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XXI Olympics A Positive Experience
There's Mostly Good, But Also Some Bad, At the Games
The nightly fireworks shows are certainly a plus in Vancouver.
Photo: Simon Leung Photography, Vancouver
No Olympics is ever perfect, and certainly Vancouver 2010 is no exception.
But at the XXI Winter Olympic Games. the positives far outweigh the negatives. PubClub.com takes a look at both – the good and the bad of these Games. As well as remembering one sad moment.
– THE GOOD –
Americans pose with Polish fans in Whistler Village.
• The Experience. Until one has actually been to the Olympics it is impossible to completely describe the experience. It's more than a sporting event, it's a feel-good gathering of people from all over the world. The term "Olympic spirit" is not an overused cliche, it's a true expression of everyone's mood, expressions and feelings.
The Olympic Rings are a draw day and night in Whistler.
The venues are decorated with Olympic flags and the Olympic torch and Olympic rings are as much of an attraction as the events. There's a feeling of excitement at every turn. In Vancouver, two open areas feature public gathering spots with live music and in Whistler there are free nightly concerts in the Village. The Olympic atmosphere is everywhere and it's a lot more contagious than curling.
People are all smiles, whether on the streets or in the bars
• The People. There are fewer smiles at beauty pageants than there are at the Olympics. Everyone is happy. The people at Olympic Games talk with strangers, chat it up at the events, have beers with them in the bars.
There is a lot of national pride on display – traditional dress is worn, flags are draped around bodies or stuck in hats and names of countries are prominently displayed on shirts and sweaters – yet people eagerly pose for pictures with the friendly folks from other places. If everyone acted this way, there would be no wars.
Posing for pictures with athletes is a common occurrence.
• The Athletes. One might expect them to be inaccessable, scarce as snow at Cypress before the Games and surrounded by an entourage on the rare times they do appear in public. But nothing could be farther from the truth.
The athletes are out in the crowds, on the streets, in the Whistler Village, even stopping in the bars having drinks with fans. PubClub.com had its picture made with a Swiss gold medalist, met the USA men's bobsled team who were hanging loose in the Village and downed drinks with the German bobsled team, the USA women's luge team, women's cross-country skiers from Croatia and Greece and the Austrain ski jumping coach.
All the competitors PubClub.com encountered proved to be as easy to approch as a chair lift. In fact, if not for their distinctive team uniforms – the same ones millions viewers saw on TV when the athletes walked through the stadium for the Opening Ceremonies – they would appear to be any other patron. "Hi, what team are you with," is a common question, and they will proudly – but without boasting – tell you. Then they will have a toast with you. Plus, they are Olympic ahtletes!
One of the most lasting images of the Games – certainly in Canada, anyway – was of Canadian Jon Montgomery who, moments after winning the Gold Medal in men's skeleton, walked through the Whistler Village drinking out of a pitcher of beer on his way to a CTV interview. Hundreds of fans began followed behind him in an impromptu parade.
Now THAT'S an Olympic moment.
The Whistler Sliding Center is one of the best Olympic venues.
• The Show. There is just something special about being at an Olympic event. It's different than a normal sports happening because not only is something huge on the line but there are dozens of teams in competition for a championship, not just two. And there is all that national pride, not only among the fans but the athletes, as well.
The zip line at Robson Square and entertainment outside Downtown Live!
• The Host Cities. Talk about accommodating. The host venues (Vancouver and Whistler are two hours apart) are as welcoming as a grandmother on Christmas Eve. And like grandma, they have the table all set, the good linens out and presents under the tree.
Vancouver has a public ice skating rink (at Robson Square, and if anyone wants to find the big crowd in town, this would be the place), a zip line (also at Robson Square), the two free public concert and gathering places and a fireworks show every night.
People pack it in for the concerts and there's more entertainment in Whistler.
Whistler has constant entertainment in the Village, whether it's a "battle of the drum bands" (for lack of a better term) or a musician set up in the daytime, the huge Olympic rings that is the area's most popular photo spot or the free nightly bands.
Both places have a bobsled where people can sit in and pose for pictures.
 The fun and friendly Canadians have proven to be perfect hosts.
Photo: Simon Leung Photography, Vancouver
• The Hosts. Anyone who has ever been to Canada or met a Canadian knows how gentle and friendly things are in "The Great White North." That was to be expected going into the Games and that's exactly the way it's been throughout the Games.
This hospitality could hardly be more exemplified for PubClub.com than during the USA's 5-3 upset hockey win over Canada on Sunday, Feb. 21.
Now these Mounties are easy to spot in Whistler.
• Security. The presences of security is everywhere on the streets of Vancouver and Whistler. Yet at the same time it's out of the way enough to allow fans to enjoy the experience of the Games without being bothered.
Oh to be sure, any troublemakers would be easily spotted and dealt with promptly but for the most part security personnel are like an American football referee – you only notice them if somebody does something wrong.
"We were told not to be noticed," said one Canadian Mountie, "and that's what we're trying to accomplish."
Well done. But we do know you're there.
• The Cowbells. Initially, they can be a tad irritating. But once one is at an event and people start ringing them, then it brings a college football-type of flavor to the Games. They also alert people to when an athlete is coming into view, so the cowbells serve to be both inspirational and functional. People also ring them in the bars, restaurants and streets, which brings smiles and makes people laugh and cheer.
The flame burns bright, especially at night.
– THE BAD –
• The Gouging. Despite being warned by the restaurant associations to keep prices in line, some (many) bars and restaurants in Vancouver and Whistler have significantly raised their prices during the Games. Beers went from $6-7 to $10 . Or more. This, quite simply, is gouging. A number of restaurants also slapped on automatic 20% gratuities to bills. In part, this was to protect the servers from Europeans not accustomed to tipping, or who leave small tips as they do in their home countries. But 20%!? A customer does not always get 20% service.
• Police Crackdown on the Bars. Once the Games began, the police often outnumbered the patrons in Whistler and Vancouver's bars and restaurant/bars. Nearly every establishement in Whistler was fined for "overcrowding," leading owners and managers to strictly adhere to "capacity" which, under archaic BC liquor laws, seems to be about half what a place can actually hold. As a result, people have been forced to wait in lines for 15-30 minutes, only to walk into a nearly-empty bar. Hey, it's the Olympics. Bars are SUPPOSED to be crowded!
People gather at the flame – behind a fence.
• The Placement of the Cauldron in Vancouver. The biggest mistake made by VANOC (the Vancouver Organizing Committee) was to hide the Olympic flame and cauldron behind a fence. Public outcry and heavy media coverage resulted in a slight improvement; officials moved the fenceline back and cut small holes in it, but it's still behind a fence.
The display – which is stacked with tourists all day and even past midnight – could have been designed to be much more fan friendly from the start. Some type of pedestal protected by a moat-like area could have provided up-close and unobstructed 360-degree views.
• NBC's Coverage. This is not an issue at the Games, but is sure has been for those in the States attempting to watch the Games. NBC's approach to televising the Olympics is as outdated as BC's liquor laws.
The network has refused to show live events in the daytime (something CTV in Canada has no problem doing), preferring to jam everything in a prime-time highlight show. Events are not even live on the West Coast, which just happens to be in the same time zone as the host city. NBC has made as many mistakes as Olympians have won medals. Read more about it here.
– THE SAD –
• The Death of luger Nodar Kumaritashvili on the first day was a tearful start to the Games. With all the positives of Vancouver 2010, this was one sad day.
– MORE VANCOUVER 2010 OLYMPIC STORIES –
• USA-Canada Hockey: Report from a Vancouver Bar
• Winter Olympics Fans & Party Guide,
• Winter Olympics Fun Photos,
• NBC's Crappy Coverage of the Games,
• Lindsey Vonn, America's Olympic Star,
• Tips on Ways to Identify Canadians at the Games
• A Look at the Games & Scene in Vancouver
• A Look at the Games & Scene in Whistler
• Arrival in Vancouver of the Olympic Torch.
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