I have been replaced!

This trip to Korea has been 3 years in the making and with less than one week to go, I have been replaced.

Mimi now has another to love while I am away.
Our daughter, Katie just took possession of Bella, their new puppy. 

And just like that, Mimi has 'someone' to spoil while I am away.

Bella will be in good hands, as I can imagine that in between watching Olympic coverage, Mimi will be taking her on walks and teaching her new tricks.

Lucky dog.

B.

Now in 'Injury Avoidance' mode

With less than a week to go before I leave for Korea, I am conscious of not wanting to get hurt before I go, especially something that might jeopardize the trip.

I have backed off from playing morning hockey and I do more sliding on the ski hill than carving.  I stay on the groomed runs and probably won't venture back into Taynton Bowl at Panorama until I get back from Korea.

It gives me a chance to read up on Olympic stories....  Inside the Games

B.

Keeping the home fires burning

This weekend, I have been busy arranging for things to go ok while I am away.

I have been making a significant inventory of pancakes so they are available for Olympic Saturday mornings for the grands.  I have also split a lot more firewood and kindling so that Mimi can easily make a fire to stay warm at the cabin.

 

We also tripled the size of the wine rack...

...so that one way or another, Mimi will stay warm while I am away.

 

B.

 

Jeongseon - on hill report

Several Sled Dogs are already on site preparing the courses for the upcoming events.

This part of the effort isn't very Olympic - it is the pre-event hard work to prepare the piste that goes on with all World Cup events. Something like our Build Week at Lake Louise.

 

It was described to me by Sled Dog, Bruce Boulding, who is volunteering at the downhill venue (Jeongseon), as :

 

Up, bus, eat, work, eat, work, bus, eat, sleep. The work is going well. Course coming together.  The downhill training pitch has been watered top to bottom. The race course used the last couple of days by the Korean team.  Water programs scheduled for the next few days.  The air fences going in now that a lot of the TV towers are in place and the A Nets are getting wrapped.

It has been cold, but it continues to be beautiful.

 

The North American team at Jeongseon is small.  Me and Sam Harvey from the Sled Dogs and Kylie Dingman, an American who was here with us last year.  In a couple of days, Andre Labine joins us as do a father daughter team from the US.  That is it.   The rest are Korean and Russian.

 

All in all, things going well.  Looking forward to it going into games mode.

 

As you know, Jeongseon is pretty isolated from everything else and the Jeongseon volunteers are being housed southeast of Jeongseon at a nice place but it is remote from even basic restaurants.

 

These crews have the unheralded jobs that make it all work when the Olympic banners go up and they light up the cameras for the world to see in 2 weeks time.

 

B.

At least I will look the part

Thanks to friend, Darrell, I am now in possession of my FIS Olympic 'uniform'. The FIS arranged to have the suit shipped to Kitzbuhel where Darrell was to watch last week's World Cup.

He also brought back my accreditation, so I am pretty much good to go.....except for the next 10 days of annoying people with my conversation opener:  "Did ya know I am going to the Olympics?"

 

B.

Researching the country, the Olympics, events

Since 2016, I have been monitoring several online sites....

They include The Korea Herald.  It is an online English ‘newspaper’ that gives a sense for local business, politics, sports and other current events. Lately, the North Korea situation is getting lots of coverage:  The Korea Herald 

The Korea Herald Sports section inc Olympics is also a good site to hit.

I have also set up a Google search that hits any Olympic stories from the last 24 hours - it captures mainstream media stories as well as obscure items like small town stories about their local Olympian (or Olympic volunteer). It hits many international stories so it is quite well rounded in the coverage:
The last 24 hours of PyeongChang Olympic news

During the games, social media will light up from every athlete - so I don’t think any angle will be missed.

Of course, I am following the Canadian Olympic Team:   Team Canada

I am not on Facebook, so I can imagine there is a whole world out there of other coverage.  I do have an Instagram account (granda15), which may get a few picture posts while I am in Korea.

B.

Setting the 2018 Olympic stage

I am going to Korea next month as part of the jury for the Olympic men's alpine skiing events. It will be my first Olympics - after being out of the country for 7 years working in Argentina and Trinidad. Those adventures were captured in previous blogs...
Trinidad: http://ibelimin.blogspot.ca/   Buenos Aires: http://barneyinba.blogspot.ca/

Now onto a new adventure!

Two years ago in February, 2016 I went to Korea for the PyeongChang Olympic test event, it was the Mens World Cup Downhill/SuperG at Jeongseon.  The venue was brand new and the only lift on the mountain, a gondola, was completed just 10 days before the event.

The downhill race course was a white strip of manmade snow on a mountain that had virtually no natural snow.

As the event was a test of the race track, the venue, the organization and the ability to run a world class event,  it was pretty significant that the first downhill ever run in S. Korea was this World Cup.....and they did a pretty good job.

As this was a new experience for many of the local course crew, I saw a few selfies being taken on the course.





 

With most Olympics, there is planet of support from more experienced volunteers such as our very own Sled Dogs from Lake Louise, a dose of Americans and many Russians with experience from Sochi.   

I was there as the Start Referee, and here I am with my start tent-mates, the starter from Swiss Timing and the local broadcaster cameraman. 

The Slip Crew consisted of students who may have lacked experience but made up for it in enthusiasm.

The forerunners were young Korean racers, bolstered by the retired Swiss veteran, Didier Defago, who was great with sharing his knowledge with the younger racers. Defago won the Olympic gold at Whistler - so he has his papers.

 

The podium in 2016 was topped by Janka (SUI), followed by Innerhofer (ITA) & Kriechmeyer (AUT).  Looking forward to see who wins Olympic gold next month.

 

 

Link to 2016 World Cup Photos

I stayed at the Alpensia resort in 2016. At the time, they had an awesome ice sculpture display of over 50 buildings, & sculptures very close to our hotel and at the base of the Alpensia ski runs. I know that during the Olympics, the displays & cultural events surrounding the games will be amazing.

 

Link to 2016 Harbin Ice Festival photos

My flights and accommodation are all booked and my orientation documents have all been received & reviewed. Just waiting on accreditation to arrive in the mail.

A number of fellow Sled Dogs are already on location helping with course prep and safety installations. Looking forward to getting there.

B.