As any of the many Aussies who populate Whistler might tell you: Good on ya, mate! If this weekend’s World Cup was supposed to be a pre-Olympic test, the overwhelming consensus among FIS officials, coaches, racers, and spectators was that Whistler passed with flying colours. For four days, the weather was unusually cooperative, the athletic performances were often inspiring, there were a few crowd-wowing crashes, and fans, usually two to three thousand strong, were warmly appreciative.
Gunther Hujara, the long-time FIS referee, was especially impressed, voicing at a team captain’s meeting his admiration for the work of local organizers. All the courses were ready and tested two years ahead of time, said Hujara, and “that’s never happened before.”
Racers were generally appreciative of the courses, with most feeling that Whistler would be a commendable test of Olympic worthiness. Canadians in particular were pleased with what they saw. As downhiller Emily Brydon said, “It’s pretty exciting to say that this is the Olympic hill.”
That said, however, challenges still lie ahead in the preparations and planning for 2010. When American downhiller Scott McCartney was asked about his impressions of Whistler as an Olympic venue, his quick quip was “I don’t see a lot of parking lots.” He meant it as a joke, but he pointed out what has traditionally been an Olympic sore point: transportation.
The route between Vancouver and Whistler has been under construction, and presumably will be widened and ready when the Olympics arrive. But whether or not the road improvements will be enough to handle the massive amounts of Olympic traffic – always a problem area at any Olympics – remains to be seen.
The other big concern, as U.S. head coach Phil McNichol said, will be “snow management.” All men’s and women’s races – 10 in all – will finish on the same slope, unprecedented at the Olympics. Even under the best of circumstances, that will mean hundreds of racers putting edge to snow on the same hill, chewing up the racing surface. If any bad weather moves in – rain, snow, or snow-softening warmth – the effects on the course and the tight program schedule could be disastrous. And no one is expecting that the run of good weather that blessed this World Cup will be repeated for the entirety of the Olympic fortnight.
One guy who is never shy in voicing his criticism of almost anything is Bode Miller, who called the race courses “very moderate,” a euphemism for being too flat. “With all the terrain they have (at Whistler), it seems crazy to have to have the courses here,” he said of the Creekside setting.
In general, though, Bode’s opinion of the courses was in the minority. No one was calling the hill death-defyingly, Kitzbuehel-caliber steep, but Austria’s Benjamin Raich, who finished third in Saturday’s giant slalom, expressed the prevailing attitude among racers and coaches. “It’s a really unique course with a lot of terrain,” Raich said. “It will be a good test for sure.”
One issue that seemed beyond question, however, was that Whistler as a whole will be a great site for hosting the Olympic circus. As American Ted Ligety said, “I like being in Whistler. It is such a cool ski town.” Teammate McCartney agreed. “For sure the vibe (at the Olympics) is going to be outstanding,” he said.
As the four days of racing came to an end, perhaps Steve Podborski, the former Canadian team downhiller and now Director of Sports Marketing for Telus, summed up the look ahead to the Olympics best. Kinks to work out? Sure, said Podborski. “But things will be just fine,” he said. Or as any of the Whistler Aussies might say: “No worries, mate!”
-Text and photos by Peter Oliver
