Winter Olympics 2010 - Vancouver

I was lucky enough to have been able to attend the Winter Olympics in 2010 in Vancouver along with my (then) fiance and mother. My mother and I had planned this trip for years after vowing after not having gone to the Winter Olympics in Calgary in 1988.

This was our first event and it was the most difficult event to get to as it was raining very hard and there was a distinct lack of buses to take us from the parking lot to the event (as there was no parking at Cypress Mountain).

This event consists of two skiers skiing at the same time down the course over a series of moguls (snow bumps) very quickly with the occasional jump where the skiers fly into the air to perform complicated flips. Marks are awarded for speed and style.

In this event we were lucky to witness the first Candian medal being awarded of the games: A silver for Jennifer Heil.

As luck would have it we were at the medal ceremony the following day to see the medal actually being given…

We arrived very early so we could park the car quite some distance from the venue. All transport in the city was free for ticket holders but there was no parking at any venue. At this time of the morning (we had to be several hours early) we could not get a bus from where we were staying to arrive in time…

It was good to see the Canadian men's curling team win their match here in the first round of the curling. They would go on in later rounds to eventually take the gold medal.

Of course, it was good to see the national sport of Canada at the Olympics and this match, though it was won by Russia 8-2 was closer than it might seem. The atmosphere was quite incredible.

This time the buses were much better organised as we made our way to Cyprus Mountain to see the women's ski cross where four skiers descend at the same time along a narrow, winding, track down the mountain over a series of jumps. The first person down wins.

Again, we were lucky enough to see a Canadian win a medal: In this case a gold! We were even luckier in that they actually presented the medal at the hill!

Ok, the weather was not great, but we really enjoyed the experience. Despite the hassle for accomodation and tickets never mind the expense it really is a very special experience. Bring on London 2012!

For further information, please see:

• Official Olympics Site - Vancouver 2010
• Your Guide to the Vancouver 2010 Winter Games