All Things Olympic

It’s crazy how busy day to day life becomes with this little sporting event in our backyard. We’ve been visiting various sites around the Lower Mainland taking in all of the sights and sounds to be had, and of course, the swag as well. Holland Park represents Surrey quite well, with a strong musical lineup, the people really make it happen throughout Robson Square and up and down Granville.

Here are a few highlights for us so far…

Jen Heil winning silver in the moguls, the question is where were you when Canada won its first Olympic medal? Standing amidst a crowd of people watching one of the screens in Robson Square was a pretty special moment. At the same time, you could feel the expectation of gold throughout the area.

What is it with guys named Alexandre and this city? Alexandre Bilodeau won gold in a fantastically impressive moguls event on the mens side, he put on an awe inspiring run to take his place at the top of the podium. It’s crazy how many Canadians have finished 4th, 5th and 6th in the last few days as well. Hopefully, the next few days have athletes stretching just that much farther. We’d encourage crowds to throw down some overwhelming support during it all.

Kristina Groves took  a bronze medal at the Oval today in womes speed skating. Groves medalled in 3,000 m long track, a race not considered her specialty. Could she be shaping up to be the Cindy Klassen of these Olympics? Speaking of Klassen, battling back from an injury landed her in 13th in this race, while flag bearer, Clara Hughes, came in 4th. Once again, Canada is a positive tested doped athlete away from medalling.

What’s better to hear a few hundred people singing in the middle of the street? Oh Canada, or Living on a Prayer? We’re hoping we hear a lot more Oh Canada during the next few Victory and Flower ceremonies.

Speaking of Victory Ceremonies, not too impressed by Nelly Furtados performance tonight, although after her brutal (and we’re being nice, here) showing with Bryan Adams at the opening ceremonies, what can you expect? Tomorrows Victory Ceremony should be good, as Bilodeau will be awarded the first Canadian gold medal on Canadian soil.

If you went out to check the Olympic torch recently, you’ll probably be headed back soon. Word has it that the fence that keeps visitors a few hundred feet away from the torch will be moved closer to the torch itself. Righfully so, the amount of space left between the fence and the actual structure is not just silly, it’s almost mean spirited. Thousands of people trying to fix the focus on their cameras through fences, while volunteers and workers are getting photos hugging the friggin’ thing isn’t too classy. We’ll keep you posted as to when it comes down.