Yongpyong free ski day

On our first day at Yongpyong, it was a day to get familiar with the venue.
After a 20 minute gondola ride to the top, I went into the summit lodge to put my boots on and leaned down and found this backpack under the table.  It made me smile.  Good to know there are Sled Dogs in the neighborhood. 

The jury did our inspecting - looking at the condition of the slope and the extent of the safety systems.  The crews have been working for weeks ensuring the safety is in place,  All good.

After days of the ladies racing on the slope, snow has accumulated up against the nets and it needs to be shoveled, raked and snowblown off the track...

 

 

It is sometimes difficult to remove snow when the wind shifts on you while you are trying to blow snow over the A Net.

 

 Because of the narrowness of the GS course and A nets lining the course, there are no 'safe' places for coaches to stand on the course.  What the organizing committee did, was to install several towers on the course so they could safely watch their athletes during the races...

 

After the free ski, TD Thomas was last man standing as the coaches quickly bug out.

 

 The athletes have limited access to the competition slope but they have plenty of space to continue their training on other runs on the mountain...

The start crew spent the day shaping the start bench and installing the tent and Olympic façade...

There are a number of crews here at Yongpyong, including this air fence crew which has a few Lake Louise Sled Dogs on it as well....

The course is now set and ready for tomorrow's GS race...

 

 

The team captains meeting was a lot bigger than at the speed venue...

 

 The tower passes were at a premium - Markus was handing them out - one per team.

 

Here is a North Korean is inspecting the board, he and his teammate are starting 109th and 110th.

 

After the meeting, we grabbed some dinner and did a bit of wondering around.  At the bottom of the mountain here there is the Swiss House, the USA House and the Sweden House. 

 

As we walked by the Sweden House, the king, yes the King (Carl XVI Gustaf) of Sweden was doing an interview.

 

 

 

He was even carrying his own backpack.

B.