Day One on snow

My Day One on the course was a cold blue bird day.
My first pass through venue security was uneventful, even though I was packing my Leatherman and a big pack.....it must have been my o-FIS-cial uniform that I was wearing that got me through ;)
Our hotel is literally 150 m from the gondola base.

The jury took the gondola to the top of the mountain, where we slipped down the course. The safety systems are all brand spanking new and installed in very straight lines for the entire course. It all looks 'very Olympic'.

After the inspection, we discussed radio protocols, jury positions on the course, any safety changes

and then cycled back around to inspect the course.  At 10:30, with the jury member in position and all course workers safely sidelined, Didier Defago ran the course to assess the gate adjustments and tweaks to the jumps following the prior day's test pilot runs.

 

Here, Chief Race Director Markus Waldner gives Didier some last minute instructions.

 

Following Didier two runs, we cycled off the mountain for a lunch and to discuss plans for the next day's training run (DH TRA 1).

In the afternoon, the coaches and techs were allowed on the course to inspect. It was their time first seeing the course since the test event in 2016.

All the while, the course crews were doing course maintenance - slipping the course, adjusting the safety - all experienced course crews know all safety systems get moved at least 3 times.

Banner crews _AKA 'The look of the Games' crew' were installing the 2018 PyeongChang banners with their slogan Passion. Connected.

 

Other crews patiently waited in the course to hear their next assignment, which in this case, to get their picture taken....

 

 

 

One crew spent 2 hours chainsawing chunks of snow to build a wall to hide and muffle the noise from several generators near the start....

 

I am interested to see just how they high they built it when they are finished.

 

I have been assigned as Start Referee for the speed events, so for the next 7 days - this is my office:

 

The back door:

 

 

The front door:

 

I will be sharing my office with Luca, the Swiss Timing/Longines/Omega starter, 4 microphones and a Big Eye camera mounted in one corner and two out front. I get to meet every Olympic downhill racer that comes through the back door and make sure they get safely out the front door. Pretty exciting.

 

There are broadcast cameras everywhere include a zipline camera overlooking a large section of the course...

 

At the finish, there is the large grandstand...

 

 

and, of course, the large Olympic rings which will be in many selfies this week....

 

The snow is kept 'pristine' white because of helpful instructions like this:

 

 

The highlight of my day was to catch up with the Sled Dogs who are here working at Jeongseon.  They are all on the Air Fence crew and have been here a lot longer than I have.

 

I caught them on their lunch break.  Lookin' good boys!

 

 

Everyone is looking forward to tomorrow's training run - Austria's ORF will be broadcasting it, so while tomorrow may be a training run, it is still 'go time'.

 

B.