I went with my sisters to the Heritage C-Train station and watched the torch make its way through the city towards McMahon Stadium, then went home and watched the ceremonies on tv.
It was the final Winter Games before the fall of the Berlin Wall and the collapse of the dreaded Soviet Union. It was an Olympics where the most remembered names were not of the gold medalists.
It was about the disappointment of Brian Orser's silver, and the excitement of Elizabeth Manley's silver. It was as much about Eddie "The Eagle" and the Jamaican bobsled team as it was Alberto "La Bomba" Tomba and Katarina Witt.
I was 14 at the time, so not really old enough to really have as much fun as I could have if I was just a few years older.
Happy Silver Anniversary!
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I was at the opening ceremonies at McMahon. I also vividly remember walking around Stephen Avenue Mall one evening in shorts and a t-shirt. The weather was crazy.
I was also too young (15) to fully appreciate the festivities but it was still a very cool vibe in the city.
Mmmmmm...Katerina....
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. I also vividly remember walking around Stephen Avenue Mall one evening in shorts and a t-shirt. The weather was crazy.
They were talking about that on the news this morning - one day it was +18*!!
I was 20 - I remember a lot about that Olympics. So much fun. I loved that dingbat Eddie the Eagle. Sat on the edge of the couch holding my breath for both Orser and Manley's competitions. One of my uncles volunteered for the games - he still has his jacket and has a lot of stories to tell.
There's some free stuff going on at the Oval tomorrow - here's a couple of links:
Location: A simple man leading a complicated life....
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I remember trading pins for hockey tickets. Then there was Stephen Ave Mall with pin traders and thier booths set up. I made a tidy some of money selling pins I had acquired. Of course the Chinook that lasted all of the Olympics made it like spring.
When to the womens downhill race but it got cancelled due to high winds. Spectators took the chair up and walked over to their favourite vantage point to watch the race. When it was cancelled everyone slid down the ski hill on the bcak of thier jackets.
I wanted to be a volunteer during the games but my boss wouldn't let me take holidays during the Olympics. My dad got to be a volunteer at Nakiska.
I have print hanging in my den with a picture of the medal ceremonies that went on. Had it framed with some pins I had saved
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Originally Posted by Minnie
They were talking about that on the news this morning - one day it was +18*!!
I was 20 - I remember a lot about that Olympics. So much fun. I loved that dingbat Eddie the Eagle. Sat on the edge of the couch holding my breath for both Orser and Manley's competitions. One of my uncles volunteered for the games - he still has his jacket and has a lot of stories to tell.
There's some free stuff going on at the Oval tomorrow - here's a couple of links:
Eddie the Eagle did draw a mass of media attention with his coke bottle lenses and all. Quite the friendly chap who loved to do interviews. IIRC he was amazed with all the attention he was recieving.
I was 13 during the games. It was the most important Calgary has felt to me ever then or ever. It was so neat having the eyes of the world on our then, quaint little city of 600,000 people. The pride the city had was unreal. We decorated out Jr. High wall to wall with student made Olympic art. The buzz was just incredible. It was truly a proud and important moment to be a Calgarian, and it was cool to see it through the eyes of a still Naive stupid kid. EVERYTHING seemed cool.
In retrospect, the only thing I wish never happened, was Elizabeth Manley biting that stupid medal. Now every single lame-ass athlete tries to do the same, quirky, manufactured, cutesy, spontaneity in the moment... moment. And I think they are all lame for it.
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I was 13 during the games. It was the most important Calgary has felt to me ever then or ever. It was so neat having the eyes of the world on our then, quaint little city of 600,000 people. The pride the city had was unreal. We decorated out Jr. High wall to wall with student made Olympic art. The buzz was just incredible. It was truly a proud and important moment to be a Calgarian, and it was cool to see it through the eyes of a still Naive stupid kid. EVERYTHING seemed cool.
I was also 13 kid in Jr. High, we went all out as well.
My Dad was a volunteer (technical side) and had a tonne of Olympic memorabilia, some of which is still kicking around somewhere.
I was 15, and we drove up from Lethbridge on the last Friday of the games. We weren't planning to do more than walk around downtown and soak up the atmosphere, but we heard on the radio that the Canada/West Germany hockey game would be starting shortly after we expected to arrive. We managed to get to the 'Dome and snag some tickets to watch Canada smoke 'em 8-1.
I remember that I could see the torch on the tower as far south as Claresholm on the drive home.
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I was almost 7 at the time, but I clearly remember all the excitement leading up to and during the games. Also I could watch ski jumping with a pair of binoculars from our balcony in Hawkwood. I also remember going down to Stephen Avenue and seeing all the pin collectors.
Other things I remember:
-Elizabeth Manley
-The Jamaican bobsled team
-Eddie the Eagle
-Alberto Tomba (my mom is Italian)
-A "mini" Olympic torch relay through Hawkwood that us kids got to do
-Sun Ice stuff EVERYWHERE
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Electric ave was unbeleivable those 2 weeks. Had a buddy i had gone to HS with who's cousin was the barrister for the Claudios group. VIP treatment at any of their establishments meant bypassing 4 hour long lineups.
So awesome meeting people from all over the world...and the women were especially friendly .....yeah i went there.
Went to a couple hockey games which were OK...but the ski jumping and the bobsled were a blast.
As mentioned, the vibe in the city was something never experienced since, though was closely matched the following year during the SC run.
Great times to be a Calgarian...pride was exuded in every part of the city and was very palpable to anyone who visited at the time.
I remember going to pick up a drink at some convenience type store on Stephen Ave. and could barely make my way through the throng of male Eastern Bloc athletes oggling all the nudie mags like a pack of hyena's. I too was 13 at the time, I must have went downtown about 10 times just to soak in the atmosphere and do some pin trading.
I was 29, fairly new to the city, in the early moments of a new career and, not thinking too far ahead, had volunteered my Olympic evenings away working as a stagehand for a fairly terrible play being put on by friends at Pumphouse Theatre.
So, as a result of that brilliant decision, I actually saw very little of the Olympics on TV but I did get down to Olympic Plaza a few times and was out at Lake Louise for a women's Alpine event. I saw some ski jumping at COP.
Karen Percy wiped out right in front of me at Lake Louise and, on another occasion, I saw her presented with an Olympic medal at the Plaza.
The laser light show at Olympic Plaza - just the whole atmosphere - was great.
Ian Tyson and Gordon Lightfoot singing Alberta Bound and Four Strong Winds during the opening ceremonies was pretty cool.
Cowperson
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25th Anniversary of the 1988 Winter Olympics
I too was 13 at the time, I must have went downtown about 10 times just to soak in the atmosphere and do some pin trading.
