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