The Olympic Idea

So Hakuba! Its been a couple of weeks since that big ol' ski break of mine but there's something I've been meaning to talk about.

My last day in Hakuba (Nagano) where the 98 winter Olympics were held, I walked around the village where all the downhill events took place. The days I skied I noticed several lifts that were not in operation, who knows why, but looked not more than ten years old. Walking through town there were more closed hotels and bars than you could shake a stick at.

The absolute coolest thing I saw that day was the Ski jump tower. I paid 5 bucks to ride a chair lift half way up it and then rode an elevator to the cat walks. There were two as you can see, one called the big hill and the other the medium hill. I walked to a platform a little higher up than were the actually ski jumpers start and took this video.



I tell you now....not if I was drugged, not if you gave me a billion dollars (maybe if you did both at the same time).....would I ski as fast as I could, in skin-tight nylon, off a damn ledge.

Now the meat of this little story.

Does it strike anyone else "silly" that every two years (what used to be four) the OOC (Olympic Organising Committee) begins to funnel billions of dollars into a metropolis or town. The purpose of this generous allowance.......the construction of sports facilities, hotels, restaurants and bars so that years later the strongest athletes in our world community can come together for two weeks in competition. Of course their coaches, family and the ever present media are there as well.

But after the closing ceremony, everyone packs their business and leaves. Left behind is everything just built, brand spanking new and a little used.......to slowly fall apart over time because of little to no use. Granted, the paralympics are just a few weeks later but then what.

Nothing, that's what. The operators for the ski jump told me they only had one event this season and that it didn't attract nearly as much attention as anyone was hoping for. (The operator was from New Zealand if your wondering. He also told me a couple of Americans got drunk and died after trying to go down the thing on a make shift sled. Who knows.)

All the closed hotels, restaurants and bars.....just wasted space and money. And the kicker, it happens every two years. Athens just barely finished all the construction before their opening ceremony. The original stone Olympic amphitheatre still stands, but only so folks can go an have their picture taken with it. Money says that'll be all the new one is good for a hundred years from now if its still around.

This is not just me being skeptical. It's the same for the World Cup! How many soccer stadiums is Johannesburg going to have to build for that month long event? Worlds Fair (or Expo) too. Seville, Spain had it in 92. 10 years later, half the really cool buildings, in what I can only describe as an office park, are now fenced off, grass growing through cracks in the pavement and parking lots.

So what's the alternative? I'm glad you asked!

My most brilliant idea is this. OLYMPIC ISLAND. The OCC could take all that money for the Olympics and World Cups and other international events and buy an island or two. One in a colder climate than the other. Build everything there needed! Stadiums, Pools, Ski Jumps and more. Build the hotels, restaurants and bars. More folks could stay in cruise ships rented out by counties that just float up to a grand harbor. (Some countries housed their athletes like that for Athens I believe). Eliminate the sponsors. It can be a training facility during slow periods. It would be a hallowed ground for the true spirit of sport. And until I can work up a better drawing, we'll use this as a guide.