Words from Whistler

Ski Cross was Wild

Today was the Olympic debut for Ski Cross and it was wild. Ski cross seems to be described as a cross between motorcross, roller derby and skiing. While the Canadian skiers had tremendous support as the hometown boys, it was great to see so many different countries participating and clearly demonstrating the sport has a global appeal. Errol Kerr, the friendly giant wearing green and yellow from Jamaica was a crowd favorite. Not only did he have his family in attendance to support him but two of the original Jamaican Bobsled members, who had participated in the Calgary Olympics of 1988, were on hand to cheer him on.


What made the event more entertaining were the descriptions of the skiers, or should I say cast of characters. Some of the skiers were described as having other hobbies such as BMX, football, anger management and bowling. Couple the hobbies with physical attributes that ranged up to 6’4” and 230 lbs and you have men who are going to fight for their space on the track. The blood shed and colossal collisions were reminiscent of warriors fighting for a space on the podium. The battle continued right into the final where Canada’s Chris Del Bosco looked like he would capture bronze until on the final jump, with the crowd cheering wildly, he flew like an eagle but turned sideways and landed in a faceplant. While the crowd was disappointed Canada did not bring home a medal, the entertainment value was 5/5. I look forward to watching the Women’s Ski Cross on Tuesday.



Keep watching for more "Words from Whistler" as Debra Gassewitz, President & CEO, SIRC, continues her stay at Whistler. You can find Debra at Whistler Canada Olympic House.