Speedy Creek Welcomes the World

Hi from the hospitable south west corner of Saskatchewan where, arguably, the best from among the curling women of the world are here, hitting and missing on thier way to the final four.  There is one draw left and it is Monday, so by now, everyone has their ice legs on, even the newbies from Latvia, who upset USA yesterday to score their historic first win at the Worlds.

The venue is well decked out and everything is under one roof at the Iplex.  The Swift Current Bronco fans are none to happy about being put out of their home ice as they succumb slowly to domination by the Wheat Kings, with no hope of home ice advantage to help them salvage the series, but who would've thought this would be their year.  It doesn't matter.  The curling fans in Swift Current are very well informed about the game, (compared to the Olympics curling audience).  Today, When Latvia took a 3-ender away from Jennifer Jones who curled over 90% in that game, the fans cheered heartily for a tough shot well made and points hard earned after Jones had spent a time-out and another several minutes pondering how to protect her lone stone on the button.  Canada took the game but Latvia has become the darling of the bonspiel.

There is international media here, in full force, dominating every element of the game.  In the Cda Latvia game, a TSN camera was completely in the scrum of Latvia's time out.  Yesterday, after China was crumbled 14-4 by Scotland, the Japanese media crew had a rep from the the Chinese coaching crew on the ice being inteviewed.  He was genuinely all smiles during the interview, with the ice crew in the background, working between draws.  I wish I could find out what they asked him.  World Curling TV is here too.  They are selling their games across the pond, and maybe to Asia.  The media crew is a dominant force here.

There have been a few quaint miscues, but they add charm to the event, just the way, the failure of the fourth arm to rise added charm to the opening ceremonies of the Olympics.  Word was that the volunteer in charge of national anthems, was really stresssed out that he'd have a technical glitch when playing the anthem for a "team of the day".  And it was indeed, a self-fulfilling prophecy.  And again, it was the Latvian team on the short end of the stick.  They were welcomed, the audience waved the free Latvian flags they received when they came into the arena, and the announcer gave the "all rise", alas, to silence.  We all willed the women to sing, and later when I asked them, they said they thought about breaking out in the Latvian anthem, but no, they were marched off, and went on to win thier historic game.  They were lined up at the beginning of the next draw, and the technician succeeded this time, played the anthem to honour them.  The unfortunate thing was, that I guess there is actually a pause in their anthem, but the WCF provided the committee with a truncated version, so, on the record, the first ever playing of the Latvian anthem at the World Curling Championships will go down as, "incomplete".

Yesterday, The Keith's Patch, which features the same dog and pony show as every STOH  or other world curling event that has been staged over the past 5 years, featured two curlers from Saskatchewan's Marj Mitchell team and two from Sandra Smirler's team, in "Up Close and Personal".  You can ask them whatever you want!  But folks weren't very forthcoming with their questions.  Nobody asked them what they thought about whether the international game should go to eight ends.  If that happens, it will just be announced without discussion.  I'm thinking of asking that question.  Jan Betker was on the couch for the chat session.  On Saturday, she threw the ceremonial first rock for the event, and put it right on the button.

There have been some fantastically curled games and some wild and woolly episodes.  Yesterday, Sweden played a split for four in the 10th to defeat Switzerland.  Feltscher seemed to be over-punching adreneline  in the 10th end of her games, but managed to finish off Russia this afternoon, in an extra end.

I'm not usually one to predict, but for the final four... I'll call Cda Sco Swe and in tiebreakers Chi USA and DEN.  I was predicting that Wood and Muirhead would be bad chemistry at Skip/3rd, but they seem okay.  And I like the Danes' chemistry, but they play the Jones style, but with less talent, so they can really blow games in a dramatic way.

I hope to post again.

The Jobs. The Venue.

Where did I go?  So Sorry.  So Canadian of me!  But I still have some tales to tell if you want to keep following and in a few weeks I'll be heading to the World Women's Curling Championships in Swift Current, so will have a fresh event to report on.

Well, frankly, I became absolutely overwhelmed by the Olympics!  Can you believe that?  I switched to timing day time draws and after two draws, by the time I got back to my wireless node, I had no piss nor vinegar to drive me into blogger land.  But I did get a few pictures and have been continuing to observe, since venturing back here to the quiet zone.

I didn't get very many pictures of the curling atheletes because, in the volunteer handbook it said "DON'T (actually typed in red) photograph atheletes/VIPs or ask them for autographs".  So, I realized I'd have to use my handy pencil camera to get whatever shots I could.  That's why there aren't many close-ups.  I have a few for you though.

I always had to keep my eye on the lime-green jacketed officials.  They wore the radios and gave the hand signals if there was anything to disrupt a game.  Of course, there weren't very many unusual interruptions.  Once I had a technical time out on my sheet so Andrea Schöp could verify if a stone was a biter or a free guard.  Once, in a men's draw of course, a stone bounced off the side barrier and was heading back into the house.  It got blocked with a broom and literally bounced, so the ice crew had to fix a huge hole in the 12-foot.  When the fifth players subbed into the games, that team's clock kept running, so it didn't affect me.  Mostly, for me, it was just redClock yellowClock redClock yellowClock and TickTock TickTock TickTock about 160 times per game.  I had four games where teams had zero time left on the clock when all of the stones had come to rest.  In one game both teams had zero... that was the GRB SWE tiebreaker.

I'm glad I have some photographs because the venue really was strikingly beautiful.

The timing paraphernalia was pretty straight forward.  But when the games were on, we were working beside the statisticians and they had a very interesting set up.  The stats crews worked in pairs and switched from being PC operator to being Caller/observer, every second end.  The software came from CurlIT and the supervising timers all had lots of international and previous Olympic experience.  Every pair also had a back-up PC, but I didn't see anyone use them. And, in addition to the PC's, the statisticians had two monitors with direct feeds from the overhead cameras above each house.  Most of the TV viewers probably realized that there were eight overhead camera's permanently in place, two per sheet.  So the statisticians could get a view of both ends through these feeds.  That would have been great, a few years ago, when the camera's were static shots of the house, but nowadays, with the ease of remote zoom and pan, these cameras were operated in robotic fashion and were following slides and shots throughout the week, as well as giving us close-ups of the house.  And there was one other teeny little problem.

The PC software screen and the TV camera angles were opposite from one another at the home end.  Before the first draw, the TV crew and the Stats crew pondered this.  (I think it had been dealt with at the previous Olympics with static cameras).  Simple.  They turned the home-end monitors monitors upside down so the image of the house matched the screen on the software where the statisticians were depicting the shots.

All week, folks who came up to our work station, high atop the away end of the arena, were doing double takes on these monitors showing the curlers  hanging upside down from the ice and the stones sliding upward along the ceiling that resembled a sheet of ice.  It worked OK, as long as the stats crew only looked at the screen when they had the overhead shot.

We worked hard to make the games feel seemless for the atheletes.  I timed 15 games; men's, women's, and got to see most of the teams.  The supervising officials were never allowed to officiate a game that involved players from their own country, so there were no Canadian officials for the finals.  Let's hope the same scenario unfolds at Speedy Creek.  OOps.... I'm supposed to be impartial.

I have lots more pictures and stories.  Remember, I think you can get a close-up of the pictures I have posted as "small" if you click on the image.  The teams in the top photo are Bernard and Muirhead.  The jumboTron shows the scores from Draw 11.  The monitor shots were taken during practice sessions.  I'd never have DARED to take the shots during a game! (Too busy!)  I'll try to post every few days, and before I know it I'll be heading down the highway to the big city again.  Population 17,000.  Now THAT, I can handle.

Thanks for following.  So Canadian of me!

Deli - Scalped - The Throng

It is nice to be flexible.  I headed back to the curling venue from the coffee shop, a might peckish, and stopped in a couple of grocery stores looking for some grab and run food.  I picked up a couple of samosas to eat and run, and pried them apart to start to gobble, and yetch.  Mouldy.  They gave me my money back and I walked to the corner of 28th planning to get a smokey at the game.  I turned the corner, and there was a lovely little Bakery/Deli sign.  I got a terrific pastrami bagel with sprouts served with crunchy chips and a pickle to go.  It was fantastic and I was shoving it into my gullet, hoping to have it done by the time I got to the spectators gate.  I was just finishing the sandwich and crossing the street to start the long block to the gate when a tall dark fella in the shade called me over.

"Hey!  Wanna sell your ticket?"

Well, that hadn't been my intention.  I certainly didn't want the ticket to go to waste.  I had tried to give it away but couldn't hook up with the person, and thought I'd take in a draw, from the other side of the fence, for pleasure.  Now all that had changed.

I said, "Sure!"  The thought of being back to my bed early for a full night's sleep, and maybe catching the second half of the game on TV was an appealing one.

"Here," he said.  "Here's twenny bux."  And he practically threw the money my way.  I had to think fast.  I had paid $67.50 for the ticket but that was well back in 2009 and it really didn't matter that much to me any more.

"No," said I.  "Fifty bux."

"Awe, cummon," he said.  "I gotta make a living.  There are lots of people out there.  I might not be able to sell it anyway.  I'll give you forty."  He must've been new at his job.  He must've forgotten that he was the one who had approached me.

"Naw," I said.  "I'll just go and watch the game."  And I started to walk away.  He had a fist full of bills, among them some nice crisp orange ones.

"Okay," he said and he fumbled with the money and a fifty fell onto the wet muddy splotchy Vancouver grass.  I covered the bill with my foot.

"I've got it," I said.  I handed him my folded ticket, picked up the bill and walked away.  My mind wandered back to Wednesday when I'd stopped at an IGA on Main and 14th to buy some granola bars (2 boxes for $4).  I paid for them with a fifty and the cashier asked me to wait while she went to the customer service desk to verify my bill.  I probably just sold my curling ticket for a couterfeit fifty.  Oh well, a guy has to make a living.  I'll find out eventuallty.

I walked to the Canada Line, munching my chips and pickle.  Riders were heading to the the Czech Republich Belarus Hockey Game and from the Netherland's Heineken House in Richmond.  I got off at Vancouver Central in the middle of the meilee at Granville Street and West Georgia.  There was a 5-piece acoustic busking band singing Bad Bad Leroy Brown and the crowd was singing along.  There was art all around me.  The folks were happy.  The air was seaside mountain fresh and I walked up a block, past the art gallery and across the street, moving with the crowds until I edged my way to The Bay to hop my bus back to West Van.  I never tire of that night drive over the Lions Gate.  I made it back to watch the last four ends of the Murdoch Martin Match-up.

As I said earlier... the Scots are crumbling, or did I say cracking.  Do you think they will qualify?  I will go out on a limb and say they will.  No they won't.  Oh, you just can't count those wiley rock huckers out.

Enjoy the pictures.  Some of them are high rez so if you click on them you can zoom in on the detail.  It truly was a lovely night.

Main Street - Double Espresso

I had a short change last night, moving from evening draw to morning and afternoons.  I have a ticket for tonight's men's draw but needed my double injection of espresso.  I walked along main and found a great spot.  Am sitting outdoors listening to the traffic and smelling the restaurants.


The curling venue is completely accessible to Main Street, and the bus service up and down is great and the transit workers are mostly really funny and engaging.  I will be hungry by the time I get back for the game, probably late, but honestly, I've seen a lot of curling and a good night's sleep is sounding pretty good to me.  To quench my hunger, I think I'll grab a cup of noodles and inhale or slurp them as I walk around to the main entrance of the Vancouver Olympic Centre.  Until now, I've been entering by the volunteer entrance.

I work among timers, statisticians and timing technicians from Omega. It is a great crew of people, all dedicated to making the games as good as they can be.  I've been hearing tales of pavillions and musical shows and roaring throngs of people whooping it up, but mostly, I've been keeping my nose to the grindstone and attending my draws.


The Danish women have been curling in skirts.  I like that.  They are not getting the attention that the NorwayPants guys are, but they look good.  Too many of the teams are wearing red this year.  That alone has made the Swedish Blue and Yellow stand out.  Speaking of Swedes - Norberg gave up three on a pick and ended up being tromped by the Russian women.  Hmmm.  The Chinese women are winning some, but are certainly not presenting themselves as invincible. I almost wish I was at home watching because for the first time ever, all four sheets are being streamed live on the internet.  You can watch every game of every draw.  Our game has hit the global big time.  The Japanese women looked strong last night.  The Scottish women are cracking, methinks.

The sun has set and the draw begins in 20 minutes.  I'd like to get there for the second end, so I'll post a few pictures of fans, and of main street, and try to catch you here tomorrow.

BTW - I have Russell connections..... dozens of dead relatives in the cemetery there.... and worked under Eldon ... Jon Montgomery's dad!  Lots of my FB friends are cheering the glory of their home town boy and I'm all wrapped up in their excitiment. What a guy eh!  Gotta love him.

Under the Bridges

I'd make a crappy spy.  My day started with a pleasant Granville Island excursion as I picked my way across the city toward my evening draw.  On the island under the bridge the crowds were enthusiastic and festively decked out.  There were line-ups for the Swiss Pavillion and for PEI day at the Atlantic Pavillion, but the Francophone House was welcoming and easily accessible.  Their restaurant was active, but not packed, they had a great live show of singers and guitar players and even had a show room with exhibits and palm rubbing, reminding me if trade shows of the eighties.  Free apple ice wine.  mmmm.

After assuring myself that I was not being followed, I took the Bombardier tram  from its loading stop underneath the Granville Bridge, along the east shore of False Creek to the underbelly of the Cambie Bridge near the Olympic Villiage stop.  I strolled along a brand new ashphalt walkway to see what I could see, and what I could see was still very very far away, beyond non-descript industrial parking areas and what appeared to be open commercial space.  I took a picture while the security workers at the gate leered at me.  I started to feel guilty.  Maybe I was.  Gulp.  There was a septic truck roaring and an outside worker wearing a hard hat, orange overalls and a flourescent pinny, who I am convinced was part of an Ultra security team, in drag, watching the gate to the Olympic Villiage.   Next time I try to break into the Oly Village, I'll take the Canada Line.  I'll keep you posted.

Security at the curling venue nabbed me today too.  I am hoping it is random and that they hadn't caught me on survillance while I was sneeking around the edges of the Oly Village.  I wasn't strip searched, but they shook my coffee cup.  "Ma'am.  Is there liquid in here?"  "Uhm, yes.  I stopped at a Starbucks to check my internet.  It is black."  And at the same time he was rifling through my back pack, I was being wanded on the other side of the security tent. "Beep!"  "Oh, sorry, pocket change."  "Beep!"  "Oh, sorry, my ID."  "Beep!"  "Oh, sorry, it must be the zipper!?  There are so many pocket in these darned volunteer jackets.  Maybe it's my touque?  I dunno"  "That's fine ma'am.  You can go."  "Heh heh.... they didn't find my curling pins."

My draw tonight was a well curled game.  The Danes were conquered by the Scots, but it was not a runaway.  The crowds can make me cringe when collectively they pick and underdog and chant relentlessly in their favour, but I guess that is just one of the hazzards of hitting the big time, if you are a compettitive curler.  When the crowds stomp the Queen drum beat intro... 1-2 THREE 1-2 THREE weWill weWill  Yikes, the stands totally shake.  I am thinking of packing a rope and if the temporary stands start to buckle, I'll climb up to the media bench behind me and dangle myself from the I-beam rafters above, and wait for rescue there.  Someone said they saw engineers double checking the bolts yesterday.  I don't think they factored in the thunderous foot stomping.  I kinda wish they'd just stick to the wave.   wwwhhooOOAAAaaaa.

Another gold in speed skating.  Bernard still looks calm.  I hope Martin doesn't start to believe he is unbeatable or again, he will become his own worst enemy.  Tonight against France, they substituted their fifth for Ben Heibert, and still that win came easily.

My final evening draw is tonight and then I go on the day shift until the end of the round robin.  Photos will probably become inside shots of the Nat Bailey Stadium and close-ups of Chicken A-la King. 

 

Down Town Arts and Line-ups

 I finally found the Olympic flame.  You can see it from down below, when you are on the waterfront and then, as soon as climb the stairs, it is right there, behind a winter fence, front and centre, for all of the photo-ops.  And still, there are always hundreds in line, winding their way up the stairs to view it from the otherside, but the no-wait view has the mountain backdrop.  That's good enough for me.

Folks are walking around down-town Vancouver with their camera's wide open, staring into their screens or else texting while walking.  There is a lot to see and talk about.  I even saw Johnny Depp pulling a sulkie offering free rides!

Granville Street promenade is full of sculpture of all kinds, from early years student's art on paper cups to amazing found media art to bronze castings.

Robson Square is a zoo of people.  I fell in love with some of the art buskers in proximity to that zoo.  The copper girl with brilliant blue eyes, holding her pose and the bari-sax man in blue plaid with the tarnished gargantuan horn warmed my heart while across the street the ZipLine screamed people over the heads of the throngs, along a wire, from one end of the square to another.  I could hear music and inched my way past a couple of dead-end stair cases and to an amphitheatre beneath the bubble that you can see in the back-ground of the Global TVcoverage.  There, I watched a zamboni cleaning an ice rink and listened to no less than thirty people asking how you could get to skate on it.  In front, there was a dance performance where Mime met MJ.  Well done. 

Mostly though the people were just resting their tired legs on the concrete steps while they took pictures of themselves in the Olympic throng.  It is all positive engergy; lots of kids in strollers and an endless stream of folks wearing sensible shoes, CDA and other country colours and apparel and leggy women with uggs or over the knee boots with jean tights and HBC sweaters.  Even though it is warm, the red mitts abound.

The YaleTown stroll was a bit different.  They have fair smells all along the lower ridge of the streets.  Candy floss, smokies, and even barker-style games with barkers pulling in happy passers-by with calls like, "Manitoba!  Do we have anyone from Manitoba here?  Step right up!"  I was almost lured in, but with my blue "smurf" outfit, I am mistaken for a local and constantly asked for directions.  I do my best, but really have a hard time orienting myself.  Even when I'm walking along False Creek, I could swear that Pacific Boulevard runs East West and then, I doubt.  I guess it doesn't matter.

The evening was pleasantly cool.  The locals like to remind the Easterners that their cold is really much harder to bear than the Manitoba kind of cold weather.  It is so damp!  For crying in the sink.  It is clear and plus 5 at 11pm and I do not find that hard to bear.  But burr, for the locals.  Yes.  Our cold is dryer and not so bad as this.  And oh yah, don't wear capri pants and flip flops when it is only plus five, that also can make the damp cold a bit more difficult.

I timed the women's draw last night.  The Chinese team has a huge cheering section.  I hear they have almost popStar status in the local Chinese community.  Ms. Muirhead, the barely 20 UK skipper attempted and missed, then attempted and made an exciting across the house double, to the stomping roar of the crowed, but ultimatley, succumbed to Sweden's Norberg crew who looks fit and ready.  I beleive they can through the straightest and hardest of the women out there.  Watched Dane's skip Dumont try to put the heavy duty weight with an extention release, but her accuracy is hit and miss.  But she wants it and she's working on it.  They went down to the Russians in a final end that should become a textbook scenario of what not to do when you are 2 up without and lying three.  Two time-outs later, the Danes had a shot (albiet a miracle shot) for the tie... but missed.  The men are on the ice, and I'm heading back across to do the evening Men's draw.


I'm leaving the sports journalists to give you pictures of the curlers, but maybe I'll get some fan shots and behind-the scene venue shots.  The photos today, are mostly cropped small thumbnails, but the Robson Square shot is a large image.  I think if you click on it you can zoom in and analyze some detail.  Try that.  See you tomorrow.

Go Canada!  Yes yes yes on the Short Track silver.  Lots of people are talking figure skating around me.  I don't really get it, but okay, Jump High, Spin Fast, Look Good.  Go team go.

Nose Bleed Seats and Roaring Fans

Hey!  Comments are coming in!  That is motivating me to keep posting.  Finding wireless for the little web broadcasts has been problematic but there is no problem with the blog. 

At the curling venue, there are no telephones!  So, if you plan to come to watch some games, you'll have to make outside contact through a cell phone... hopefully if you don't have one, someone will help you out.  Also, they completely clear the facility between draws, so if you have back-to-back tickets, you have to exit for about 30 minutes and hang around.  If it is raining, be prepared for that.  The Vancouver Curling Club is still open (it will move into this venue after the games) and you can get a bite to eat there, it is only a few hundred meters from the main gate.  Also Main Street, only 2 blocks away, is funky... antique shops, lip-care salons, lots of asian restaurants and european bakeries.  Stop there before your game and stroll between King Edward and 30th, as you approch the Venue.

I have completed my first game.  It is nice to get that behind me.  It all comes back to you after the first stone.  (For those of you who don't know... I'm a Timer at these games.)  I have a bird's eye view of the venue.  I'm completely up in the nosebleeds, but people have paying seats right in front of me.  Some of the spectators have a long climb (56 steps) to get to their seats too.

If you've been watching any draws, you will know that the crowds are really enthusiastic.  You can feel the stands shaking when they do their foot-stops and yells.  The fans are starting to cheer on other teams besides Canada too, and that brings a lot of smiles and sheepish sideways glances, depending on who the pet-team's opposition is (often USA or Scotland).The 3Main Bus is working great for me.  As a volunteer, it saves me about 15 minutes of walking (compared to the King Edward train station at Cambie).  But for spectators, since the main entrance is on the opposite side of the venue, the difference is not as great.

Russ Howard held the broom for the ceremonial first rock.  The commentator welcomed the Chinese teams to their first ever Olympic Games for curling.  The pipers for this event are really really great.  They are giving us a broader repertoire than Mary's Wedding and Road to the Isles.  There are only four teams in the event that do NOT have both a men's and women's contingent here:  Russia, Japan (women  only) France, Norway (men only). 

Off the curling site, there are huge crowds downtown.  My bus transfer is by The Bay and even at 11pm last night there were 500 people standing in line to GET INTO The Bay, along Seymour Avenue.  I think they want some of the touques and sweaters that are only available there.  My favourite is the made in China Cowachin knit sweater with the moose antlers on the front.  But, I'll pass on the line-up.  One of my colleagues waited 4.5 hours for the zip-train ride over Robson Square.  I guess being in line has become a party.

Today I don't work until the evening shift so finally, I will take in some Pavillions and get some shots of other things.

Wowsers - 2 golds.  I'm also thrilled for the Korean team's wins in the speed skating - I have lots of friends cheering them on.  This city is full of good will and enthusiasm and I think the main stream media is having a hard time finding controversial stories to quench master control's lust for the negative.  It real is almost all good!

Today's photos show the flags, from a Stat's monitor.  The junction bus seat on the 3Main bus.  My work station in the Nose Bleed seats, and a bit of the opening ceremonies of the curling event.  See you tomorrow.  Back to the bus.  I'm meeting lots of folks there.

Into the Venue

The curling rings are green.  They look really great.  And the bumpers are green too.  Everything is in the Oly's colour theme.  That's the good news.  The not so good news is the food for the spectators's system.  Prepare yourself for a long walk if you come to the Vancouver Olympic Centre on the Canada Line.  Plan for a 30 minute stroll.  Prince Edward is residential between Cambie and Ontario, so there are no food nor beverage stops in that part of the neighbourhood.  From last year, I remember that Main is much closer to the venue than either Cambie or King Edward so starting tomorrow I'm leaving the train and sticking to the bus 3-Main.  A very friendly bus driver, and an equally friendly street dweller gave me what feels like solid advice and I'm gonna diverge from the recommended commute and see if I can reduce my hike from 30 to six minutes.  I'll let you know.

Wow! Today was Sunday and sunny.  Warm and everyone was so spirited.  As I write, Bus 250 is crossing the Golden Gate and I can see the Russain tall ship on my right and West Van lights on my left.  Cyprus Mountain can bne seen from almost everytwhere in the city and was a gold mine for Canada tonight.  The transit system really is working, though I did see some line-ups to get on the Canada Line heading to the Waterfront where the cauldron is.

My afternoon was spent at the curling venue.  The teams have practice sessions eighty minutes long.  Every twenty minutes they move to another sheet.  It takes five sessions to give all teams their practice time.  And they'll go through it all again tomorrow.  Then our games will begin. 

I still have not seen many of the entertainment sites, but there is one here in West Van at their lovely community centre, and there is action there every night.  Truly, the whole city is involved.  Canadian shirts and hats and flags are everywhere.  Families and couples and packs of friends and wandering souls are all united in thier wanderings along the streets of downtown Vancouver.

Today's photos show the arena.  There are jumboTrons on both ends that show feeds of other Olympic events as well as close-ups of the games at hand.  

So wtg Kristina Groves and Alexandre Bilodeau and Jenn Heil.  Go Cda Go.