We are an Olympics-watching family. You may remember when we watched the 2008 Summer Games and the kids made lapbooks. We are watching the 2010 Winter Games now. Though we aren’t making lapbooks this year, we are still learning a ton about Canada, the winter sports, the athletes, and the countries.
I just have a few observations to offer regarding these games. First of all, props to Canada for a very cool opening ceremony. NBC is doing a fantastic job of representing Vancouver as THE place to vacation for culture, relaxation, beauty, cuisine, and fine skiing. I think I’d love to visit, but I’m not sure my southern blood can handle the cold.
Second, the winter sports are CRAZY. The things some of these people do, and the speeds at which they do them….it’s just insane. I think the only sport that hasn’t made me gasp or scream is curling. And not because it isn’t exciting — it is! After reading the curling wiki page, I understood it a bit better and was able to get into the competition the other day. But the downhill, snowboard cross, half-pipe, luge, speed skating, hockey, and figure skating make me hold my breath, gasp, sigh, cover my eyes, shout, and applaud. The things these people can do are just amazing.
Third, I LOVE how the equipment and attire for these Olympics incorporate the various cultures of each sport. This is best seen in the snowboarders. Their clothing definitely reflects the skateboarding culture and fashion. The ski suits look like blue jeans and flannel shirts! That’s just cool.
Fourth, have you noticed that each sport has its own lingo? The curlers talk about hogging, sweeping, hammers, and guarding. The snowboards use words like cork, mctwist, ten-eighty, and run. Last night, Parnell and Richards said something about having to “tap into the eye of the tiger.” What was that about? And the snowboard crossers have berms, gap jumps, and drops.
I wanna know — are you watching the Winter Games? What’s your favorite event?
Leslie Wiggins 
12 responses to “Throwing the hammer into the eye of the tiger with a mctwist on the drop”
Snowboard cross. It’s like Thunderdome out there.
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I love watching curling, but no one else in the fam likes it much.
Down in the city of Vancouver isn’t really cold. It’s coastal, so it mostly stays above freezing all year round. Yesterday it was 60F and sunny.
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60F! Wow, that’s warmer than here today!
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I love the Winter Olympics! I haven’t watched much of it YET this year but I love the short track speed skating (amazing), nearly all of the ski events and hockey! Oh, and the luge! I like it all, though curling and figure skating not as much as some of the other events.
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First of all…it’s not cold here. I live in a subburb outside Vancouver and my kids were just in the backyard without jackets playing.
It’s colder in Whistler for sure but the sun is shining and it’s actually warm. Even in a normal winter it’s never extremely cold.
I am loving the Olympics too. The Canadian girl winning the snowbard cross was so great..she lives locally. It’s funny this is my first year that I am rooting for the Canadians. It is my 12 year living here and I think I’ve converted (grew up in the states) :o)
It IS am amazing place to live and visit. It is the most beautiful place. I’ve been to the Bahamas and the Cayman Islands and would choose hear anyday. It has it all, beaches, mountians, sking, green year round, mild weather and more
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Hard to pick just one. I’m all about the winter sports. For the summer games, I only care about diving & swimming.
I hadn’t ever seen short track speed skating relay until last night. That was INSANE!
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The relay was really cool, wasn’t it?!
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We’ve gotten stuck on the speed skating, but also enjoyed the skiing and were thrilled to tune in in time to see Canada take the gold on Monday. We are not huge sports fans but with the Olympics so close to home and in a city we know so well the excitement is contagious.
Vancouver isn’t cold – even in winter and especially this winter with the unseasonably warm weather! If you visit in spring or summer you would enjoy it even more. Like Sandi said, Vancouver (and the rest of BC) is truly one of the most stunning places on earth and there is so much to do and see! It’s a great place to take a family vacation.
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Oh Vancouver, Whistler and Victoria should be on EVERYONE’S Bucket List!
We visited in April of ’07 and it was in full bloom! Not much colder than it was here in Vancouver and Victoria. Even in Whistler with snow on the ground and about 34 degrees Farenheit it was still not freezing. It’s a nice dry refreshing kind of cold, with clean clear air that makes you want to breathe deep and just soak as much as possible into your lungs. It was one of my top 3 best places I’ve ever been. I’m SO glad I got to see it all before the Olympics so when I see the Olympic village on tv now I can say “hey! I’ve been there!” 🙂
Highly highly HIGHLY recommend seeing it and taking your kids. It’s a truly magnificent place! I loved it! Here are my pics from my trip. Stunning.
Oh, and my favorite sport is Snowboard Cross. It’s awesome!!
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Wow, thanks for the flickr link, Beth! Your photos are awesome!!
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I am watching but not that much—could be we’re all tired and sick….but I think I’m more of a summer games person myself. I like all the swimming and volleyball in the summer games. The skiing events are okay but it makes my body hurt to watch them fall!!!
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We’re doing a lapbook this year, so we’re trying to watch a variety, but we all like ice dancing and figure skating the best, I think. I love the BC commercials – I’d love to visit for sure. I also love to watch the bios of the athletes – that’s always one of my favorite parts.
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