Team Canada

Torino 2006 Skeleton Gold Medalist athlete Duff Gibson chats with Olympic Outsider host Dave Thorvald about having a beer named after him, life as a Calgary fireman, being Canada's (and the world's) oldest gold medalist, training for technical and speed courses, the Whistler track, athletic challenges and the future of the sport at an Olympic rally at the Vancouver Art Gallery in May 2006.

Download The Duff Man! - Olympic Laughs with the Superhero Skeleton-ist Duff Gibson
(.mp3, 8MB, 9:53)

An enhanced Olympic Outsider podcast with host Dave Thorvald visiting with 1998 Nagano Winter Olympics Gold Medalist and Snowboard legend Ross Rebagliati. 

At a symposium in a noisy Take 5 coffeeshop, Dave asks Ross about the drug-testing incident in great detail plus discuss Ross's aspirations for 2010 and beyond, recreational hobbies, real-estate dealings plus Dave relates anecdotes and gives thanks to Ross for inspiring the people.

Thanks to Bread for pics, Mudhoney for tunes, Bryght and Raincity Studios, and props to Roots for supporting Ross.

Olympics Outsider 3 - Coffee Talk with Gold Medalist Ross Rebagliati

And/Or just grab the Canucks/Olympics Outsider Feed

Chuq von Rospach writes a lot about NHL hockey on his blog. He's put together some notes on Olympic hockey with the same high level of quality:

Over on the women's side -- congratulations to Sweden for knocking the US out of the gold medal game, setting up the first ever international tourney where the US and Canada won't be fighting for the gold medal. This is historic, because it means it's no longer a two-team sport at the elite level -- and that can only improve the sport and interest in it.

Chuq goes on to point to the Vancouver Canucks OpEd stunned reaction to the Canadian men's hockey team loss.

Todd Bertuzzi does not wear a visor when playing for NHL Vancouver Canucks, and i don't think he was wearing one in the game Italy, yet here he is wearing a visor versus Germany (great pic Robert Scales). 

If i recall correctly, there is (an IIFC?) rule in which all players born after a certain age must wear a visor and perhaps Bertuzzi just found out about this rule?

 

There are HBC stores set up at both the British Columbia Canada Place as well as Canada House. I took this picture of a gaggle of young Italian Olympic Village volunteers wearing the Canada hats that are available. We think they're a bit silly looking, but it turns out that the Italians really do love them (Robert's Flickr stream will have a better picture later). In any case, whether during regular public hours or even at the Whistler Apres event where I took the picture, the HBC stores are packed and Canadian gear is flying off the shelves. In part it's a love of Canada and the excitement of the next Games being there, but HBC has really put together a fantastic selection of clothes. Even the green has grown on me.

Along with the SLC Flashback series, I produce a podcast called the Canucks Outsider, the latest episode of which features Dan Funboy and I talking about the upcoming Olympics over beers at the Eastside Club in Olympia, WA.  In this case, mostly the re-vamped Canadian Alpine skiiing team, Men's hockey tourney and ski-jumping.

If you enjoy home-grown commentary (and don't mind moderately ribald hockey talk) then I encourage you to subscribe to the feed for more Olympic chatter over the upcoming games, or you can just download the episode.

Over the past month, Kris Krug of Bryght, Robert Scales of Raincity Studios and various other Vancouver companies have been working together with New Media BC and Leading Edge BC to coordinate a technology symposium at the BC Canada Place next month during the Torino Olympics in Italy.

This morning as part of my first assignment for Urban Vancouver, I attend Vancouver Mayor, Sam Sullivan and Vancouver 2010 CEO, John Furlong's announcement at the Vancouver City Hall.

Canadian Mayor to make history at Torino 2006 Olympic Winter Games

Vancouver – In just one month, in what may be one of the most memorable moments of the Torino 2006 Closing Ceremony, Canada’s first quadriplegic Mayor will accept, on behalf of all Canadians, the Olympic flag. The City of Vancouver and the 2010 Organizing Committee today revealed the innovative behind-the-scenes work being done in support of Mayor Sam Sullivan’s historic role on the world stage.

VANCOUVER - Starting today, Canadians have the opportunity to show their support for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games by purchasing official Vancouver 2010 merchandise at select Hbc stores across the country. Hbc is the exclusive retailer of this first limited edition Vancouver 2010 merchandise until January 2006.

Hockey Canada invites 27 players to try out for Olympic women's hockey team (Canada.com) - CALGARY (CP) - Hockey Canada has named the 27 players who will try out for the Olympic women's hockey team, which will attempt to defend its gold medal at the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin, Italy. [Vancouver 2010 Ice Hockey News on Yahoo]