Experience the Whistler Sliding Centre Olympics Luge Event!
I had the pleasure of attending the 2010 Olympics Men's Luge event in Whistler this past weekend.
At first we weren't sure if the event was still going to be on, due the tragic death the day before of the Georgian Luger, Nodar Kumaritashvili; however, with a few modifications made to the track, training and the events were in full force on Saturday, February 13th.
Whistler Sliding Centre's Location
I must admit one of the reasons why I selected to go to the event was because of the Whistler Sliding Centre's proximity to the village. Out of the three Whistler competitive venues, the Sliding Centre is the closest and easiest to get to from Whistler Village.
Simply hop on the Blackcomb Excalibur gondola, which departs right from Whistler Village at the base of Whistler mountain and get off at the first stop at Blackcomb Base II. The gondola ride is free. Then it's just a short walk to enter the Sliding Centre.
What to Expect from the Whistler Sliding Centre
First, before you are able to enter the Sliding Centre, you must go through a security check, just like the airport: a metal detector and any personal bags must be x-rayed and may be searched. The setup is very well organized with several security tents, making it relatively quick to go through. Remember not to bring any liquids, this includes water bottles. Don't worry, should you get thirstly there are plenty of concession stands within the Sliding Centre - they even sell beer!
Also, I would recommend that you bring water proof footwear. The walk from Blackcomb Base II to the entrance of the Sliding Centre is all snow. If it's a little mild, like it was last Saturday, it becomes a wet, soggy, slush that seeps and quickly permeates into your shoes. I don't know about you, but walking around with wet feet in the cold, makes it a bit more challenging to have a good time. You may also want to wear snow pants, to keep you nice and warm. Also bring an umbrella, just in case it rains.
Inside the Whistler Sliding Centre
Once inside, you are free to walk around the track – all the way from start to finish!
There is a grand stand area where you can stand and view a video screen showing the competing athlete and different views of where he or she is on the track. This is quite helpful, as the luger typically whizzes by you at speeds of 145 km/hour!
The coolest part is that you can get right up close to the track and the rush of a slider bulleting by you is quite amazing! Of course this is very difficult to capture on video, but I did my best in efforts to share my experience with you:
There are no comments for this entry.
[Add Comment]