2007 News

Olympic Sliding Centre takes shape

Kim Thompson , Whistler Question
Published: Friday, September 21/07

Bobsleigh, luge, skeleton athletes pay Whistler a visit

Canada’s Olympic bobsleigh, luge and skeleton hopefuls toured Whistler last week, each dreaming of two-plus years from now — the 2010 Olympic Games. The Whistler Sliding Centre is heading into the final stages of construction and those dreams are becoming a reality.

Lindsay Alcock, member of the Canadian women’s skeleton team and 2006 Olympian, can already visualize every curve of the new Whistler Sliding Centre (WSC).

The facility is expected to be completed in March 2008 and will be one of only 15 bobsleigh, luge and skeleton tracks in the world.

“We’ve seen all the curves and we’re very excited to get on the track and get as many runs as we can before 2010,” Alcock said.

The $100 million sliding centre has emerged on the slopes of Blackcomb during the past two summers and Alcock isn’t alone in her excitement.

The Whistler Sliding Centre is undergoing the final stages of construction and the ice is expected to be laid in December. According to Andrea Miller, VANOC manager of bobsleigh and skeleton, the fun really begins in March.

“The international federations for bobsleigh and luge will come and take a close look at the track. They will make sure the facility meets specifications before giving their approval,” Miller said.

After receiving approval, the entire Canadian bobsleigh, skeleton and luge teams — totalling approximately 50 athletes — will return to Whistler in March for up to four weeks of training.

In less than a year Whistler will be home to a state-of-the-art sliding facility and VANOC has been busy creating local buzz.

In the past year the WSC Track Club has also emerged. So far the club has 115 members, which is impressive considering the facility is still under construction. “We have tapped into a lot of excitement and enthusiasm concerning the track. Our next goal is to keep that interest going,” Miller said.

WSC Track Club officials staged a series of information sessions along the Sea to Sky corridor to get the word out about what programs will be offered and how to get involved.

Meetings provided information on membership benefits, athlete development programs, recreational sliding, officials’ certification and supporting Team Canada as the track prepares to open in early 2008. Miller said the response was exciting.

More information meetings are expected in North Vancouver and Whistler in early October.

Over the winter, VANOC has planned several events to keep interest levels rising. The club is offering training and officials’ courses in the next two months.

The goal is to train more than 240 officials needed for the 2010 Games.

The second event is, believe or not, a road trip, Nov. 22 to 25. Club members are invited to Calgary to watch World Cup events.

Calgary is home to the Canada Olympic Park and was used during the 1988 Winter Games. VANOC isn’t paying the bill but Miller said carpooling and behind-the-scenes tours will be arranged.

“We are hoping people will take advantage of the trip to Calgary,” Miller said.

Along with the officials’ course and road trips, the club is also hosting a Halloween event. Miller said the plan is to plant luge handles in the ice at the Meadow Park arena.

Potential sliders will get a chance to paddle around the ice rink on a luge sled.

“Once we get enough snow we are also going to build a mini snow luge course. The goal is to get people together and it allows for some skill building,” Miller said.

Miller said the club’s activities fulfill one of VANOC’s tasks — to generate interest in the sliding sports and recruit officials for future World Cup events. She said the new sliding centre is intended to be a legacy facility and VANOC’s goal is to be the organizational catalyst behind the creation of a track club.

“We want to create a sustainable legacy track,” Miller said. “We will only be in the picture at the beginning and hope to define responsibilities in the long term. We want people to engage and feel that it is their track.”

The idea behind the sliding centre’s sustainability is getting people involved in the sport itself, either recreationally or competitively.

Whether it’s the 50-year-old wanting to slide once a week or the 10-year-old with Olympic dreams, the track is designed to be open to everyone.

“It is our intent to pull in sub-committees and little by little pushing the club toward independent status. It is a really exciting time right now,” Miller said.

©Whistler Question 2007