Vancouver 2010 - Snow, Security

The world's second largest helicopter, the Sikorsky S64 Skycrane, was commissioned by Vancouver 2010 officials to help harvest snow from upper reaches of Cypress Mountain and drop it onto the snowboard and freestyle skiing courses, at a cost of $10,000 an hour, reports CTV.

The machine is normally used to pluck felled trees from forests.

Also two days ago organizers began trucking snow from Cypress Manning Park, almost 260 km away.

When completed, 150 truckloads of snow will have been transported to Cypress Mountain at an estimated cost of $150,000, reports CTV.

In the past week other helicopters have been airlifting straw bales to build up the courses. Vancouver 2010 officials say all the expenses are being covered by their contingency fund. Tim Gayda said, "what we're doing here is only one out of our nine competition venues, so largely the contingency was always put aside to deal with it and this is something we're working on".

Vancouver's mayor is playing down the threat to the Games posed by the unseasonably warm weather in Vancouver, reports the National Post. He said, "the international media coverage has painted an incorrect picture of the weather situation here. We have the warmest January in history in Vancouver, but Whistler has lots of snow".

Whistler, about 125 km north of Vancouver, is the venue for alpine skiing and Nordic events.

Although the Opening Ceremony is February 12, venues are due to open for athletes to practise on over the next few days.

Meanwhile Assistant Commissioner Bud Mercer, Chief Operating Officer for the V2010 Integrated Security Unit, and John Furlong, CEO for Vancouver 2010, took a helicopter tour Wednesday over Vancouver, the Sea to Sky corridor, and Whistler, to view security preparations at Games venues.

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