VANCOUVER 2010

Re: VANCOUVER 2010

NBC is paying a fortune to televise the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics. That means, folks, that we will again be bombarded with GAZILLIONS OF COMMERCIALS!!! Granted, some of the commercials aired at the Salt Lake City games were almost an entertainment in themselves, but, frankly, too much is too much.

We'll probably see a lot of live broadcasts. As for the figure skating, since Vancouver is on Pacific Time (I think) - three hours behind New York - the figure skating competitions may begin at, say 4 or 5 in the afternoon so they can be broadcast live across North America.

The ABC coverage of the 1988 Winter Olympics ladies long program - with Witt, Manley, Thomas, Ito, and Trenary - was absolutely fantastic. We saw practically every skater, starting with the lesser ranked skaters to the medal contenders towards the end of the evening.

Can't wait!!

Sea to Sky

You are correct about the highway between Vancouver and Whistler - otherwise known as the Sea to Sky highway. It is a horrible, windy road, and many, many people have been killed on that particular highway.

As I understand it, it is going to be widened to 2 lanes in each direction, and from what I have read, during the Olympics, the traffic will be restricted and monitored by the RCMP. I understand that there will be "pilot" cars guiding the traffic in order to maintain the safety of the travellers.

Re: VANCOUVER 2010

The Sea to Sky highway is our biggest "bump in the road" to the Olympics, but Olympic organizers are assuring us the road is to be widened - of course, at a hefty cost to us tax payers; that is what the big outcry was about in the first place. We non-Whistlerites who never go near the place don't want to be stuck with a huge tax bill to pay for a road we rarely use and the people in Whislter and surrounding areas don't want to have to pay a toll which will never be lifted in our lifetimes. We have a very greedy Government here in BC - that constanly demands to be fed - by us - the little guys that commute to work day in and day out. I hope hosting the Olympics will be worth it . NY could probably afford to put on an Olympics - we can't.


Ladskater

Volunteering

<blockquote><strong><em>Quote:</em></strong><hr>I tried volunteering for SLC and DC. There are scheduled meetings on days before the opening so you will have to be in Vancouver at least a week before. For the Olys, you do not have a choice to be involved with any particular sport. The host country will look for local volunteers first. Careful, some volunteer positions do not allow you to see the contests. Best bet for seeing the competitions as a volunteer is to be an ice sweep (teenyboppers picking up the teddy bears and flowers) which requires skating ability.[/quote]

When you sign up to volunteer you're given several choices as to where you'd like to be stationed. In the end, unless you have a lot of experience in a particular sport, they'll will, if you're accepted (yes, they go for locals first), put you where you're needed and most likely to be of assistance. Please do not just volunteer to gawk and get autographs. This was a <em>huge</em> problem in Atlanta and SLC (and I'm sure nearly every sporting event). If you commit, be prepared to work your tail off as well as have fun. It's not just a vacation, you're there to perform a job.

I volunteered in SLC and did not need to get there ahead of time. I got all training material in the mail. Part of the reason they take locals first is because of concerns with an out of towner getting accomodations and really commiting to the spot they've been chosen for. Be prepared to give them your info on where you're staying and a phone number to be reached at while in town for the Games and they will want to verify it; they'll also do a basic background check. Until you have accomodations, you're not likely to be given a spot, they don't want to be bothered with an iffy situation and will pass you over for someone that can give them a definite yes and specifics on travel plans. A lot more time and effort goes into scheduling these volunteers than anyone can possibly imagine and you have to be willing to take what you get and not be high maintenance. The LOC does not have time to waste on groupies nor can they always accomodate your plans for other events if you have tickets.

If you want to volunteer for skating (the hardest spots to get, everyone wants to see the events), skating experience helps a LOT, obviously. The flower girls are auditioned and it is a serious business with the skate moms from hell, lol. (It's cute/pretty young girls with good stroking technique and personality that get chosen, not old people, not older teens either) You're not necessarily going to get what they call a field of play (right there by the ice) position even if you do get chosen for figure skating, you may be behind the scenes (working locker room check in, working in the volunteer breakroom, etc.), you may be at the practice rink and not credentialed for the competition rink itself. A fun position is being an ice patcher. You'd go out before the Zam with a bucket of snow and patch holes left by skaters on the previous session. In between Zam runs, you're basically just sitting there watching the skaters. Another fun position is being a gate attendant. All you do is sit there and open the gate for skaters getting on or off the ice.

If anyone is interested in volunteering for the Games, keep an eye out on their website, they'll put up notice that they're accepting applications as soon as they're ready. It will probably be a few years down the road though. We had so much fun in '96 and '02 that we're planning on going to Torino and Vancouver as well.

sea to sky

Ladskater,

I lived in BC until a couple of years ago, and even then I recall the outcry over the cost to the taxpayers over fixing that particular stretch of highway for the olympics. While I couldn't agree more about the taxing antics of the Provincial Government, my personal view on highway improvements, is that if one life is saved because of the improvements, it is worth every single penny. I find it unfortunate that the Provincial Government didn't see those lives as being important enough 5 years ago, but suddenly will find the money with the Olympics looming. Perhaps as a non BC resident any longer, I shouldn't really comment, but I personally feel that the Olymipc legacy to the province of BC will be the lives that will be saved on that particularily deadly stretch of highway.

Now I just wish they would do something with the stretch East of Sicamous to the AB border....

Hmmmmm maybe Revelstoke can host the next winter Olympics, lol!

Re: sea to sky

canuck,

Sicamous - is that someone famous in Canada? I'm familiar with the SS Sicamous in Penticton - and, from your post, it sounds like there's a town too?

Sicamous

thartell,

Yes, Sicamous is a community in British Columbia Canada. It in fact is known as the Houseboat Capital. Sicamous is home to hundreds of Houseboats that can be rented during the season. It is a beautiful community of about 3000 people on the Shuswap, one of British Columbia's most popular holiday spots. Sicamous is located on the Trans Canada Highway, aproximately 70 km east of Salmon Arm.