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Don't you just love the Winter Olympics? They are so different from anything else on tv. I even got into the curling this year and actually understand the game and appreciate how skilled the payers are. All the skiing and skating sports are great and the bobsled and luge are so cool. Why do we have to wait 4 years?
The winter olympics are something we can really relate to in Small Town Canada.
Just about any town with a population of 500 has an indoor ice arena with a minor hockey program, figure skating club, and a curling club.
Every kid has a pair of skates, just like they have a winter coat and boots. The guy who sharpens my skates used to judge figure skating at the national level.
I realize that curling is a sport that much of the world just does't understand, but your more likely to find a person here who has curled than has played golf or bowled.
When the Men's national curling championship (the Briar) was held in Sault Ste Marie, there was actually people scalping curling tickets.
I can tell there aren't too many snowboarders here. Not even a comment about the US contribution to the sport and it's impact at the games let alone the success of the team. Womens snowboarding has advanced dramatically since 2002 IMHO. I hear that snowboarding has overtaken skiing in popularity in the US as of last winter. I'm taking the day off tomorrow and headed up to Jay Peak with a couple buddies to practice my 180's. OK, that's almost lame, but hey, I'm an old man and still pretty new to the sport. Unless Bode Miller pulls of a dramatic sore ankle gold medal I may have to give up on even watching skiing - never tried it myself.
BTW, I ride a 2000 Burton Rush 164 with Burton Mission GT step-in bindings. I wear a helmet, carry a flask, mp3 player and a pocket full of dark chocolate. My slopeside lunch break includes my own breakfast burrittos made with genuine Cabot VT chipotle cheddar. Add a couple cold Long Trail Hibernators while kickin back in my 2006 Ford Ranger. Anybody here gonna have a better day than me?
For me, growing up on the backside of a ski resort in Vernon, NJ and spending most of my youthful years skating, playing hockey, skiing, snowboarding and sledding, I happen to like the winter olympics very much. Like Mikemic, I even got into the curling this year. Beneath the surface, it's a very complex and skillful game of strategy.
I gotta love the speed skating event for both men and women...Apollo Ohno is horrible tho...really, all the hype isnt doing anything for him. To be honest, he is one cocky freak who needs to shave off his "dyed-tee" He blames the Asians for his loss everytime...watch the replay and the reasons for him slipping and losing is due to his lack of skills.
I like watching the olympics. However, what gets me is during the day I listen to the radio, and they'll usually pop in and say "so and so won this or that or didn't win." It kind of takes the fun out of knowing the results before you see the event. I don't know why they have to announce the results before it even airs. Ok, my rant is done...Yes, I like the olympics
As of now the US is in a three way tie for 2nd place in total medals. Snowboarding alone accounts for nearly half our gold and silver, and more medals than any other category. If you throw out the snowboarding we slip to 7th place overall.
I LOVE the winter olympics: downhill, slaloms (all of them), bobsled, luge, skeleton, speed skating - big oval, not short track, figure skating (Tanith, will you marry me?), cross country skiing, biathalon - I watch almost everything! I watch at least 10 times more during the winter olympics than the summer.