2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics

[sftc]

"The Big Picture" delivers again:
http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/201...rt_1_of_2.html

This needs a BUMP. Check this stuff, it will elevate your Olympic Spirit.

[fixiewrek]

Does anybody know if there's a bus directly from Squamish to the Whistler Olympic Park? Or know of the best way to get to that venue? We're heading up tomorrow to see the Mens 4x10 Cross-Country event and want to find the best way to get there.

[SILENCER]

Just got back from Vancouver this weekend. Holy crap, what a week. Maybe I saw the whole thing with rose colored glasses, but I don't care. Might have been the best vacation I've ever had.

We saw Spillane win the silver in the Nordic Combined two Sundays ago, which came to wire in the cross country leg. Also saw women's 500m speed skating at the Oval (what a fan-fucking-tastic venue), and stopped the O-Zone in Richmond, culminated by several beers at the Holland House. On a whim we got curling tickets for Wednesday. I'll never make fun of that sport again. Place was packed to the rafters and rowdy. Seeing it in person makes a hell of a difference (like baseball) and the sport makes sense now. Turned out to be the sleeper hit event of our trip. Thursday was up to Whistler again for the biathlon, which proved every bit as awesome as I remember it from 2002. Bjorndaelen, gold in 2002 got the silver behind his fellow countryman, and only did so because he missed one target. He skied faster than anyone.

The overall feel was killer. The international vibe in the audiences was unique to anything you'll see at typical sporting events in North America, with viking helmeted, face painted, horn blowing, anthem singing, flag waving fans from everywhere.

I'm insanely jealous of you BC'ers. That's probably the coolest city I've ever been to (was there once as a little kid in 86 for Expo, but don't remember as much). We spent a good amount of time on off days downtown seeing what we could at the LiveCity sites, exploring Gastown, Yaletown, the touristy shit like up the tower on the Harbour Center, etc. Your transit system rules. And people were super friendly all around. I happen to really like where I live, but I think you all win.

Was desperately trying to figure out how to extend our stay, but now am relegated to TV & internet coverage to follow the rest of the games back here in CO. I will come back up that way again though, with fat boards in hand this time.

[Son1cdeth]

^^ Thanks for the TR Silencer, I'm really loving this thread,

Vancouver is such an awesome city, and I'm glad to see folks going up there and having a great time.

More pics please!

[PaulB]

Does anybody know if there's a bus directly from Squamish to the Whistler Olympic Park? Or know of the best way to get to that venue? We're heading up tomorrow to see the Mens 4x10 Cross-Country event and want to find the best way to get there.

No direct transit from Squamish to the Callaghan. Assuming you can find someplace to park in Squamish, you'll have to take transit to Whistler and then catch one of the official event shuttles from the village back to the Callaghan.

The other option is buying a ticket on the olympic bus system from either BCIT in Burnaby or Lonsdale Quay in North Vancouver direct to the venue.

[khyber.pass]

^^ Irony is, once in WOP there is a bus back to Squamish (??)/

Silencer, thanks for the golden words. Indeed I agree with you on all counts -- the fans, the frolics, it's a party. If only the rest of the shitshow wasn't as nasty in regards to debt, surveillance, poverty, etc.

[SILENCER]

To be fair, we had a long conversation in line to the Sochi House with a very friendly local. Among other things he described what the city had done buying up the old hotels, fixing them up and moving all the homeless folks into them...and the law they passed (?) provincially saying they could move homeless into those buildings without their approval. So yeah, he said normally you see tons more homeless folks downtown. That is unfortunate for sure no matter how you look at the situation. But he said by the time it's formally challenged and likely overturned nationally the games will be over. There are always two sides, I understand that.


If I put my blinders on though I got about the most amazing impression of your city regardless. You fuckers know how to throw a party. Even the ticket-less have SO many options on where to catch events and still soak in vibe. We watched the women's snowboard cross from the Library Public House...place was going nuts. Also watched Russia vs. Czech hockey on the Cactus Club heated patio in Yaletown. Near the end of the shootout tons of folks amassed outside to watch the screen through the plastic, hollering and what not. You saw that everywhere.

[f2f]

congrats to GoNads for having her discipline so well presented -- skicross gold for canadia!

[skiingnow]

cal. Among other things he described what the city had done buying up the old hotels, fixing them up and moving all the homeless folks into them...and the law they passed (?) provincially saying they could move homeless into those buildings without their approval. So yeah, he said normally you see tons more homeless folks downtown. That is unfortunate for sure no matter how you look at the situation. But he said by the time it's formally challenged and likely overturned nationally the games will be over. There are always two sides, I understand that.

Not to thread jack but this isn't true.

[shirk]

Not to thread jack but this isn't true.

Yeah they gave them bus tickets to Kelowna and a some money for a fix.

[bennymac]

Yeah they gave them bus tickets to Kelowna and a some money for a fix.

sounds like a good deal to me

In my experience every community does that, and not just during the olympics. The hardest part is when down and out people end up in the smaller end of the road communities (ex: port hardy, queen charrlotte city, small towns north of 60) where the system doesn't have the money or resources to a) help them find work or treatment or b) move them back to where there are some resources.

The one way bus ticket on the way out of the emergency room is not new or exclusive to Vancouver. In fact I bet most one way bus tickets send people into the city...

now back to the Olympics already in progress:

[SchralphMacchio]

Okay not as "intense" as hockey but still intense in a much different way ...


Did anyone watch Rochette skate? I have a lot of empathy for her, competing under these conditions and then to skate a great program and leave it all on the ice, let it all come crashing through after the skate. It also reminds me of Brett Favre though, when he played one of his most amazing games after his father died. I've gotta root for Rochette now.

[unpossible]

WTF NBC, I don't want to wait until 3pm PST to watch the USA/Swiss Hockey Game. FAIL!

[skiingnow]

DH portion of the Supercombined:
[ame="http://www.vimeo.com/9705711"]Mens Supercombined - DH Portion on Vimeo[/ame]

In this vid - Canada - Semple, Norway - Svindal, USA - Miller

[skieurmalade]

WTF NBC, I don't want to wait until 3pm PST to watch the USA/Swiss Hockey Game. FAIL!

I'm pretty sure it's live on ctvolympics.ca

Can't believe how into these games I'm getting! I was the lone american in a party full of canadians when we beat 'em at hockey. At the end I was cheering like crazy and they almost tore me apart. It was then I realized they definitely love hockey more than they love me so I mellowed out.

[powslut]

Who gave me a change for nickel in creekside this afternoon?

[LeeLau]

powslut - not me. Im inbounds tomorrow so pm me if you want to ski. Also have to get some bike related shit over to mtnlion so let me know if you drove to Whistler?

[Neuro]

Hopefully this is sort of on topic for this thread. Is there any way to get down to creekside from the top of Whistler while the games are on? Either skiing down or downloading on the creekside gondola? I've got a few friends that are staying there to watch the events, but they aren't skiing. If I head up for a day, can I get over to creekside somehow to meet up with them without having to take the bus from the village?

[legallyillegal]

6hr wait for the Medal Room at the Mint Pavilion is worth it; the multiple-hour wait for the Sochi House isn't really worth it

Panasonic's HD-3D presentation on a 103" screen is awesome - it's like looking through a glass window

[skiingnow]

Hopefully this is sort of on topic for this thread. Is there any way to get down to creekside from the top of Whistler while the games are on? Either skiing down or downloading on the creekside gondola? I've got a few friends that are staying there to watch the events, but they aren't skiing. If I head up for a day, can I get over to creekside somehow to meet up with them without having to take the bus from the village?

Apparently you can ski down peak to creek. You'll have come out on Hwy 99 or Bayshores below Creekside.


You cannot download on the creekside gondola without accreditation and a workforce card.

Best thing is to take the bus. Its only 10 minutes. Tell the driver you forgot your accreditation IF he asks.

[Neuro]

Thanks for the info!

Once I've skiied down there, is there any way to get back up the mountain? Or do I bus to the village and take the gondola up from there?

[khyber.pass]

^^ Peak to Creek is open but the bottom is getting a little nasty. Watch for the open creek ditches.

[bennymac]

After watching the womens hockey team win live, and then celebrating for many hours, I am in no shape to figure this out on my own...

A group of us have just decided to drive up and stay in creekside tomorrow night and a couple of people are going to watch XC skiing on Saturday. To get to the XC skiing I told them they could just take a bus from creekside out to the event site (I made this up in an attempt to persuade them to join us).
Is this true? Do they need a bus ticket like the Vancouver bus people or does having a XC event ticket get you on a Whistler bus?

as for the whistler victory ceremony, do our tickets guarantee we will get in to see the concert (K'naan) or should we still line up early (I'm thinking a sizeable crowd might show to watch the hockey game - do they show the game on big screens in celebration plaza?)

If I party at an Olympic level for 2 weeks leading to fulminant liver failure, can I then qualify for the Paralympics?

sorry for being an olympic level jong, I havent been to Whistler yet during the games, am bringing a crew of people, and want things to go smoothly for our one night in Whis. Thanks for your help (just looked at the time, it took me like an hour to make this message)

[PulverSchwein]

some really cool posts and pics! right on! I've been at it pretty hard since Day 1. Pretty worn out but the end is drawing near, hopefully culminating in a big fucking win over USA on Sunday. But first we have to get past Slovakia right? Hahaha tomorrow's going to be a good day too I think. Pics from that one coming on Saturday......


bennymac pretty sure you guys need to headup to the village side to get to the XC site. There's no regular busses as khyber said above. 2010 website says: Take the Whistler Olympic Park Express shuttle from the Whistler transportation mall (Lot 4) in Whistler Village Couldn't figure out if you need a ticket ahead of time or where uyou'd get it. Maybe you jsut line up and pay, not sure but I think the Olympic Bus Network tickets are only for people coming out of the city via the departure hubs at BCIT etc

Your victory ceremony ticket definitely gets you into the ceremony and hte concert that goes off afterwards

[PulverSchwein]

Here's a few more pics from the past while. Start it with some of the shots from our Canada/Norway game last week.

zipline over Robson Square


party time


game on


Walter Gretzky


TSN highlight shot of where I scammed primo third period seats, and a wicked flag to wave


Took the Wednesday off to sleep. We had an event in town on Thursday starting jsut as the mens Canada vs Switzerland game was finishing, so we shuttled transit from bar to bar during the intermissions, catching a period at each place as we finally ended up winning in the shootout

Outside and inside UBC's Thunderbird Arena, pretty nice rink.