Winter Olympics News » Mogul

Bildeau wins first Canadian gold!

Jill Manty — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 03:45:17 +0000

Mogul skier Alexandre Bilodeau became the first Canadian to win gold for Canada in a Canadian Olympics. Bilodeau pulled off an upset, defeating Vancouver native Dale Begg-Smith, who competes for Australia. Begg-Smith took the silver. Also surprising, American Bryon Wilson won bronze.

This is the third Olympics to be held in Canada. But a Canadian has never taken gold in any of those Olympics. So, until now the home field advantage has been anything but. You know, I love it when America wins, but I can’t help but be thrilled for our neighbors to the north. Way to go Canada!

The Women do the U.S. proud in Moguls

Jill Manty — Sun, 14 Feb 2010 05:01:57 +0000

The U.S. women took gold and bronze in the moguls, giving the U.S. their first gold medal of the Vancouver Olympics. Hannah Kearney, of Vermont, won gold after failing to medal in Torino. Shannon Bahrke, of California, took bronze. Jenn Heil, of Canada, won the first Canadian medal of the Olympics, taking silver.

If you didn’t watch the women’s moguls, make sure you catch the men’s. The races are so short but so exciting. I can’t believe that they’re expected to keep their knees together while they’re going down those moguls. It makes my teeth and head hurt just watching.

But for tonight, congratulations to Hannah Kearney!

Will There Be Snow for Vancouver?

Sherry — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 17:00:10 +0000

As Americans watch the Northeast get buried under record snowfall, Canadians must be wondering, “Why not Vancouver?” With the Olympic games just days away and athletes already arriving for practice sessions, officials are scrambling to make Vancouver’s Cypress Mountain suitable for use. Whistler’s slopes have plenty of snow and will pose no problem, but Cypress Mountain has had above freezing temperatures and little snow over the past few weeks. They’re not too worried about the alpine events, they’re being held at a higher elevation where there’s always more snow. The big problem is with the aerial and mogul fields.

So what are they doing?

In addition to standard snow-making machines, two methods really stand out. First, they are burying corrugated pipes beneath what snow they have. The pipes are filled with dry ice, freezing the snow from the inside out. This gets rid of extra moisture, making the nice powdery snow that everyone preferrs.

Next, officials plan to have over 5,000 cubic meters of snow flown in from the B.C. interior via helicopter. The snow is being dumped on the fields Feb. 8^th, just in time for practice and the first events on the 13^th.

Who would have thought Washington, D.C. would have more snow than Vancouver in February?