VANCOUVER - At least 15 athletes and coaches have taken VANOC up on their offer of training time in Whistler because a lack of snow has forced the cancellation of training sessions at Cypress Mountain.

"We had a bunch of contingency plans for too much snow, or too little snow, and we're largely knee-deep in the contingency plan for too little snow," said Tim Gayda, vice-president of sport for the Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Games (VANOC).

Olympic organizers and the International Ski Federation decided Friday that in order to preserve the integrity of the competition site, weekend sessions would have to be moved to the Whistler-Blackcomb resort, about two hours north of Vancouver.

For Cypress, snow is being flown from spots as far as three hours away, with helicopters dumping bins of high-elevation snow every three minutes. More than 5,000 cubic metres of snow will be dropped on the venue.

Competitors in snowboard's half-pipe discipline, meanwhile, will lose two official training days, down from five to three, and no athletes will be able to access Cypress until Monday at the earliest.

"The more that athletes are on that pipe, the more it works it down," Gayda said. "We believe this is in the best interests of the athletes."

Cypress opened on Feb. 5 with plans to allow athletes to "free ski" and "free ride," which would not have taken place on the field of play. Now, those athletes are being asked to move to Whistler-Blackcomb with VANOC paying for their transportation, lunches and lift tickets.

More athletes are expected to take up VANOC's offer over the next few days, as more of them arrive in the Olympic city. Whistler is equipped with a half-pipe and a moguls course.

Vancouver experienced its warmest January on record, and at noon on Saturday, it was 10 degrees C and partly sunny.

The forecast for this week calls for similar conditions, but Gayda noted that the elevated Cypress, which sits in West Vancouver, can be "blanketed" with snow in one day. Temperatures are often cooler at Cypress than on the streets of Vancouver, but according to The Weather Network, there is no snow in the forecast until Friday - just one day before the ladies moguls competition.

The first official training day for moguls is on Monday. Gayda said that VANOC must provide a minimum amount of training before holding competitions, according to FIS rules. Half-pipe training begins on Feb. 14, and competitors require at least two days.

Organizers are using snow from Mt. Strachan, one of Cypress's two peaks but not the site of Olympic competitions, and from two spots along the Coquihalla Highway in the province's interior. That process began Saturday and will likely continue through Monday. Gayda said those locations were selected because they provide high-elevation snow that has not been corrupted.

When asked if the freestyle or snowboarding events would have to be relocated, Gayda said: "We are not re-locating any of these events. They will take place at Cypress Mountain. 100 per cent."

Sarah Lewis, representing the FIS, said half-pipe competitors would still receive more training time than at a typical world cup event, and that competitors in freestyle skiing and snowboard are accustomed to challenges with the weather and snow conditions.

"It's certainly more than adequate," she said about the remaining training time for half-pipe.

Lewis said the extra training time provided at an Olympics mostly benefits the athletes from smaller nations where the sports are still growing, and where world-class facilities and suitable conditions are scarce. When asked if the less than ideal conditions would alter the integrity of the competitions, Lewis noted that the conditions are the same for all the athletes.

Gayda said workers at Cypress are focusing on the finish areas for freestyle and snowboard, as well as ski routes for the Olympic workforce, roughly 750 people, to move about the mountain. Organizers are trying to get as much snow as possible at the venue, so that they have enough to sustain competitions throughout the Games.

"Where we're at now is, we're just being safe in case this weather does continue through the Games," Gayda said. "The key thing for us is that we've had enough snow on the actual courses.

"So, the field of play, where the athletes are competing, the majority of those courses are well under way in terms of construction. The moguls course is largely complete, as well as half-pipe and a good portion of the snowboard cross."

Gayda would not respond when asked how much the Cypress makeover is costing VANOC. A spokeswoman said the funds are coming from an overall contingency budget, and Gayda added that VANOC has committed to opening its books after the Games.