Photo: Courtesy of Sportvane

A maiden alpine ski orienteering race was held in Suomu, Finland on Saturday and has received praise from local participants, who braved temperatures as low as -20 C.

Some 100 participants participated in the race, with Chinese skiing enthusiasts winning competitions in both the adults group and the children-adults group.

Although Finland is known as a winter sports powerhouse, the race format is new to cross-country skiers, as the event combines alpine skiing and orienteering techniques.

Photo: Courtesy of Sportvane

 In groups of three, participants are required to hit different checkpoints on the slopes, with the fastest team taking first place in this time-measured competition.

"We won the race with some luck," said Han Jing, a member of the winning group. "Finnish people are known for being good at winter sports, but in this race, not missing any checkpoints is more important." 

With Finland's Finance Minister Katri Kulmuni watching the race, the Finnish Peltoniemi  family came third in the adults competition. That result won them a free trip to China to compete in the series final which will be held at Wanlong Ski Resort in March.

2019 was the Year of Winter Sports between China and Finland, but such cooperation between the two countries is sure to grow. 2019 was "only the beginning," said Kati Mälkki-Karttunen, an official with the Finnish Ministry of Education and Culture.

Kari Trikkonen, CEO of Suomu Ski Resort, said that as some Finnish people canceled their participation at the last minute due to concerns about the coronavirus spreading among Chinese people, the number of competitors will definitely grow in the future.

Organized by the Chinese Ski Association and the China Sports Venue Association, the series has become one of the most popular mass-skiing events in China, with over 10,000 skiers of all ages signing up last season.