Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics

The Opening Ceremony is today. Is anyone else planning to watch?

Comments

  • DoublethinkDoublethink Admin, 8th Day Host
    I was somewhat distracted by this.
  • I was somewhat distracted by this.

    You've been thinking about it for far too schlong!

    I'm not worried by the opening ceremony, but I'm looking forward to seeing people finding new ways of chucking themselves off mountainsides (even if they are unfairly aided by their dicks*) - which probably means I'll end up watching the curling!

    *Bet they don't try that for the two-man luge!
  • FirenzeFirenze Shipmate, Host Emeritus
    I suspect we'll see a lot of curling, since the UK tend to win at that. Ice hockey, skiiing, snowboarding, skating, less so.
  • I didn't realise that this time round we get two-woman luge. I'll be honest, the luge is pretty odd already without two people on the teatray, but I guess it's an icy blow for equality.

    Abs yes, I fear you are right, @Firenze . I have nothing against curling, but I do like seeing the loony speedy stuff.
  • HedgehogHedgehog Shipmate
    I confess that I don't quite see where gender would make a difference in luge. Although, admittedly, I have not studied it. It would be interesting to have a two-man luge, two-woman luge and mixed-company luge competition on the same track and see if one has a discernible edge over the other two.
  • I suspect the men's is faster as it is likely to have more mass to drive acceleration, but not sure as men tending to be physically bigger would also have more drag.

    Though, as the words "I suspect" should tell you, that's a total guess.
  • FirenzeFirenze Shipmate, Host Emeritus
    Mildly surprised to see Saudi Arabia have a team. I suppose they can practice down all those sand dunes.

    Have to admit I went to bed while they were still at the As.
  • I have only joined this thread to express pleasure that, as a former Essex boy, I have now (belatedly) become aware of where the word 'Cortina' came from :)
  • I suspect the men's is faster as it is likely to have more mass to drive acceleration, but not sure as men tending to be bigger would
    I have only joined this thread to express pleasure that, as a former Essex boy, I have now (belatedly) become aware of where the word 'Cortina' came from :)

    🤣🤣

    Not Dagenham, then?
  • I couldn't find the clip of Alexi Sayle going 'Sierra? Sierra? Why couldn't they find a good English word? Like Cortina?' :-)
  • FirenzeFirenze Shipmate, Host Emeritus
    I am a young executive. No cuffs than mine are cleaner;
    I have a Slimline brief-case and I use the firm's Cortina.
  • Not GaS, so who? (I enjoyed your poetry board, when it was a thing, so maybe this is a self-penned ode?)
  • The Opening Ceremony is today. Is anyone else planning to watch?
    We watched. Pretty entertaining as these things go, Mariah Carey singing Volare being the most obvious exception. Just so bad on so many levels.

    But that horror show was more than made up for by having the Italian team come in to Rossini’s Largo al factotum, having the torch brought in to Andrea Bocelli singing Puccini’s Nessun dorma (Vincerò! Vincerò! Vincerò!/“I will win! I will win! I will win!”), and having the (interminable) Olympic Anthem sung by Cecilia Bartoli.


  • FirenzeFirenze Shipmate, Host Emeritus
    Not GaS, so who? (I enjoyed your poetry board, when it was a thing, so maybe this is a self-penned ode?)

    Betjeman

  • Barnabas62Barnabas62 Shipmate, Host Emeritus
    Curling is pretty good! Though my wife thinks it’s like watching paint dry ….
  • Barnabas62 wrote: »
    Curling is pretty good! Though my wife thinks it’s like watching paint dry ….

    Shuffleboard on ice.

    We Canadians are pretty good at it though. There is hardly a private golf club in Canada that doesn't have a curling rink attached. How else are you going to justify year round membership dues for an activity that is only accessible in the few weeks of the year it isn't raining, snowing or freezing your tush off. You have to give people something to do when the inevitable weather weathers.

    AFF
  • Firenze wrote: »
    Not GaS, so who? (I enjoyed your poetry board, when it was a thing, so maybe this is a self-penned ode?)

    Betjeman

    I like it. But it sounds like his moonlighting is rather more profitable than his Cortina-driving - perhaps that's a front.

    (Is it OK to like poems that rhyme? Perhaps it is, if they're by someone famous).
  • Barnabas62 wrote: »
    Curling is pretty good! Though my wife thinks it’s like watching paint dry ….
    I sort of agree with your wife, but I find watching the paint dry irresistible. Curling is one of those things I find mesmerizing. I’ll take it over figure skating any day.

    One of my good friends thinks they should beer—for spectators and curlers alike—as part of the game. :lol:


  • LydaLyda Shipmate
    Firenze wrote: »
    Mildly surprised to see Saudi Arabia have a team. I suppose they can practice down all those sand dunes.

    Have to admit I went to bed while they were still at the As.
    Firenze wrote: »
    Mildly surprised to see Saudi Arabia have a team. I suppose they can practice down all those sand dunes.

    Have to admit I went to bed while they were still at the As.

    Well, the country has quite a bit of oil money to spread around. I'm sure some would be available to sponsor the two contenders with equipment, lodging, and training perhaps in the Alps.
  • TukaiTukai Shipmate
    In Australia, there are no frozen lakes or rivers, so I have never seen any curling except on TV. But it's one of several sports that most people switch off the TV straightaway, or sometimes laugh at it for about a maximum of 5 minutes.

    By contrast in each capital city there is an ice rink, doing mainly a relatively affordable hour or two, to take the kids occasionally, which get enough customers to stay in business. There are even a few young adults who take it up competitively. And many more of all ages who enjoy seeing on TV those dancing on ice.

    As for skiing, Australia has a couple of "mountain" ranges, but fairly expensive for most people, as the "mountains" are enough far away from large cities, which therefore requires to stay overnight, which is expensive to operate because only open for a few months per year. But there enough young adults who operate as long-term hotel staff or as families of ski instructors, to be frequent users to become skilled enough to compete seriously in the European or American resorts.

    But most Australians, like me, can see that downhill racing is both spectacular, exciting and very skilled. So, both me and the Marama stayed up at night to watch the women's final. As I once had a seriously damaged Achilles tendon years ago, which took months to heal, I thought it a near certainly that one of the competitors would best to be lacking control as she had ruptured her tendon or knee only a week before the final. As she did, requiring a helicopter to get her to hospital. I also left it a mystery why she wanted to come out of her retirement at the age of over 40.
  • SipechSipech Shipmate
    I'm most looking forward to the snowboard cross. It's a brilliant spectator sport where they race alongside one another instead of one at a time, as many of the speed-based events in the winter Olympics do.

    If you've not seen it before, the story of Lindsay Jacobellis is brilliant. Best in the world as a youngster, spectacularly threw away a gold medal chance in 2006 but finally got gold in 2022.
  • RuthRuth Shipmate
    Tukai wrote: »
    As she did, requiring a helicopter to get her to hospital. I also left it a mystery why she wanted to come out of her retirement at the age of over 40.

    Wikipedia says Lindsey Vonn retired because of pain in one knee, and came back after a knee replacement took care of the pain.
  • FirenzeFirenze Shipmate, Host Emeritus
    @Sipech is right - it’s the one-at-a-timeness that’s so boring. You’ve seen one anonymised figure careering down a frozen gully on a tea tray, you’ve seen ‘em all.
  • I am finding the captioning fascinating.
    I hear one thing, and a second or two later the captions say something quite different - sometimes it is possible to figure out what went wrong, but on others I have no idea how it has come up with a word that I certainly did not hear.
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