First Shift and Ski Jumping....

Today was my first shift at Whistler Olympic Park (WOP). The day started at 2:00 am when I got out of my sleepless bed and made ready to be at the venue for the start of the shift at 5:15 am. It seems like a long run-up time but there is a bus from Pemberton that must be in Whistler before 4:00 so I can catch a 4:15 bus to the WOP on the other side of Whistler. All buses were on-time and I managed to get to the site by 5:00 am. I met my supervisor and we started the plan for the day right away. We had to have our team in place by 7:00 am for the opening of the gates as the spectators like to see the training runs and get good vantage points for viewing the jumps. Today there were two activities at the WOP. The Ski Jumping was carried out in the morning and the Swiss are very proud of their Gold metal. Simon Ammann made a final jump that was incredible (108 M on the normal track) and the rowdy crowd was overwhelmed. The roars and flag waving accompanied the cow bells and the cheers for this athlete. It was a fine climax for the last two days of competition at the ski jump venue. There will be more races in this venue on the 19th, 20th and 24th.

Working as a Team Leader was a challenge as I was learning my job on the job. The pressure is intense as we have to be ready for all sorts of challenges as our job is to make the experience of our guests, spectators, athletes, VIPs and media a great one. I had a team of 7 and after some indecision we managed to secure the prime spot to see the action while we were doing our work. We had to control access points to ensure only accredited folks passed those areas, manage crowd movement, help answer questions and guide folks to the viewing areas. It was fun work and our team worked well together as we made it fun for guests and ourselves. The weather was not too cold and overcast but the sun did try to come out a couple of times. The last 15 minutes or so of the competition was dampened by a light rain and the egress was carried out over a two hour period in light rain. My shift came to an end at 2 PM and I was delayed in getting on the buses as the spectators were still in line to go to Whistler and we were asked to wait. I finally got to Whistler a little after 3 pm and was met by Tara-Lee. I had not had enough to eat – we were busy – so we went to a small cafe for some sustenance before returning home.

We just finished a light dinner and are watching the Moguls on TV and hoping for a Canadian success story from Jennifer Heil on the moguls at Cypress Mountain. Jennifer just won a silver for Canada and you could see the disappointment in her face as she worked very hard and was going for gold. Congratulations to Jennifer for a inspiring performance during her exciting career.
Just a note that I hope all enjoyed the Opening Ceremonies as they were rated very high by most of the folks I have spoken to. Naturally, everyone has their loves and dislikes about such a diverse and richly cultural experience.
Now I am off to bed as I am bushed and have another middle of the night appointment with my first bus.