Snowboarders from Australia and New Zealand praised the man-made snow after inspecting the slopestyle venue in north China's Zhangjiakou City before the Beijing Winter Olympics commence later this week.

"The snow is actually amazing, the man-made stuff. I think because of how cold it is, you have to be really aggressive with how you ride," Zoi Sadowski Synnott, a Kiwi gold medal hopeful in the slopestyle competition, said on Tuesday. 

"The snow is super grippy here," said 23-year-old Australian snowboarder Matt Cox, who is set to make his Olympic debut. "Also, because usually when you get to man-made snow and you rip into an edge, for instance, it slides out on you pretty easily, but with the cold temps here, it's dreamy snow."

The Beijing Winter Olympics will be the first Games to use almost 100 percent artificial snow, deploying more than 100 snow generators and 300 snow-cannons working flat out to cover the ski slopes.

Concerning the environmental impact of producing and using artificial snow, "Beijing 2022 organizers have vowed to deliver a sustainable and eco-friendly Games."

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(With input from agencies)