The Olympics . . . . 20 years later - Calgarypuck Forums - The Unofficial Calgary Flames Fan Community

Cowperson · 02-09-2008, 12:23 PM

Nice profile of Robin Perry who, as a 12 year-old, lit the flame at the Calgary Olympics.

http://www.canada.com/calgaryherald/...a-1e8bc272f7fd

The Opening Ceremony was a cold day but aside from the events, medal ceremonies, etc I attended, the one memory that sticks out is the city was pretty much brown under a Chinook by the second week and a kid was skateboarding along the Bow River in a T-shirt.

I missed a lot of the television coverage during those weeks as I was volunteering helping with a play at the Pumphouse Theatre . . . .

Cowperson

Sylvanfan · 02-09-2008, 12:37 PM

It's when benchmark anniversarries like this occur that I realize how old I'm getting to be. I remember the family coming from Cranbrook to attend 3 hockey games at the Olympics. We saw the U.S.A. beat Norway 6-3, Finland and Sweeden play to a 2-2 draw and the U.S.S.R. win 6-1 over the Czechoslovakia. I remember it all quite vividly the atmosphere and watching other events on T.V. Than you realize that was all 20 years ago now already.

burn_this_city · 02-09-2008, 12:38 PM

I remember standing on the side of heritage drive with a torch candle in my hand as the flame went by.. I was only 4 or 5 but I remember it fairly well..

JiriHrdina · 02-09-2008, 12:40 PM

I was let's see....13 at the time and became hard core into the pin trading. There was a big tent downtown where one could go and swap pins with fellow traders - good times.

I'm sure I have my collection of olympic pins around somewhere still but I have no idea where it was.

Sylvanfan · 02-09-2008, 12:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JiriHrdina

I was let's see....13 at the time and became hard core into the pin trading. There was a big tent downtown where one could go and swap pins with fellow traders - good times.

I'm sure I have my collection of olympic pins around somewhere still but I have no idea where it was.

Yeah, we spent quite a bit of time at the pin trading tent as well. My dad ended up getting some pin from the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow that was apparently quite rare due to the boycotts that happened. He used to have all his pins in a frame that he kept on his night table for the next 18 years. I think my mom probably hasn't moved it yet, I'll have to look for it next time I go to visit.

Resolute 14 · 02-09-2008, 12:54 PM

First hockey game I ever went to... USA over Austria 10-6. Amazing to think that was 20 years ago now.

JiriHrdina · 02-09-2008, 01:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sylvanfan

Yeah, we spent quite a bit of time at the pin trading tent as well. My dad ended up getting some pin from the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow that was apparently quite rare due to the boycotts that happened. He used to have all his pins in a frame that he kept on his night table for the next 18 years. I think my mom probably hasn't moved it yet, I'll have to look for it next time I go to visit.

Yeah my best pins were also all framed up. Which is kinda strange now that I think back on it.

But it was fun at the time. One of the few times of my life that I became a "collector" of something.

I wasn't as big a sports nut in '88 apart from the Flames, which I regret now - although I do remember being very distraught when Brian Orsen lost the gold - stupid jerk couldn't get through a long program without falling on his arse.

The one shame of the 88 olympics is the fact Canada failed to win a gold that year. Which is pretty damn piss poor.

JiriHrdina · 02-09-2008, 01:03 PM

Oops I also remember leading up to the olympics Czechoslovkia played an exhibition game against the US. The Americans were the far better team but were stoned time and time again by some young goalie, who I had never heard of to that point - Dominik Hasek.

Amazing how these memories start to come back on ya.

the crispy badger · 02-09-2008, 01:03 PM

I had to go to my math tutor that day and missed the damned torch going by..stupid algerbra!

habernac · 02-09-2008, 01:04 PM

I'm sad I was still living up north then, would have loved to have experienced it. At 18, it would have been a great time.

Sylvanfan · 02-09-2008, 01:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JiriHrdina

The one shame of the 88 olympics is the fact Canada failed to win a gold that year. Which is pretty damn piss poor.

What did Canada win like 3 medals at that Olympics...2 Silvers in Figure Skating and a Bronze for Karen Percy? Terrible for a country with our population that has this many months of winter. I suspect that Canada will do a lot better in 2010 now facilities are in place and that the sports themselves do tend to get more than adequate funding.

pope04 · 02-09-2008, 01:09 PM

I worked for Kodak during the Olympics down on the Stampede grounds. Other SAIT journalism students and I took in film from international photographers for processing. Then a short, super funny guy by the name of Carmen Romanelli from Sports Illustrated came and asked if any of us would help mount photographic slides before they could be sent to New York.

My girlfriend and I would work from 7 am to 5 pm for Kodak, then we'd work into the wee hours for SI mounting their slides.

We made a pretty good chunk of cash (for starving students), but, I'm sad to say, we saw absolutely nothing of the games or nightlife.

ricoFlame · 02-09-2008, 01:10 PM

i was in kindergarten, all i remember was everybody wearing those touques, the candle torch things and most importantly heidi and howdy. My mom saw the whole Liz manley thing.

JiriHrdina · 02-09-2008, 01:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sylvanfan

What did Canada win like 3 medals at that Olympics...2 Silvers in Figure Skating and a Bronze for Karen Percy? Terrible for a country with our population that has this many months of winter. I suspect that Canada will do a lot better in 2010 now facilities are in place and that the sports themselves do tend to get more than adequate funding.

2 bronzes for Percy
1 silver for Manley
1 silver for Orson
1 bronze for the dancing figure skating or whatever that's called.

Yeah pretty bad.

Locke · 02-09-2008, 01:16 PM

Yeah? Whats she done for me lately?

Dion · 02-09-2008, 01:27 PM

Applied to be a volunteer but didn't get in.

I had all my pins framed below a print from the Olympic games. Hangs above my TV in the den.

The funny part was my place of work and all it's suppliers were giving staff pins. I took those pins and traded them for hockey tickets. One guy gave me his his gold medal ticket because a pin i had would have completed his set.

Went to the ladies down only to have it cancelled due to all the wind.

Or going to Olympic Plaza nighly to watch the presentation of the medals to athletes.

Sparks · 02-09-2008, 01:38 PM

I was young at the time, but it was definitely a neat time to be in Calgary. The only sport I went to was the luge (sp?). It was a neat experience, because it was the freaking olympics, but it wasn't the most exciting sport to watch. Half a second of action, then a much longer wait. Almost like baseball. I kid, I kid.

I had a pretty decent pin collection, over a hundred for sure, but I lost it since. And I definitely remember that chinook - I bet it caused havoc at some events, but this kid was pretty happy about playing outside minus the coat.

Superflyer · 02-09-2008, 01:40 PM

I remember I was living in N.S. at the time and I was at the library and everyone runs outside to see the torch run by. THat was pretty cool to see, to bad I had to watch everything on TV, but oh well.

RW99 · 02-09-2008, 01:43 PM

I missed the TSN special last night

Sidney Crosby's Hat · 02-09-2008, 01:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JiriHrdina

Oops I also remember leading up to the olympics Czechoslovkia played an exhibition game against the US. The Americans were the far better team but were stoned time and time again by some young goalie, who I had never heard of to that point - Dominik Hasek.

Amazing how these memories start to come back on ya.

I was at that game. I thought the Czechs won something like 11-2? USA's goalie was Marc Behrend (who played for the Jets). I thought it was interesting that Hasek wore number two.

The only event I saw at the Olympics was Canada losing (5-0 I think) to USSR.