Goodbye Vancouver and Thank You! Hello Russia!
The advertisement has been running for the past two weeks and if you tuned in to any of the Olympic coverage, there is no way you could have missed it. The heart-warming tagline: "Vancouver 2010... you've gotta be here!"
And if you tuned in to today's (Sunday) US vs. Canada hockey game, you may very well have turned off the television with the same feeling: "You had to be there." What a phenomenal moment in Olympic competition; in Canada it is already being toasted as the greatest athletic and most televised event in Canadian history. Again, you had to be there.
Regardless of your nationality or NHL franchise affiliation, it was a well fought game; well played down to the very final and bitter puck in the goal. But despite the United States' loss to Canada by a score of 3-2 in overtime, it's been quite some time since I've felt such a swelling of pride for the collective human condition and endeavor. Throughout all the Olympic competition (whether I was watching it from the warmth of my living room or the brisk sidelines in Vancouver), I watched in admiration at all the athletes' efforts. And more importantly, I watched in awe at the overwhelming human effort by those who would never make the medal podium.
.JPG)
And isn't that what the Olympic Games and competition are about? Isn't it about reaching inside yourself and grabbing hold of that hidden hope that states confidently, "You can do it"? Isn't it about that defying and defining of that one moment in your life?
As the Closing Ceremonies bring about the extinguishing of the Olympic flame and the end of the 2010 Winter Olympic Games, there is a sense of emptiness in me. I would love to see the Olympic Games continue for another two weeks, but in order for the 2012 Summer Olympic Games to prepare to begin, the 2010 Winter Games must end. And so end, they do and must. And as I experienced personally in Vancouver, the Olympic Games end in a very humble and proud manner. The mishap with the mechanism of the Olympic torch in the Opening Ceremonies was turned into one of the most memorable Closing Ceremonies events. It is not what was expected.. but better. Again, it was what I experienced personally in Vancouver.
As for 2014, the Olympic Winter Games will find their ultimate home in Sochi, Russia. And not to worry. I have already purchased and have worn my Sochi 2014 hat. But four years I will need to wait and relive the moments of the 2010 Games. And yes, I will relive and remember them. I will let them energize me and motivate me. And I will let them reinvigorate the child within me. For, again, isn't this what the Olympic Games are all about?
When it all comes down to it - in person or via the television - it has been wonderful to say, "I had to be here." And in this case, in this moment in Life, I am very happy and content to say, "I had to be here... and I was."
Olympic Dreams to you in the days ahead and peace be your journey,
Lee Hoedl
Posted by: leehoedl on 2/28/2010 at 20:05 | Comments (0) | Permalink
Tags: goodbye vancouver, hello russia, hoedl, olympic
Man's Best Friend During Those Pivotal Moments
.JPG)
I can't begin to tell you how many times I have been asked over the past two days, "So, how was Vancouver and the Olympics? Did you have fun?" In all honesty, there is no statement that can ever adequately capture the emotion and excitement of a personal attendance to the Olympics. And to say it was "amazing" is simply an understatement. It may seem silly for me to say (having attended four Olympics), but it truly is a "once in a lifetime" feeling. As I stated to a friend, "I have just been very lucky to have lived four lives."
My first two experiences (1984 and 1996) were solo journeys - I simply attended by myself to take in the sights and sounds. They were executed on a whim and a prayer. And when I got home, there was no one with which to fully share the experience.
In 2002, I convinced my wife Di, sister-in-law Mary Lee and friend Karen to join me for the Olympic festivities in Salt Lake Cities. And what was most wonderful about those moments was to be able to recap our adventures after we returned home and share our similar emotions. Having attended the Opening Ceremonies and first five days of events, we were able to sit at home for the final week of Olympic events and, from time to time, say, "Hey, we were right there. Remember that location and moment?"
.JPG)
This "once-in-a-lifetime" time around, my wife Di and I agreed that I would attend the Games and take our 12-year-old son as his Christmas gift. Basically since we have 6-year-old triplets, it would have been impossible for both of us to attend and leave all four children at home.
So off to Vancouver we went. A middle-aged father and his young son; heading into a pivotal moment in our life. And as quick as we arrived to Vancouver and the Games, we had to turn around and head home. Enjoying a whirlwind of 4 days of venues, events, sights and sounds from the 2010 Winter Olympics, we were truly exhausted when we returned home. And speaking for both of us, I don't think the gravity of those four days at the Winter Olympic Games has been fully realized. As the Closing Ceremonies come to their conclusion and the Olympic torch is extinguished for another two years, my son and I will look back on those days with a plethora of fond memories and euphoric recall.
But what will stand out in my mind most about our shared time in Vancouver? The U.S. women's hockey victory over Sweden in the semi-finals? Walking the downtown celebrations of Vancouver and the Olympic Village at Whistler? No, it will always be the most subtle of moments along our journey.
It will be that constant slight tug of my jacket as that 12-year-old-boy-turning-young-man stayed close to my side through all the Olympic crowds. It will be my glances over to see my son's face beaming with an expression that simply states, "I am actually here." It will be the unsolicited and ongoing "Thanks for bringing me, Dad" comment that Leo whispered to me every time we entered a venue, got on to a train or sat down on a bus. And it will be this young 12-year-old-boy-turning-young-man that fell asleep on my shoulder on each bus and train at the end of a long day of Olympic adventures in Vancouver.
For Leo, he may walk away from these Games with the humble bragging rights of saying, "Yep, I attended the Olympics way back in 2010." But for me, his simple father, it will forever remain the cherished memory that I was able to share this experience with another person. And not just any person, but my 12-year-old-boy-turning-young-man-best-friend-in-the-world. And that is a gold medal memory in any record book.
-------
Post Note: My friend, I have been very lucky in my life to attend events such as the Olympics. But there is nothing more valuable than the presence shared with your own children. Do not simply wait for seemingly great or pivotal events to come along before sharing them with your children. Be present during each day of their life. And then, each of those days will forever remain great and pivotal in their lives.
Posted by: leehoedl on 2/24/2010 at 22:30 | Comments (1) | Permalink
Tags: best friend, olympic
More Olympic and Cultural Images of Vancouver, B.C.
Below are posted images from downtown Vancouver; an area frenzied with Olympic fever. As well, the culture of Canada is found in the most subtle and dynamic manners.
Olympic Fever in Downtown Vancouver
Olympic Fever in Downtown Vancouver
Olympic Fever in Downtown Vancouver
Olympic Fever in Downtown Vancouver
Artwork (lower left corner) and Olympic merchandising at every street corner
Olympic Fever in Downtown Vancouver
Canadian culture is found everywhere; even on someone's balcony deck
Artwork even adorns the downtown Vancouver bus stops
A downtown apartment building displays the five traditional Olympic colors
The symbol of the 2010 Vancouver image, the Inukshuk, adorns the waterfront. In addition to guiding travelers in the remote Arctic, inukshuk sculptures also serve to welcome visitors at the entrances of native villages, campsites, and bays.
For centuries the Inuit have stacked rocks—sometimes into human forms—to create inukshuk, which act as guideposts for people traversing the vast tundra.
The Vancouver 2010 emblem is dubbed Ilanaaq—"friend" in an Inuit language—and is an "eternal expression of the hospitality of a nation that warmly welcomes the people of the world with open arms every day," according to the Vancouver 2010 Web site.
A view of the Olympic Athlete Village across the Waterfront Bay from downtown Vancouver
Posted by: leehoedl on 2/24/2010 at 21:55 | Comments (0) | Permalink
Tags: images of vancouver 2010, olympic
Cultural and Panoramic Views From Vancouver
It would be very easy to dismiss and minimize the Winter or Summer Olympics as a simple global athletic competition. While attending my fourth Olympics, I wanted to make sure my son Leo was able to experience more than the overwhelming excitement of the athletic venues. With each Olympic experience, the Host City will also host a "cultural olympiad" of art, food, song and culture to share with the world. And Vancouver provided, in my opinion, a wonderful venue in which to immerse oneself in the rich culture - past, present and future - of British Columbia and the greater Canada.
Below are just a few panoramic and poignant snapshots of these Olympic and cultural venues. There are more to be shared in upcoming blogs.
Vancouver Olympic Centre (Curling Venue)
Canada Hockey Place (Hockey Venue)
Downtown Olympic Village at Whistler
Cultural Display in Downtown Vancouver (Robson Square Area)
Cultural Display in Downtown Vancouver (Robson Square Area)
Cultural Display in Downtown Vancouver (Robson Square Area)
A Typical Venue Menu of Classical Canadian "Fast Food"
A Reminder of the Danger That Courts Every Olympic Athlete: We were honored to visit and leave our token at the makeshift memorial in Whistler Olympic Village for the young luger who died in a practice run just prior to the Opening Ceremonies.
Posted by: leehoedl on 2/24/2010 at 21:31 | Comments (0) | Permalink
Tags: cultural, olympic, panoramic
It's Anyone's Game... It's the World's Sports
If there was ever a time to relish a pivotal sporting moment in time from a hometown perspective, it would have to be that balmy Sunday afternoon on February 21 in Vancouver, B.C. And if you only had the option to watch it from your living room, it would still be exciting. A fevered pitch was running high across the greater Vancouver area as Canadians from near and far took to every bus line, ferry and Sky Line route to find a seat at a local downtown Vancouver pub by early morning. The puck was going to be dropped at 4:40 pm local Vancouver time and every Canadian man, woman and child planned to witness it. After the fact, the Canadian news reported it was the most televised sporting event in Canadian history.
As for my son Leo and I, we had already chosen the journey to exit Vancouver and absorb the excitement of the two-man bobsled finals at the Whistler Sliding Centre. But even from that great of a distance from Vancouver, the buzz still filled the alpine streets of Whistler. It was only the greatest game in Canadian hockey history: the United States versus Canada as the Canadian worked their way to the gold medal round of the 2010 Vancouver Olympics. Regardless of what nationality you spoke with, they hesitated to disagree with any Canadian as to the outcome of the hockey game. It was going to be Canada that was victorious. It had to be Canada that was victorious… it is either Gold or nothing at all for these hearty people.
As the sun set over the ridges surrounding Whistler, murmurs had spread up the bobsled route: the United States struck first and scored early. A subdued congratulations was shared among those from the lower 48, as they were surrounded by a sea of red maple leaves.
And then, we heard nothing. No periodic roar from the crowd gathered at the finish line area of the bobsled. No updates from the overhead PA system. No boasting and brimming Canadians. As we headed back to Vancouver via shuttle bus in the early evening, my suspicions were confirmed: the United States had held the lead throughout the entire game. As it grew darker along the Sea-to-Sky throughway, so did the mood in the shuttle bus. It was filled with area residents and few U.S. stragglers. Twenty seconds left and the United States scored for the last time, bringing the score to 5-3. The shuttle bus was silent for the remainder of the two-hour ride back to Vancouver… and we were not about to break that silence.
It was a similar mood when my son Leo and I attended Monday’s hockey semi-final between the United States and Sweden women (photos on right). Washed in a sea of red, the game erupted with a collective audience cheer, “Go Sweden go! Go Sweden go!” Leo asked me, “Why is everyone, including the Canadians, cheering for Sweden?” The answer quickly came from two local couples sitting near us, “Because we are afraid of playing the Americans in the gold medal match.”
Never before have I witnessed such a frantic and collective emotion as I did this past Monday while enjoying the curling (photo top right) and hockey venues and walking the streets of Vancouver. What the national and international news has been reporting is particularly accurate: so much emphasis had been placed on the Canadian “Own the Podium” campaign over the past months that to bring home anything less than gold would be loss and a waste. And I can’t even begin to imagine the pressure on the Canadian Olympic athletes.
Amidst the overwhelming cheers on the street, “It’s our game (hockey) and no one is going to take it from us!” the Canadian community didn't seem to absorb the importance of Monday night's gold medal victory of the Canadian couple in ice dancing. Ice dancing is a sport that has been overwhelming dominated by USSR (Russia Federation) and can be claimed as "their game." But no one told the Canadian couple that and they took home the gold.
In a growing global community where athletes train in countries other than their homeland, sports have become more or less universal. Baseball is not primarily an American sport; basketball (as shown in recent Olympic competition) is not primarily an American sport and hockey is not solely owned and copyrighted by Canada. There are others hungry for the sport and the glory - Finland, Sweden, Russia, Germany, Switzerland and the United States - and they need to be reckoned with. If it is true Olympic competition, there are no copyright to any sport; it's anyone's game and it's the World's sports.
As we walked the streets of Vancouver on Monday, Canadians would approach us and state, "You must be pretty happy and proud today." I knew what they were referring to, but I just had to say it: "You bet we are! We're walking down the streets of one of the most beautiful cities in North America and enjoying the very best Olympic competition the world has to offer - how could we be anything but happy and proud?" And with that comment, I've endeared myself to our frantic and focused Canadian friends.
Olympic Dreams, Lee
Posted by: leehoedl on 2/23/2010 at 12:57 | Comments (0) | Permalink
Tags: curling, hockey, olympic
A Dark Day in the Greater Vancouver Area
Awakening to Day 10 of the 2010 Vancouver Olympics, my son Leo and I set out for our second day of Olympic competition. But this particular day was much different than yesterday. It had a very pensive edge to it; as if the fate of the world depended on its outcome. And then I realized the somberness and anticipation in the air: Canada Men's Hockey would be playing the United States at 4:40 pm local time.
No matter where Leo and I went in the downtown Vancouver area, there was a sea of red and a forest of maple leaves EVERYWHERE. I have never seen such collective national pride in one's country or one's national pasttime, but we were in the very midst of it.
We needed to pick up our tickets to tomorrow's Women's Semi-Final Hockey Game (yes, we have tickets to the USA vs. Sweden!), so we made our way to the GE Plaza before catching our train to the suburbs of Vancouver. It is in those suburbs where we would catch our shuttle to the Whistler Men's Two-Man Bobsled Finals. To see our journey and some of the magnificent bobsled competition on Whistler, go to: www.youtube.com/watch.
Having never witnessed a bobsled competition up close but always wanting to compete in such an event, I was speechless and ecstatic at the same time. To mix Olympic competition among the spruce, snow and vistas of British Columbia is simply intoxicating.
Throughout the competition and venue, Leo and I would receive word from other American spectators, "The US just scored against the Canadians!" While I was excited to keep up with the progress of the game, I also didn't want to display a strong sense of bravado so as to draw attention to my nationality. These Canadians are extremely committed to their sports and especially hockey, almost beyond the state of obsession.
Following an absolutely wonderful afternoon of bobsledding, it was a VERY long and quiet shuttle back to Vancouver, as the Canadians lost to the Americans in ice hockey by a score of 5 to 3. We decided to circumvent the downtown area on the way back to our hotel... simply as a precaution (smile).
For those considering Vancouver during the non-Olympic time of the year, it is most definitely an area to visit again and again. As for our Canadian friends in the greater Vancouver area, you couldn't ask for more friendly volunteers and hosts... just be sure to catch them on a day when they haven't lost a hockey game.
Olympic Dreams, Lee
Posted by: leehoedl on 2/22/2010 at 0:29 | Comments (0) | Permalink
Tags: bobsled, canadians, hockey, olympic
Hello From Vancouver! FINALLY!
Hello from Vancouver and the 21st Winter Olympiad! After four years of planning and preparing, my son Leo and I are finally in this beautiful city of the 2010 Olympic competition.
As I write this blog, it is presently 1:18 am Pacific Time - that would make it 3:18 am Central Time. The adrenaline is surely flowing in these late/early hours...
We had a rather uneventful day, which is a "positive," when it came to flight itinerary and schedule. Flying from Fargo to Chicago to Vancouver took up most of the day, with Leo and I arriving to Vancouver around 6:00 pm Pacific Time.
I was able to strike up a conversation with a kindly middle-aged woman from Sweden; more specifically, she hails from the northern town of Sundsval. Her first trip out of Sweden? "No," she explained, "I visited Los Angeles in 1983 for a few days." Her first time at the Olympics? "Why yes it is," she further explained, "and it's for a very special reason." It turns out her daughter is Erica Uden Johansson, No. 13 on the Swedish Women's Hockey Team. The very same team that will face the USA Women's Hockey Team in the Semi-Finals on Monday at 12:00 noon Pacific Time at the Canada Hockey Place.
"I have only sent her one email since she left for Vancouver," she stated, "and it was only to ask about the weather and to tell her that I am proud of her." As a concerned mother, she was not very happy with Canada's pounding of Sweden in the February 17 match. Ranked fourth in the world coming into the Olympics, Sweden and Eric (No. 13) - and her mother and father - will face the United States team on Monday. And Leo and I will be present as well... it's a very small world these days.
As for the rest of our journey today, we arrived to Vancouver at approximately 6:00 pm, literally spent 5 minutes in Customs and were on the Canada Line and to our hotel in under ten minutes more. You have to love it when the host country is able to work out all the bugs in a somewhat finely tuned Olympic presentation.
We were able to pick up all our remaining venue tickets, check into our room and back out the door to ride the Canada Line one more time to downtown Vancouver. Arriving at our exit, Yaletown Roundhouse, we were greeted with throngs of happy people on the streets (it seems most of them were sporting Canadian wear). Pedestrian travel was relatively easy (and joyous, judging by the photo of me with crazed fans above) through the downtown and to our venue, the Canada Hockey Place, where we watched the men's hockey teams from Germany and Belarus battle it out at the bottom of their pool, Group C. Although they don't seem to have the finesse of many of the other Olympic hockey contenders, it didn't mean the game wasn't exciting and the audience wasn't fired up. After all, it is the Olympics and everyone cheers for everyone. Don't believe me? Check out the following YouTube I posted of our journey today and this evening's game: www.youtube.com/watch
Literally being on a plane and on our feet from 6 am until 12 am (Central Time), my son Leo could only last two periods. We took the next Canada Line ride back to our hotel as Belarus (the crowd's favorite underdog) went on to beat Germany 5 to 3. And Leo didn't stay awake long enough to hear me say "good night." It's a great day at the Olympics when you're with your son and your best friend.
Tomorrow we had hoped to strike out to the Whistler Sliding Centre to witness the two-man bobsleigh finals but only to find out - due to unseasonably warm weather - that the event will be postponed 2.5 hours. We still plan on going but will have to alter our evening schedule in downtown Vancouver. It's the nature of such Olympic presentations and journeys - it can and will be highly fluid. In the meantime, that means a later wake-up call for us and a chance to relieve some of the jet lag of today.
I will do my best to update this blog each evening, but phone coverage is spotty at best just over the Canadian border and it just seems to get worse as you head into Vancouver and into the mountains.
POST NOTE: I truly understand the concern of a parent for their child, even if none of mine are presently competing in the Olympics. Was there anything I could do to ease this mother's mind about her daughter's performance on Monday against the United States? Not really, but I did give her a "Team USA Vancouver 2010" bandana to take home for herself or her daughter. As I told her on the flight when we parted ways, "We may be aggressive and assertive in the United States, but we're not heartless. Go Team USA!"
ATHLETE ALERT: Did we see Apolo Ohno or Shaun White on the streets or in the venues of Vancouver? Sorry to say, no. But we were just down the row, at the hockey game, from the aerial ski athlete from Belarus. A nice young man who simply wanted to "cheer on my guys" on the ice. Such is the Olympic spirit, even among the athletes.
Signing off with Olympic Dreams at 1:53 am Pacific Time, Lee
Posted by: leehoedl on 2/21/2010 at 2:57 | Comments (1) | Permalink
Tags: day nine, hello from vancouver, olympic
The Time For Vancouver Is Almost Here...
Friends and Family:
The 2010 Olympics have been occurring for almost a week and when I meet one of you on the streets of Fargo, I have usually heard, "So, you're back from Vancouver already?" or "When do you leave?" As much as I would love to be in Vancouver for two complete weeks of Olympic competition, I have chosen three solid days of Olympic competition in which to attend (so as to not disrupt my son's school schedule too much).
For those of you wanting to follow the photos and videos I posted from those days, here are the web locations:
Blogging: www.areavoices.com/olympic2010
Photos: www.hoedlshaven.com/2010VANCOUVER
YouTube: www.youtube.com/leehoedl (I will try - depending on time available - to post personally filmed footage from the events and celebrations we attend - more updates later)
As for our travel and event schedule to and in Vancouver, here it finally is:
Saturday, February 20
6:00 pm - Arrive to Vancouver and Checked In
9:00 pm - Men's Hockey (Germany vs. Belarus)
Sunday, February 21
9:00 am - Shuttle to Whistler Sliding Centre
1:30 - 4:30 pm - Men's Two-Man Bobsled Finals (Whistler)
7:00 pm - Men's Hockey (Sweden vs. Finland), Medal Ceremonies and Downtown Vancouver Olympic Celebrations
Monday, February 22
9:00 - 12:00 noon - Men's Curling
2:00 - 5:00 pm - Women's Curling
7:00 pm - Women's Hockey and Downtown Vancouver Olympic Celebrations
Tuesday, February 23
Morning - Men's Hockey (tentative)
Return to Fargo
Look for us at the events on television - we'll be the two very loud Americans decked out in USA and Canadian Olympic wear!
Olympic Dreams, Lee
Posted by: leehoedl on 2/18/2010 at 10:56 | Comments (0) | Permalink
Tags: hoedl event schedule, olympic
Faster, Higher, Stronger
The Winter Games of the 21st Olympiad continue on, full of surprises, disappointments and most assuredly, drama. The 2621 athletes from 82 countries competing in 84 different winter events came to Vancouver, B.C. with a singular mantra: Citius, Altius, Fortius.
It is the Olympic motto, which translated from Latin means "Faster, Higher, Stronger." The motto was proposed by Pierre de Coubertin, founder of the Modern Olympic Games, on the creation of the International Olympic Committee in 1894. De Coubertin borrowed it from his friend Henri Didon, a Dominican priest who, amongst other things, was an athletics enthusiast. Folklore has it that the phrase had been engraved on the main entrance to the Ancient Olympic Games.
If you've been watching any coverage of the 2010 Winter Games then you are bombarded with names and faces of those Olympians favored for medals in all events. The Lindsey Vonns and the Shaun Whites are talk of the Olympics, as it should be. But what of all the remaining 2369 (out of 2621) athletes who will never make the medal stand, never mentioned on a national network and will only go home with memories of one of the greatest experiences of their life?
It's my belief that this motto is meant especially for these 2369 athletes and all the athletes that attempted to qualify for a place on each country's Olympic team. In fact, it may as well be the mantra for any of us that attempt any physical activity. Notice the motto does not say "Faster Than, Higher Than, Stronger Than" and it does not say "Fastest, Highest, Strongest." It simply states "Faster, Higher, Stronger."
A couple years ago I found myself entertaining the idea of participating in a triathlon. The only thing that held me back from participating was the mindset that I had to be in my best physical condition before I could even enter an event. It wasn't until I spoke with an older gentleman (age 59) who told me, "I usually come in at the very end of the race every time, but the most important thing is that I feel stronger or finish just a little bit faster than my last race." And sure enough, as I crossed the finish line of my first triathlon, there was a huge crowd (composed of spectators and even those triathletes that came in ahead of me) cheering me across the line... just because I was finishing. And since that moment, I have logged my cycling miles, tracked my running miles and journaled my swimming strokes - with a lot less attention on those around me. And it is in similar fashion that I run marathons and ultras.
As my father would say, "There will always be someone better and worse than you. And on any given day, you could be the first or the last one in the race. The important thing is if you're a better you than you were yesterday." And since that first triathlon, I've kept this focus in mind. And it's made all the difference. I just keep looking forward and focus my efforts on being just a little bit faster, higher and stronger... either in body or spirit.
So here's to you in all your endeavors, my friend, that your efforts are faster, higher and stronger than they were yesterday. In the spirit of all Olympic efforts (either at home or on the playing field), that's all that matters... strive Faster, seek Higher, and forge Stronger. When the accolades and applause are silenced, that's all that matters.
Olympic Dreams, Lee
Posted by: leehoedl on 2/18/2010 at 9:49 | Comments (0) | Permalink
Tags: faster higher stronger, olympic
A Simple Pair of Mittens, But A Heart Full of Souvenirs
It was on a simple whim and they weren't expensive at all. I had just returned from a summer family vacation in Winnipeg, Manitoba; just six months before the Vancouver Olympics. Hudson Bay and Vancouver had just teamed up and launched their retail website of Olympic merchandise... so I browsed.
What caused me to place a pair of these now fiercely sought after mittens in my online shopping cart still eludes me. But on that warm summer day, I did... and I'm not even the least bit Canadian in ethnicity. But now I'm glad that I did and I will bring them proudly to Vancouver on February 20 and use them to warm my hands and heart.
You see, my friend, perhaps this is the true essence of the Games.
When the medal counts fade and the Vancouver venues become a warm and distant memory, what I will most remember is that I stood beside individuals from all across this globe on a brisk February morning in Vancouver and cheered on the collective human spirit. That spirit that beckons the youth and elderly of the world to join together to celebrate and advance our human condition and journey in friendly competition. That spirit that calls forth the best in each of us, whether we are on the slopes and ice... or in the stands. And in the end, no matter what individual or what country from which they hail receives the coveted Olympic medal, we all ultimately win.
Memorabilia is often times purchased, archived and stored. In my case, I want my children to always remember me as a simple collector of souvenirs. For in my opinion, souvenirs are meant to be savored and experienced, not stored away for a future E Bay sale. There isn't one shirt, jacket, hat - and now, these mittens - of Olympic origin that I haven't worn during past Olympic events and these mittens will join that collection as a souvenir. As well, the greatest moments in our personal life and in our collective world are not simply meant to be enjoyed after-the-fact and behind plastic wrap and photo plastic. We should and need to put on our favorite shirt (or mittens) and join the cheering crowd. Life invites us to do so and we get this one opportunity, this one life, to do so.
As I venture to Vancouver in a few short days, I must admit that this Olympic experience will be a little different. For standing beside me will be my 12-year-old son, absorbing all the excitement and gala that the Games have to offer. And most likely, because I was shortsighted in purchasing only one pair, he will be wearing those prized Canadian mittens. But that's just fine with me. There will be time enough for me to wear them, in the warmth of our living room, as we watch the Closing Ceremonies next week back in Fargo.
It should be noted that Vancouver and the Canadian Olympic Team worked together for quite some time to develop the "BELIEVE" campaign prior to and during the 2010 Olympic Games. Part of the intention was the push to secure more Olympic medals for the Canadian team on their home turf. Another part of the intention was and is to boost pride in the Canadian homeland and heritage. When the 2010 Games conclude, I "believe" they will have accomplished both. What a world it would be if we all left our homes each morning personally wearing a scarf that proclaims, "BELIEVE." In that spirit of competition and pride in one's heritage, you might as well call me Canadian.
Posted by: leehoedl on 2/17/2010 at 9:42 | Comments (0) | Permalink
Tags: 2010 mittens and gloves, olympic
Vancouver Olympics FAQs
With any unique sporting spectacular such as the Winter Olympics, there are bound to be "frequently asked questions" (FAQs) and the 2010 Olympics has already begun generating its own list. Here are a few recent FAQs from the 2010 Games:
After the death of Georgian luge racer Nodar Kumaritashvili during a practice run, Olympic officials moved the men's starting point lower down the track—to where the women usually start. Why do women start lower than men?
It's a strength issue. Luge requires significant upper body force to push off and to maneuver the sled at high speeds. (Speeds on this particular track reached 95 miles per hour in practice runs.) Based on the assumption that women are less able to handle the hurtling sled safely, they typically start about 200 meters down the track, and thus go a bit slower. Tradition—or, some would say, sexism—also plays a role. Just as women's hockey doesn't allow checking, women's luge may differ from men's partly because of disproportionate concern for the women's well-being.
Commentators said the Whistler luge course is especially fast. What makes it so?
It's more vertical. While the average luge course drops about 350-400 feet over the course of about a mile, this one has a drop of 498 feet. Speeds during practice runs were therefore in the 90 mph range, as opposed to the usual 80 mph range. The number of turns is also a factor in a course's speed. More turns—and tighter turns—slow the sliders down, whereas they gain speed on straightaways. Weather conditions can also play a role: At lower temperatures, sleds travel faster across the ice.
What's up with the U.S. snowboard team uniforms? It looks like they're wearing jeans—are they?
No. The U.S. Olympic snowboarding team's uniforms are made from lightweight waterproof Gore Tex fabric. The designer, snowboard equipment company Burton, overlaid images of worn denim onto the pants—and red, white, and blue plaid onto the jackets—using a coloring process called sublimation.
Figure skating jumps all look the same. What's the difference between a salchow jump and a toe loop and a lutz?
The takeoffs. There are two main types of jump: edge jumps and toe jumps. A figure skater takes off for an edge jump by standing on one skate—usually the left one—and pushing off with that same skate. To execute a toe jump, he plants his "toe pick"—usually his right toe—and uses that to propel himself into the air.
The entrance to the jump matters too—skating forward or backward, on one's right or left foot, or on one's inside or outside edge. To execute a salchow, for example, you take off skating backward using the left, back, inside edge of the blade. To perform a lutz, you start skating backward, plant one toe, and take off from the outside edge of your other blade. To perform an axel, you take off skating forward and turn an extra half rotation before landing. The easiest jump to learn is the salchow—named after its Swedish founder, Ulrich Salchow—followed by the toe loop, the loop, the flip, the lutz, and the hardest jump: the axel.
Does curling require any athletic skill?
Yes: balance. The game starts with a member from one team "delivering the rock," or sliding the 42-lb. concrete stone across the ice toward the "button"—a circle at the other end of the ice 150 feet away—while skating forward in a low squatting-type position. This "delivery" requires extreme precision, so staying upright without wobbling is important. (Watch the game being played here.)
Upper and lower body strength are key as well, both for the delivery and for the "sweeping." As the stone slides, two players brush in front of it in order to control its speed and its spin, or curl, directing it toward the button. Vigorous sweeping requires some stamina over the course of a typical three-hour match.
Just as important as physical ability is mental dexterity. Curling has been compared to chess, since teammates must try to anticipate their opponents' next several moves.
What is that strange bouquet they hand out to the Olympians?
A combination of spider chrysanthemums, hypericum berries, and aspidistra leaves. The design panel's original plan was to present bouquets composed entirely of plants native to British Columbia. But they nixed early concepts featuring native salal and boxwood, as well as hydrangeas, tulips, irises, and dianthus. They also vetoed pussywillow because a flying bouquet could poke someone in the eye. After going through 23 samples of various color combinations, the design panel decided on an all-green bouquet tied with a blue bow. A local florist is putting together a total of 1,800 bouquets.
How do sportscasters know so much about the really obscure sports? Do they follow them all year?
No. NBC has a team of researchers that gathers information about all the sports and helps prepare the producers and commentators for the games. That might mean briefing them on the rules of a particular sport, its history, or its quirky trivia. Past Olympics researchers include Dick Ebersol and Jeff Zucker. For added authority, the network gets former Olympians to talk about their sports. For example, Jonny Moseley will talk skiing, while Duncan Kennedy will discuss luge.
Posted by: leehoedl on 2/16/2010 at 21:21 | Comments (0) | Permalink
Balmy Conditions Persist In Vancouver
It's very hard to imagine temperatures at this time of the year being in the 50s, especially north of the state of North Dakota. But that is exactly what Vancouver has been and continues facing during the ongoing Winter Olympics. How great is the concern on mountain Olympic venues? Check out this article below that posted today (Feb. 16) in the Canadian Press.
-----------
Organizers shrug off questions about weather, but balmy conditions persist
By: James Mccarten, THE CANADIAN PRESS
16/02/2010 6:56 PM | Comments: 0
VANCOUVER, B.C. - If hand-wringing about the weather was an Olympic sport, Canada would surely dominate the podium.
So say officials from the Vancouver organizing committee known as VANOC, who would not admit defeat Tuesday in the face of Old Man Winter's steadfast refusal so far to show up at the Games that bear his name.
"What more do we talk about in Canada than weather?" asked Renee Smith-Valade, the cheerful but embattled VANOC spokeswoman whose daily briefings have featured a steady stream of questions about Olympic snafus.
"It's weather, and it is what it is, and we deal with it," she said. "We come up with plans that adapt, and we thank everyone who has been impacted by it for their patience and understanding, and we hope that they'll still be able to attend the events."
The fickle skies of Whistler, B.C., continued to torment organizers and athletes alike Tuesday as a night of heavy, wet snow forced officials to postpone the men's super-combined ski race to Sunday. A women's downhill training run was also cancelled.
"It's pretty clear we've had some challenging weather here," said Peter Bosinger, the alpine sport manager for the Vancouver Olympic Games Organizing Committee.
"We want to make sure that we put together a safe and fair race track. To do that we need time to prepare the race tracks."
As of Wednesday, the forecast predicts falling temperatures and clear skies, which should help to firm up the slushy wet white stuff - as well as the skiing schedule. So far three races have been postponed and training runs have had to be re-arranged.
"There is no panic situation," said Gunter Hujara, the men's race director for the International Ski Federation, or FIS.
While they would no doubt prefer more co-operative conditions, organizers have contingency plans in place to deal with weather challenges - snow had to be trucked and choppered in to the Cypress Mountain venues before the Games began - and ultimately can't control whatever Mother Nature decides to send their way, Smith-Valade said.
"What we're focusing on is our ability to react and to respond in ways which are creative and ensure at all costs the most positive experience for athletes."
Conditions at the cross-country venue in the Callaghan Valley near Whistler have been challenging, but everyone has to ski the same snow, said Tom Holland, high-performance director of Canada's cross-country ski team.
"It's a very sugary snow, (but) it's sugary for everybody," said Holland. Granular show doesn't stick to itself, making it difficult for a skier to get traction and creating a challenge for wax technicians.
"Some of the course is breaking down, but most of it is in good shape. They're doing everything they can to keep the snow bonded together, so the bottom doesn't give out."
More than half of the women racing in Tuesday's snowboard-cross qualifying runs tumbled under a soupy fog that blanketed much of Cypress Mountain, which is home to the snowboard and freestyle skiing events.
One racer who didn't fall was 31-year-old Maelle Ricker of Vancouver, who cruised to a Canada's second gold medal of the Games.
It wasn't immediately clear if poor visibility on the track was to blame for the rash of bails, none of which appeared serious.
Heavy morning fog on the peak forced officials to delay the start of qualifying by two hours.
Thanks to the fickle nature of mountain weather, alpine events are routinely delayed or rescheduled, said International Olympic Committee spokesman Mark Adams. Similar delays plagued the alpine events in Sarajevo in 1984 and Nagano in 1998, he noted.
"Weather is always a problem," Adams said. "It doesn't make things better than they are here, but it is always a problem."
Furthermore, the forecast is looking up, he added. "We have good weather prospects. I'm hoping that in a week's time this will be a dim distant memory."
Posted by: leehoedl on 2/16/2010 at 20:56 | Comments (0) | Permalink
Tags: olympic, vancouver weather
How Do I Attend the London 2012 Games?
The 2010 Vancouver Olympics enters into its first week and I've already received questions/emails asking, "Is there a particular way I can go about securing tickets/reservations to the London 2012 Summer Olympics?"
Great question! For those that might want to at least inquire about the possibility, I would first encourage you to visit the 2012 London Olympics web site: www.london2012.com
As well, consider signing up for 2012 London's email updates, including ticket purchasing. Go to: www.london2012.com/settings//register.php
Within the secured site, you will be asked for your email and contact information. Further on, you will be given the opportunity to sign up for mailing lists: volunteering, venue progress, cultural events, transportation and YES, ticketing.
If you never ask, you will never find out... it was my first step to attending the Olympic Games.
Olympic Dreams, Lee
Posted by: leehoedl on 2/16/2010 at 9:55 | Comments (0) | Permalink
Tags: london 2012, olympic
Looking For Music of the 2010 Vancouver Olympics?
Did you enjoy the Opening Ceremonies of the 2010 Vancouver Olympics? Enough to purchase the music? Well, you're in luck...
You'll be able to find the music (download only) by going to ITunes. From there, type in the search engine "Sounds of Vancouver." The following music cover (shown on right) should come up.
There is one downside: You will need to purchase all 18 songs of the album for the price of $9.99. Commercialism at its best, but if you enjoyed the music from the Opening Ceremonies, it's well worth it.
OIympic Dreams, Lee
Posted by: leehoedl on 2/16/2010 at 0:42 | Comments (3) | Permalink
Hoedl Images from Olympics Posted on Separate Webpage
While my son Leo and I begin to sort through packing items and prepping all of our gear for the trip "across the border" to the Winter Games, here is nice location/link to photos from Day 4 of the Games:
digitalsportsdaily.com/olympics/22003
The biggest issue, at this point, in attending the Winter Olympic Games (aside from tickets, transportation, etc.) is having the correct access to online services so as to provide you - across international lines - with a "right up front" view of four days at the Olympic celebration in Vancouver.
I am hoping that I have all arrangements made with my cell phone and laptop. For those of you who will be following this blog (particularly during our days at the Games, Feb. 20-24), I have created a separate webpage where I will be posting images from the Games: www.hoedlshaven.com/2010VANCOUVER. It will be from this blog that I will redirect you to this page to view images. There is also a direct link from the Website Links (on the right sidebar).
In the meantime, enjoy the Games and I will continue to blog up to our departure and through our stay in Vancouver!
FINAL NOTE: Congratulations to the the team of Amanda Evora and Mark Ladwig, who finished in 10th place, in pairs figure skating! They represented the Upper Midwest USA very well.
Olympic Dreams, Lee
Posted by: leehoedl on 2/15/2010 at 23:12 | Comments (0) | Permalink
What Does It Take To Get Into the Olympic Venues?
Since I've begun blogging about the 2010 Vancouver Olympics, I have been asked several times, "How do I get into Olympic venues to see my favorite sports?" Aside from the plane tickets, venue tickets, updated passports and valid Olympic credentials to ride the public transportation in Vancouver, what does it take to prepare for and enter an Olympic venue? If you ever considering attending, here are some standard guidelines to view some of your favorite Olympic sports:
Arrive Early
Plan your trip so that you’re at the venue well before the scheduled start of the event. Gates open two hours before the start of competition at city venues and three hours before the start of competition at Whistler and Cypress Mountain venues. Gates open four hours prior to the start of the Opening and Closing Ceremonies.
Go Car-Free
As there is no spectator parking at any Olympic venue, public transportation is the best way to go. Don’t forget to reserve your seat on the Olympic bus network for Whistler and Cypress Mountain events. See more information on Games-time transportation.
Dress Appropriately
Dress for cold and wet weather — warmly, in layers and in waterproof clothing. Remember to wear suitable footwear as you may have to walk on uneven, snowy or icy surfaces.
Have Your Tickets Ready
Be sure to have your tickets with you as you must have a valid ticket to enter a venue. Treat your tickets like cash; lost or stolen tickets will not be replaced or refunded.
Prepare For The Security Screening
Avoid taking large bags to the venues. If you are unsure of what you can and cannot bring with you, check the prohibited and restricted items list:
- Aerosol sprays, flammable liquids, fireworks, water balloon launchers
- Ambush marketing of any kind, distribution of leaflets, pamphlets and non-approved publications, promotional material and wearables
- Animals (except service animals)
- Balls, Frisbees, racquets, hockey sticks, pucks and other sport items
- Bicycles, scooters, skateboards, skates, skis, snowboards, sleds
- Broadcast and lighting equipment from entities other than rights-holding accredited broadcasters and the host broadcaster
- Broadcasting and recording through the use of mobile phones or other transmitting devices (such as two-way radios, recording devices, PDAs or video cameras) for commercial purposes
- Dangerous, disruptive behaviour or behaviour which disturbs spectators (including, without limitation, public drunkenness, fighting, gambling, spitting, threatening staff or spectators, throwing objects onto the field of play and/or public seating area, political or religious activities)
- Displays of signage and banners containing religious, political, provocative or obscene content and or visible branding and trademarks of sponsor and non-sponsor companies; flags of non-participating countries; flags and banners larger than 2 m x 1 m; poles larger than 0.9 m (flags cannot be attached to any surface in the venue)
- Devices capable of causing a disturbance such as air horns, trumpets, lasers, thundersticks and noisemaking that might disrupt the session or be disturbing to other spectators
- Drugs, needles, prescription-strength medicines not validly prescribed for the ticket bearer by a physician
- Flash photography and other lighting devices (such as laser pens) anywhere around the field of play (exceptions may apply)
- Food and beverages, including alcohol, purchased outside of the venue (except for medical needs)
- Folding chairs or benches (stadium cushions are allowed in mountain venues)
- Glass containers or bottles
- Golf umbrellas, open umbrellas in seating areas disrupting spectators’ views
- Large bags (bags small enough to fit under a seat and not obstruct aisles are allowed) containers, coolers, ice chests
- Smoking (except in designated areas)
- Strollers in a seating bowl or viewing area
- Unauthorized collection of money or commercial activity (such as hawking, ticket resale), sale of counterfeit goods
- Use of radio frequency devices (Wi-Fi, pocket wizards and land mobile radios) that have not been registered and coordinated with Industry Canada prior to entry into the venue
Your Payment Options
Visa cards and cash are the only methods of payment accepted at Olympic venues.
Posted by: leehoedl on 2/14/2010 at 21:49 | Comments (0) | Permalink
Tags: olympic, security, venue entrance
What About Vancouver's Homeless?
Just behind the bright lights and banners of any Olympic experience, there are other issues that emerge... many of which are just beyond and under the radar of the coverage of the media. In Vancouver's case, it is a continual Olympic issue: homelessness.
------------------
By Taraneh Ghajar Jerven / February 12, 2010
Vancouver, British Columbia
Vancouver residents are not cynics or zealots. But do not be surprised if there are more protesters than athletes at the Olympics Opening Ceremony. The Olympics have a history of leaving host cities in debt, and relocating the poor and homeless away from the sanitized corridors of host cities. Vancouver is no exception.
The city initially put the public cost of hosting the Olympics at $660 million. It has exceeded that by $5 billion in unanticipated public spending, when the government bailed out the Vancouver Olympic Organizing Committee (VANOC), which went bankrupt during the global financial turmoil.
Due to the government’s unanticipated Olympic spending, Vancouver’s most basic public programs will have to scrabble for funding in the coming years. The already neglected programs to address housing and homelessness won’t make the government’s agenda at all.
For both Atlanta in 1996 and Sydney in 2000, the solution to visible homelessness was forcibly removing citizens from tourist areas during the Games.
Vancouver’s marginalization of the lower income citizens, however, began well before 2010. The homeless population in Vancouver has doubled since the city won the bid in 2003, as residents were squeezed out of low-income housing during the Olympic real estate boom and gentrification.
Then in December 2009, British Columbia, Vancouver’s province, passed the Assistance to Shelter Act allowing police officers to use compulsion to remove the homeless from public areas. Because the law has no local precedent, the timing sparked a heated debate about the government’s policy toward the homeless during the Olympics.
The reaction was so strong that Jim Chu, the Vancouver police chief constable, made an independent statement to the press that his officers would not uphold the legislation.
Chu’s force, however, is a small portion of the Olympics security, which has cost $900 million – that’s $240 million over the estimated total public cost of Olympic preparation.
Host cities consistently anticipate that the Olympics will deliver long term positive effects that do not materialize. In light of these botched scenarios, which have significant social and fiscal costs, perhaps it’s time to lay a faulty model to rest.
As long as the Olympics change locations, ill-equipped cities with the best intentions will make cosmetic preparations that exacerbate local issues without adding any positive legacy. Developers will get richer and local governments poorer. In fact, the notoriously negative effects of hosting are referred to among economists as “the host city curse.”
In Vancouver the Olympics aggravated a housing crisis. Homelessness is so prevalent that 57 percent of local residents voted it as their priority to address when the city won the Olympic bid.
Canada, the only Group of Eight member lacking a national housing strategy, has 300,000 homeless – with disproportionately high numbers of aboriginal Canadians who have a homelessness rate 15 times greater than the rest of the population. In British Columbia there are 15,000 homeless. Downtown Vancouver contains the poorest region in all of Canada.
Posted by: leehoedl on 2/13/2010 at 21:24 | Comments (0) | Permalink
Tags: hoedl, homelessness, olympic
Sometimes, Less Can Be So Much More
I will state this disclaimer from the very beginning: I am a man of the woods and the wild. Although I have grown to truly love the majestic terrain of the state of North Dakota, I find myself most comfortable amidst the subalpine aroma of spruce and a dramatic vista of a Rocky Mountain formation. So it's no surprise that the 2010 Vancouver Opening Ceremonies would appeal to my spirit.
Unfolding in the shadow of the glamorous eye candy of the 2008 Beijing Opening Ceremonies, the Vancouver ceremonies made a subtle but dramatic appeal to the daring spirit of the explorer while sharing with the world the rich heritage of the Canadian people. There have been and will be many commentaries comparing the 2008 and 2010 Opening Ceremonies, but in many ways it is a comparison between a pear and a pine tree. And Vancouver held its head - and torch - high.
On the day of the opening ceremonies of the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, a luge slider from Georgia died as a result of a major crash during a test run on February 12, 2010. In true and humble manner, the Opening Ceremonies were dedicated to Nodar Kumaritashvili. A perfect addition to the humble unveiling and welcome of the Opening Ceremonies.
From the exhilarating stadium floor transformation into a whale-steeped ocean to the its continued transformation from a forested glen to an open prairie to a majestic mountain range, Vancouver shared its story in a very rich and personal style. As the ceremonies program director stated before the festivities, the intention and focus of the Opening Ceremonies was simply to remain "intimate." And with the very solemn - regardless of the mechanical mishap - lighting of the Olympic cauldron, this Ceremonies remained true to its intention and focus. Congratulations, Vancouver.
Do I love a spectacular fireworks display? Just as much as the next patriotic person. But I am most endeared to an event, a moment, a journey that causes me to personally reflect afterward. And the Vancouver Opening did that just for me. It spoke to that wooded and serene glen inside of me; it touched that mountain peak where I feel most comfortable. And it left me wanting for more. So to Vancouver I'll go to be satisfied.
Did you happen to miss the three-hour spectacular? You can view morsels from the dramatic presentation at: www.mahalo.com/2010-olympics-opening-ceremony
Olympic Dreams, Lee
POST NOTE: My son Leo and I had the opportunity to watch the unfolding television coverage of the Georgian luger's death while on his training run on Friday, February 12. Leo realizes that he and I will be standing next to the railing of the Whistler Sliding Centre course just eight days from today, but he hasn't raised the issue of the luger's death with me yet. It will be a wonderful and solemn moment for both of us when we find ourselves in that place...
Posted by: leehoedl on 2/13/2010 at 20:06 | Comments (0) | Permalink
Tags: less is more, olympic, opening ceremonies
2010 Opening Ceremonies and the HOEDLYMPICS
The Opening Ceremonies of the 2010 Winter Olympiad open this evening and although we won't be present in Vancouver for the festivities, we will be by our television and watching all the pageantry.
And as for passion for the Olympic Games, I have been known to be on the side of slightly "obsessive." How so? Each Olympics, especially since the birth of our triplets in 2003, the Hoedls have hosted their own unique Olympic event. You can check out our past silliness at: www.youtube.com/watch
And in the meantime, check out this short promotional for the Opening Ceremonies: www.youtube.com/watch
Olympic Dreams, Lee
Posted by: leehoedl on 2/12/2010 at 10:24 | Comments (1) | Permalink
Tags: hoedl, hoedlympics, olympic, youtube
