Olympic Update: Last Day in Blue!

snowy final shift

Today was my last day as a volunteer at the Whistler Sliding Centre! Went out with the four-man bobsled. We also had rain all day so I can't say I'm sad to be done. As a parting gift, they gave us a little Swatch watch and a medallion thingy that I'll probably bury in a box somewhere and then find ten years from now. I'll think back to the amazing exeperience this has all been.

The watch though I'll probably auction to raise money for the Ride to Conquer Cancer. Now accepting interested offers!

I suppose now would be a good time to reflect on all the people I met, the spectators I helped, the racing I cheered, the medals Canada brought home (and hopefully will bring home tomorrow) ... but really I'm pretty exhausted so I think I'll keep this one short.

But I would be remiss if I didn't mention we're now number 1 for golds!!!!

While my volunteering is all but over, I'm still in the west for another couple days. Tomorrow the Premier is speaking to athletes at a reception in Vancouver, so I'll try to make it to that and hear what he has to say. Still haven't had a chance to meet up with some western friends so I'll also do some rounds I hope. Would be amazing to get out riding again (snow OR dirt), but I won't hold my breath.

Then Monday, I'll be fighting my way through YVR with the 39,000 other people (and 77,000 bags) expected to be leaving -- a record apparently. Fingers crossed, and thank god I'm not flying standby!

Team Canada closes their second run, putting them in 2nd going into the finals!

After the Americans went over (a TON of crashes today) their sled is trucked back to the operations buildings

Riiiiiiiicola!

Rocking out with Wintersleep in the Village Square: my swan song.

I meet some mounties on my way to the bus. Height requirement to get in you know.

Olympic Update: Pin Trading!

My walk to work today

It's so sunny we had to change the time of the races today to 4pm from 1pm. Of course, not everyone got the memo so we had a long "ingress" today as people arrived for the races. Egress ended up being a lengthy affair too because everyone was trying to get a spot in the village for the ill-fated hockey game. Of which I will not say anything more about.

Another sunny day at WSC!

So while killing time, I got up to trading some pins with the kids. I don't know why but wherever I go, there's always a little girl who wants to trade pins with me. So here are some thoughts on pin trading.

At first, I was a bit stuck on some of the ones I picked out from the Olympic store. I soon grew out of that and realized it wasn't really what was on the pin that matters, but how it makes you feel to give it away to someone who thinks it's amazing. The more you like a pin, the cooler it feels to pass it on. So each one becomes not some metal representation of those goofy mascots, or someone's home town, but a tangible link to the memory of meeting someone new, sharing a story and a laugh and doing something nice for that person. It's all about the spirit of friendship that makes the Olympics so awesome.

Pin Traders!

That said, I recieved a pair of orange clogs today from the Dutch bobsledder's girlfriend that I think is pretty cool. I'll probably hold on to that one.

I was in the finish area again today, back to the same place I had my first shift: the big Thunderbird turn. No crashes today thank goodness, except for the forerunner, poor guy.

Fore runners are local athletes who go out and warm up the track for the Olympians. They have an important job: rip it up and then report back to athletes and coaches about any issues they'll need to know about. Before heat 1, we had 6 forerunner runs, and 2 before heat 2 (at least I think I counted 2).

Forerunner on Track

In briefing this morning we heard that since Rush/Brown had crashed yesterday they wouldn't be racing today in order to save themselves for the four-man event (since they were nearly guaranteed not to medal). But in the end both Canadian sleds raced. Lueders/Lumsden ended up 6th, but for a couple runs they were in 1st so we had a very exciting few moments. It's amazing to feel that energy boiling. Even if it was snuffed out. In the end it was the Germans dominating the podium. I think precision driving is kind of their thing.

Rush/Brown, run-out

Lueders/Lumsden, Thunderbird

Finally finished work at a reasonable time, I hightailed it out of there. Bus back to Squamish to a sushi dinner waiting for me. Going to watch a movie with G (imagine that! Actually spending time with him!) and then get some rest for our big Chief mission in the morning.

No Olympic updates for FOUR DAYS. At least not from the Sliding Centre. I'm excited for Tuesday too because we're heading into Vancouver for a reception and to visit the Ontario Pavillion.

More COWBELL! The Swiss and their "Samsonite sized Cowbells"

Live drumming entertainment

Quatchi helping me blog. Got him a couple shifts ago for coming to work five times.