Vancouver 2010 events

[Allee]

Is anyone else thinking of going to the Van 2010 Winter Olympics? I went online today looking at entering my name for the ticket lottery, only to find that the schedule is the pits.

SBX and halfpipe are in the first week, Mon(guys) and Tue (girls) for SBX, Wed-Thu same format for the halfpipe. Then the skicross is not on until the next Mon-Tue, and the PGS is on Friday and Saturday of the closing weekend.

I'd like to be on site for all the snowboard events, and maybe some speed skating and freestyle skiing as well, but I can't afford to hang around for two whole weeks. I could skip the ski cross and head home, do some work and pay the bills, and then drive back for the closing weekend. This is of course, assuming I can get tickets to all this - the PGS should be OK, but the rest is going to be high demand stuff.

Ugh. And then to add insult to injury, they're charging $65 per event just to stand in the mosh pit... $125 if you want a seat. Decent tix for the opening ceremony are around $550.

Has anyone here been to the Winter Olympics before? Michelle, I know you were at one ... any tips to pass on?

[J'suis là]

I'd like to go, so I worked up a schedule with an event that I'm interested in for every day of the Olympics: I'm up to $3,000. . .It might be easier for me to get into the national SBX team than getting the tickets I want, though, I've never raced before. Ahahah.

So I submitted a volunteer application first, and, will figure out the ticket thing in a bit.

[Gtanner]

My folks live in Squamish, so a bunch of us are crashing there. My wife and I have put in our applications for volunteering and are applying to buy a bunch of tickets...essentially if we don't need the tix due to being able to volunteer, we can sell them back to VanOc.

Looking forward to it

-Gord

[Rob Stevens]

Having been to just about all of the snowboard events, on-site, since Nagano, I can tell you that you're better off watching it on TV.

Between the traffic, security and the fact that you can usually only see a small part of the course (unless you're at the HP event) you're kind of at a disadvantage going in person.

If you have to be there for the atmosphere, volunteer. Another option is to go to Van, party and watch the coverage in one of the big arenas they usually set up off-site showing events on the megatron.

On this note, Chrissrad, if you're reading this, I'll get in my app as soon as I get my new office sorted out.

[Allee]

Guess that I should keep that volunteer application in the works then :-)

I actually like the idea of drinking beer and watching on the big screen with all the other paupers. Winter Olympics, poverty-pack style! I'm picking that would be a decent party ...

I'll have to see if my GF is going to be there. She works World Cup every year at Lake Louise, so has plenty of "ins" for the tents and such. If I can talk her into making the trip, it might almost be worth it.

Thanks guys! I'll put the ticket request in, and see how we go from there ...

[BlueB]

Ha, funny, you huys are truying to get in, while some of us locals think of changing the mountain for the period of Olympics or even for the season...
Yet, I still might end up volunteering at the GS, through the local connections ;)

[Dave*]

I live right in Vancouver , my plan is to get the hell out of town for the duration of the Olympics/ParaOlympics.

This based on current knowlege of how Vancouver functions at the best of times, its a bit of a gong show, forget the traffic/security/extra people etc crammed into this place as well as the recomendations from Brother who was in Calgary during the 88 Olympics.

Not to mention my snowboard season will be shot at my two preferred local places to go , Cypress/Whistler,

Yup you can color me Mr "anti olympics"

Now as to the cost overruns and extra taxes we will pay for the next 40 years for this.......... that is another story:angryfire

[Riceball]

Alison, I bought a big new 61" HD flat screen last year that will do just fine. You're welcome to come over to the Recsky household and sit by the fireplace - of course there will be refreshments...

Steve

[Allee]

Ha ha! That sounds a lot warmer than sitting outside in BC Place - but 61 inches vs 61 feet - I don't know ...

If anyone wants to blow town and rent their place for an exorbitant fee, let me know. Otherwise, I'm thinking that the CruiseCanada camper van in the WalMart parking lot is looking like a good option!

[skategoat]

I have a cousin in Whistler so the really expensive part is taken care of. However, I expect to get jacked big time on airfares and tickets. I'm doing it this way - staying in Whistler for 3-4 days, taking in whatever events I can and watching the rest on TV. I'm not going to do the Whistler - Van run since I expect it to be madness. So, I will miss the snowboarding events at Cypress but Rob says, they are better on TV.

[philfell]

I had a seat for the HP in Salt Lake and a general admin. for the PGS. The general admin was much better. Got to walk around, more of a fun atmosphere, ect. Sitting on a cold seat in the winter isn't that much fun. Save the money and get a general admin ticket.

[xy9ine]

I live right in Vancouver , my plan is to get the hell out of town for the duration of the Olympics/ParaOlympics.


my wife is trying to convince me to rent out the house for a month & go live somewhere abroad. if some of the rental rates that people have been throwing around are even close to realistic it'd be a decent free vacation. though i'm somewhat curious to check out the 'olympic experience' in the city.

[ruwi]

I share the same idea with Dave*. Go to the interior if possible. But the problem right now, I have to do a major project for the olympics, being in the Wireless Telecom Industry, we have been asked to be available the entire event.:mad:

ruwi