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