David Horsey: Canada transfigured

The political protests fizzled early, but one spontaneous protest brought immediate change. In the first days of the event, thousands of people made the trek to see the Olympic cauldron only to find they were kept well back from the flame by chain link fences. The hallowed place had all the ambience of a construction site. Flame fans demanded a better view and soon got it. The fence was moved closer and access to an elevated ramp was provided for people willing to stand in another long line. Given the headaches the citizens of Vancouver have put up with, and given the tremendous enthusiasm the Olympics here have generated, it would be nice if, when this is all over, the fences could be taken away and the common folk given a chance to get up close and personal to the most iconic symbol of the 2010 Winter Games.

•See more of Horsey's work at www.davidhorsey.com

At Whistler Village watching the evening medal ceremony on a big outdoor screen, a group of Americans got into the spirit. When a U.S. skier stepped up to get the gold, all the Americans in the crowd cheered and loudly sang “The Star Spangled Banner.” The next gold medal recipient was a Canadian snowboarder. The Canadians cheered even louder and Americans generously joined in to sing “Oh, Canada” as best they could. Then came a Russian to claim gold for a Nordic event. The Americans came up with a version that may have sounded less than respectful but wasn’t meant that way. It displayed great admiration for Russia’s national drink.

•See more of Horsey's work at www.davidhorsey.com

As a raconteur sipping a beer at the Lion’s Pub observed, once it became widely known that a world-class party was in full swing in Vancouver, every young, beer-swilling yahoo from Moosejaw to Saskatoon made a quick run to the fun. Over the weekend, thousands of drunken celebrants filled the downtown streets and overwhelmed the police. A quick remedy to the problem was instituted on subsequent days. As soon as crowds appeared to be getting to large and inebriated, liquor stores were shut down. This drew complaints from the tipsy horde, but cutting off the supply did the trick. The Mounties win again.

Big halls fit for beer drinking sponsored by various European governments have become prime nightlife venues at many Winter Olympics, and Vancouver is no exception. There's a Sweden House, a Norway House, a Slovakia House, an Irish House and, for all I know, a house for every Euro fan in the city. A particularly popular house -- or should I say haus -- is German House, sponsored by the German state of Thuringia. The goal of the hosts is to promote business contacts and tourism, but that might be a quixotic goal. Twenty-somethings jam the place, gulping beer and dancing to a band that plays rock and roll with a distinct polka beat. One night, a gaggle of girls from Burnaby, B.C., were partying hearty. One was draped in a Canadian flag, another in a German banner. Two were taking pictures down each other's shirts. Business opportunities were not on their minds, but fun was. One of the young women said she planned to be out at a different "house" every night of the Olympics. ~ David Horsey

Most of the national “houses” welcome one and all, though there is often a long waiting line. Others can be accessed only by special invitation, such as the Russia House and – to the disgust of several all-American media types – America House. Then there are a few houses that may or may not be open, depending on the circumstances.

The biggest party house of all is reputed to be Holland’s Heineken House. Sometimes anyone can get in, but, on nights when the Dutch skaters have hit the ice, the place is strictly for Dutch only. Even media credentials can’t get you through the door if your ethnic heritage does not include dikes, windmills and Hans Brinker.
~ David Horsey

When the sea can be viewed from a skiing venue, chances are that a little maritime weather might roll in and wash out the snow. That, of course, is what has happened in Vancouver. While other regions of North America were digging out from big dumps of snow, Vancouver was getting deluged by rain.

When the rain stopped, the sun came out and temperatures shot up into the 50s. This combo did not provide optimum conditions for the snowboarding and freestyle skiing at Cypress Mountain, just outside of the city. Money for nearly 30,000 standing room tickets had to be refunded because the standing area was more-or-less flooded. No, waterskiing didn’t really become a featured Olympic event, but that day might yet arrive. After all, Sochi, Russia, site of the 2014 Winter Olympics, is currently experiencing even warmer temperatures. ~ David Horsey

In the city, there may be plenty of party venues, but there’s no snow. Up at Whistler, where the Alpine and Nordic events are being held, it looks and feels like a true Winter Olympics. The fun is concentrated in the village where, every night, there is a free outdoor concert in the central plaza featuring Canadian talent. One big draw was the Barenaked Ladies, an alternative rock group from Toronto who have had big hits south of the border (the USA, of course, not Mexico).
~ David Horsey

One way to see Winter Olympics events for free is to click into some skis, ride a chairlift and find a good place to view the action. This was easy to do for the downhill course since it ran right through ski trails that were open to the public. The only problem: traffic jams. The downhill attracted such a huge audience that regular skiers had to hack their way through the crowd.
~ David Horsey

Of all the items for sale at the games, the most coveted seems to be simple red mittens. With the Olympic rings on the back and a white maple leaf on the palm, a pair costs a mere $10. About a gazillion of the gloves have been sold and every other person on the streets of Vancouver seems to be wearing them, yet the demand remains so high that stores in the city and Whistler sell out as soon as new stock comes in. Early in the day patrons can be seen carrying armloads of mittens to the checkout counter while, later on, tardy shoppers wander aisles, frantic to find an errant pair or two. There was a mitten scalper at work in Whistler Village furtively selling mittens for double the price. Forget gold, silver and bronze. Red wool is the true prize.
~ David Horsey

Canadians have long had a reputation for being a vanilla version of Americans – less loud, less assertive, less nationalistic, less boastful. This may or may not be true (when Canadian hockey fans get a little beer under their belts, for instance, they might as well be from the Bronx), but it is an image that has endured. Now, Canadians have seized on the Winter Olympics as a moment for their country to dominate the world – at least the world of white-skinned, cold-climate nations – and this sudden rise of hubris might shatter the stereotype for years to come.
~ David Horsey