Sponsored by
THE WINTER OLYMPICS: The cowbells, the cowbells, oh those magical cowbells!
So much has happened. It's all gone by so fast and I'm grasping to reach out and hold onto whatever I can. This is not an event myself or anyone in town is likely to forget anytime soon!
For those of you perhaps looking forward to or unsure as what to expect for the London 2012 Summer Olympics, let me give you a little flavour of what we've been experiencing so far.
The endless hype that continued to roll and trundle along in the years after the venue was announced finally came to fruition in a light filled, celebrity laden extravaganza that we've perhaps all come to expect from these huge world stage events provided for the entire globes gaze. From there on in, its a non-stop ride that you'd better be on or its going to pass you by. Its not going to wait for you to catch your breathe and the pace is relentless, but once you're onboard, you'd better grab onto anything you can and hold tight!
Being a 'host' resort town for the first time in Winter Olympic history, Whistler was expecting big things and in this particular enthusiast's eyes, its well and truly delivered everything and more to-date. The expectancy was perhaps a little too great for a good number of local athletes growing up and playing in and around the Whistler area. The Canadians and Whistlerites have failed to deliver on other's promises. In the Alpine events, many did not finish – perhaps the pressure cauldron built up was too great and they simply tried to hard to deliver in their home town or country, or perhaps they simply 'choked'?! However, for those Canadians who have performed, they have ignited a passion of patriotism that may have otherwise slowly smouldered away. Instead, you can almost feel people's hair on their necks stand to attention in anticipation of what could be. The roars and the cheers from the supporting clusters that have arrived from all nations, generating an exceptionally vibrant atmosphere that has to be experienced to be believed. Unfortunately though, it must come to an end...
To an end it will come, but not without leaving us with our own invaluable memories.
Who around here will forget the electricity felt everywhere across British Columbia and around Canada when they finally won their first gold medal on home soil in the men's moguls. Phew, what a relief that was! A real 'monkey off their back'!
Few will ever forget or perhaps ever lose that clanging sensation of those cowbells ringing in their ears. Oh those cowbells!! Some might say that some of the Europeans, usually the Swiss, are obsessed with them. Few would argue over here! - I've been told by some of the staff in the 'Swiss House' here that they are driven mad at night when their celebratory countrymen insist on taking up arms with the clanging metal and swinging them around, late and loud throughout their restaurant and bar. It's almost considered their own little embassy in there, where they get up to whatever their party needs... or so I'm told.
There's been the passing smattering of celebrities through town and in Vancouver, some from the world of film, others from the world of sport, heroes to many and let's not forget the musical artists!
I was fortunate enough having watched some of the two man luge live, to come down and grab perhaps the only two remaining seats on a patio in the town plaza, to capture the 'Barenaked Ladies' bring down the house. Perhaps not everyone's first choice of bands to watch or tick off their 'to-do' list, but boy, can they work a live audience! I've never seen the town plaza so full of bodies rammed in trying to catch a glimpse. There has been many other bands of course and they are many more to come, culminating with a performance by Usher for those fortunate enough to gain a ticket for this 'free' event.
Of course, this article couldn't go by without a small congratulatory mention to team GBR who won gold in the women's skeleton. Amy Williams brought team GBR its first gold medal in an individual event at the Winter Olympics in 30 years, smashing the exceptionally fast Whistler track record twice to achieve her success!
For those of us who saw it, there was the somewhat surprising tumble taken by the hotly favoured Slovenian cross-country skier Petra Majdic in her warm up. For many who witnessed, it perhaps generated a little amusement, dare I say – mirth. However, having fallen some 10-15 feet down a creek (hard to believe I know...) she clambered back out to complete her qualifying round, only to collapse in pain and sobbing tears. This was how she ended up every time she crossed the line in the rounds, eventually bringing home a bronze medal for her troubles. The medical result – four broken ribs and a punctured lung. Not your typical cross country injury, but I don't expect many of us can truly appreciate the sheer magnitude of her efforts in her attempts to walk away from the Olympics with 'fond' memories and a bit of metal around her neck (and not a tree of course..!!)
Perhaps on different note, I will take this opportunity to offer my disgruntled thoughts on not being allowed access to the 'Austria House'. To be fair, it's not supposed to be open to the general public, but for some reason that didn't stop me trying to gain access to their sumptuous beers being served by lederhosen clad employees. Fond of all things from the Austrian regions, I was looking forward for some time to quaffing some of their ale and perhaps 'chowing' down on a dish or two of theirs. Still a week to go – I guess they could relent eventually and let me in.
As a slightly quirkier aside, 'heard the one about the skiers asked to vacate their gondola cabin at the midway point on their ride up the mountain, just so a rather rich billionaire from China could hop in and not have to share his personal space?'. Unusual request and one which the vacating skiers later decided they kind of 'just got out at the request without really giving any thought to it', later to be a little miffed and now full of other answers they could have given! Only in Whistler guys!
So what else will we remember these games for? What other experiences are there for us to come? Plenty of magical ones I hope. I know having dreaded the visiting masses for so long, we're many of us dreading the day when they temporarily depart before the Paralympics. The town just isn't going to be the same again, but will we all benefit from its legacies. Time will tell my friends! Time will tell!
• Who is Ashley McMillan, click HERE for a short biography.
• Click HERE to visit Whistler's local newspaper website
Email to a friend
Print this page
Looking for...
Featured advertisers
Jobs
Search for a job
Motors
Search for a car
Property
Search for a house
Weather for Eastbourne
Wednesday 23 May 2012
Today
Sunny
Temperature: 13 C to 22 C
Wind Speed: 12 mph
Wind direction: West
Tomorrow
Sunny spells
Temperature: 13 C to 22 C
Wind Speed: 10 mph
Wind direction: South east
