RIYADH: It is not every day that one can go skiing in Riyadh, and SnowBlast KSA has brought exactly that to the capital, alongside a championship that began on Wednesday as part of Riyadh Season.

Located near the Kingdom Arena zone, north of Riyadh, the area has been transformed into a winter wonderland with over 500 tonnes of snow. The venue features freestyle skiing slopes, family-friendly games, and a series of events accompanying the SnowBlast KSA Cup, the first skiing competition in the Kingdom.

The two-day championship, which concludes on Feb. 29, has brought together over 30 Olympic and world champions in freestyle skiing. This includes Olympic champion Su Yiming who secured two golds in the men’s snowboard slopestyle and Big Air contests at this year’s National Winter Games in China. The 20-year-old, who dominated the FIS World Cup in Beijing last December, is maintaining his momentum.

“I am really happy to be here in Saudi for the snowboarding competition and look forward to it,” Su told Arab News.

Tanner Hall, who has won several awards in freeskiing and 11 medals at the X Games, also spoke to Arab News about coming to Saudi Arabia. “It’s the first time that we come to this part of the world, and we are hoping to put on a show that you guys will like. It’s exciting to come here … and start expanding the horizon of the sport.”

Hall said female athletes will also be invited to compete in the future.

Activities for visitors include being able to participate in snowball fights, building snow people, and attending theater and light shows.