Hello From Calgary: Exploring C.o.p. (canada Olympic Park)

Our 4-hour whirlwind tour provided by our localwhich is the world's only indoor refrigerated track
expert Jocelyne Morrison from Time Out forwhere luge, bobsleigh and skeleton athletes
Touring took us into Alberta's second most visitedpractice the ever-important push start techniques.
attraction outside of the Rockies: Canada OlympicAll the tracks feature multiple cameras and
Park, visited every year by more than 1.3 millioninterval timing mechanisms that allow the athletes
people. This is the flagship site of the XV Olympicto analyze their push-start technique moving from
Winter Games, which were held in Calgary inframe to frame in intervals of a fraction of a
1988. It is located just 15 minutes fromsecond. Many foreign teams come to this facility
downtown on the west side towards the Rockyto practice their push-start techniques. The Ice
Mountains. What makes Canada Olympic ParkHouse The Ice House features some interesting
unique is that it continues to function as astatistics: - it is 143 m along (almost the length of
multi-purpose competition, training and recreationone football field) and four stories high - nine
area that is available year round to athletes askilometers of steel piping is used to cool the three
well as the general public. During the winter,tracks - tracks are kept at a constant
almost 300,000 skiers and snowboarders visit thetemperature of -2 to -3 degrees Celsius - a
park. It also houses the second largest snowunique monorail system automatically returns the
academy in the country, making lessons andbobsleigh and skeleton sleds to the push-start
programs available to people of all ages andarea while allowing for continuous training - a vide
abilities. During the summer, Canada Olympic Parksystem incorporates standard video and the
turns into mountain biking facilities with more thanlatest DVD playback technology. After our visit to
25 kilometers of trails, an obstacle course, trialsthe Ice House we drove up the hill past the
park and facilities for BMX bikers and freerideOlympic Bobsleigh Track which includes 14 twists
stunts. We started off with the Olympic Hall ofand turns, the place where the Jamaican Bobsleigh
Fame and Museum which houses a whole varietyTeam made their first Olympic appearance and
of Olympic-themed exhibits and paraphernalia. Thiswon the hearts of spectators all over the world.
is the only Canadian museum devoted to theIt is still used as a Word Cup circuit venue for
Olympic Games in Canada, and it is the largest inbobsleigh, luge and skeleton events. Our next stop
all of North America. Exhibits on two floorswas the 90 meter ski jump tower - incidentally
chronicle Canada's participation at the Olympicthe highest point in Calgary and today, as the
Winter Games since their inception in 1924. Aweather was clearing up, we started to get a
particularly fascinating exhibit are the 20 of the 31great view of the downtown area. Jocelyne
Olympic torches, dating back all the way to theexplained that with today's new ski jumping
1936 Olympic Games in Berlin. The Blood, Sweattechniques, the 90 m ski jump can no longer be
and Cheers exhibit pays tribute to Canada'sused since skiers are now able to jump 120 m
Olympic Medal winners at the Salt Lake Cityand more and there would not be enough space
Winter Games in 2002. The flags displayed in thefor them to land safely. Nevertheless, riding the
museum and in the Plaza represent all the nationsglass elevator up to the observation level of this
that competed in the 1988 Olympic Games intower and peering down the ski jump is an
Calgary. Key highlights of the Museum are aawesome experience. Jocelyne explained that
reproduction of the bobsleigh used by theCanada Olympic Park is also an archeological site
Jamaican bobsleigh team in the 1988 Olympicswhere remains have been found that indicate that
(the film "Cool Runnings" was based on this story),this hill used to be a buffalo jump, a place that
an original hockey jacket from 1956 which inspirednative tribes used to hunt buffalo. Many of the
the 1988 Olympic attire, and medals for all 12Canadian Olympic athletes who did so well at the
sports that were held in Calgary in the 1988recent 2006 Torino Olympics actually train at
Olympics. Snowboarders love the Superpipe,Canada Olympic Park, and this year's success of
opened in 2002 and the only pipe of its kind inCanadian Olympic athletes bodes well for the 2010
Alberta, with walls that are at least 15 feet high. ItVancouver Olympic Games.
is also used for training Canadian athletes toSusanne Pacher is the publisher of a web portal
compete at international and Olympic competitions.for unconventional travel & cross-cultural
Our guide Jocelyne also took us to the Icehouseconnections.