmaking loves a lot of water compressed air mixing in a small nozzle

compressed air mixing in a small nozzle

compressed air mixing in a small nozzle with water droplets creates what we call

with water droplets creates what we call

with water droplets creates what we call ice seeds and those ice seeds will then

ice seeds and those ice seeds will then

ice seeds and those ice seeds will then nucleate the bulk water blowing it out

nucleate the bulk water blowing it out

nucleate the bulk water blowing it out and then the cold environment freezes

and then the cold environment freezes

and then the cold environment freezes those small water droplets most of the

those small water droplets most of the

those small water droplets most of the snowmaking water sources that we use our

snowmaking water sources that we use our

snowmaking water sources that we use our groundwater from wells or their surface

groundwater from wells or their surface

groundwater from wells or their surface water from rivers or lakes and they’re

water from rivers or lakes and they’re

water from rivers or lakes and they’re generally very clean and very pristine

generally very clean and very pristine

generally very clean and very pristine so in general most people can go ahead

so in general most people can go ahead

so in general most people can go ahead and eat the machine-made snow just like

and eat the machine-made snow just like

and eat the machine-made snow just like they eat the natural stuff