Miracle on Ice the sequel was not to be but was still an incredible experience.
I had forgotten how the NHL were not sending any players to the Olympics this year, and in doing so, set the stage very similar to the 1980 Olympics in that manner, but it was a rough go for my USA team. That said, as a Detroit Red Wings fan, seeing Pavel Datsyuk (former Red Wings magic man) lead the Russia team was honestly a thrill. I had to stop myself from cheering for him throughout the game, reminding myself he was not on my team. Retired from the NHL, it was an amazing opportunity to watch him on ice again even though he was helping to hand the US their rear ends.
I was surprised seating was not sectioned based on the team you were supporting but considering the comparative distance to the games from Russia vs the US, the ratio of Russian fans to US was definitely more than 5 to 1. Inside the Gangneung Ice Rink I was surrounded on all sides, drowning out my U-S-A cheering and little flag waving. I didn’t leave feeling too defeated though, walking out of the arena, the Olympic volunteers were all lined up cheering and giving high fives. It really ended the night with a punch of smiling energy, to which I would usually roll my eyes in cheesiness, but with the seriously infectious vibe of pure fun, I was more than thrilled to run down the volunteer line high-fiving each one.
Ski Aerials are jaw-dropping exciting to watch!
I had actually never seen ski aerials before and only bought the tickets based on a paragraph length description on the ticket site and was just floored seeing this event. Basically ski jump meets gymnastics in air, I left craving more. It was well worth turning into an icicle to watch. Next time though, I need to figure out how to get the ground level tickets. Although my tickets were supposedly a better tier, I was further away sitting on very cold metal bleachers. I’d rather be in the thick of it standing on the ground with lots of other excited spectators cheering and body heat. Since the jumps are still well inclined up the mountain, it would not be an obstructed view.
Events and Venues are not in close proximity to each other.
Don’t underestimate how long it will take you to get from one event to another. I was in the heart of the Gangneung Olympic village and decided to take the train to see the Olympic flame at PyeongChang on the way to Jinbu for my ski aerials. It took a good 30 minutes just to walk out of the village, and once on and off the train for PyeongChang I realized it wasn’t walkable to the Olympic flame and more like a 40 minute one way bus ride! So that would be over an hour round trip just for the Olympic flame I was trying to see on the way to another event. I did not build in enough time to do that, so had to turn around, get back on another train and head straight to the ski aerials location.
Know when and where to eat.
First, local concessions isn’t a place where you’ll find a delightful sensory experience for your taste buds, but more a place to absorb the buzz and excitement of the games. At the concessions tent before the hockey game they had three different cuisines to choose from. The Asian cuisine was an option of Cup of Noodles, just add hot water! Again, not exactly mouth watering but an hour or two before the USA vs Russia hockey game, fans from both teams were scattered in the concessions tent, chanting back and forth at each other in good fun “U-S-A, RUSS-I-A!” It was such a great way to get pumped up for the game, the goosebumps were all over my arms with every chant in such anticipation of what I dreamed would be Miracle on Ice 2.
Second, although some may want to stick their nose up at Cup of Noodles, it’s something hot to keep you going in a bind. For the more remote venues, you step off the train and there is maybe a convenience store in the train station but otherwise, you are in the middle of nowhere. And if going to the winter Olympics, there is probably a good chance you will attend an outdoor event. You quickly realize your error after getting bussed from the train station to the venue, thinking “I’ll just grab a bite to eat at the event.” After stepping off the warmed bus into the biting cold, you realize there is no way you want to take your hands out of your gloves to feed your face. While I was at the outdoor ski aerials, high atop a mountain at dark, I was trying desperately just to keep the feeling of my fingers stuffed in my gloves! Screw food! Once the event was over and the heard of spectators arrived back to the train station, I took a look at the train station convenience store and the shelves were practically stripped bare, people were hungry!
Team Houses are a thing!
I had no idea what the heck these were until I started reading about how popular these were on blogs with tickets and queues to get in. So many countries have their own Team House open to the public where it’s an entire experience built and dedicated around their country, athletes and fans. Spectators can come in and watch games, buy merchandise to support that country, get interactive experiences and sometimes see athletes stop by after the medal ceremony. I found people try to hit as many of these as possible but usually there are a couple that wildly standout for their parties and celebrations. I was really disappointed to see that the US did not have a Team House open to the public, so instead I snagged one of the few house tickets I could find for the US friendly neighbor to the north, Canada. In addition to my entrance ticket, once I arrived I then had to load funds onto a red maple leaf bracelet to apply towards any food or drink purchases. It was a super relaxing place, maybe a bit too relaxing as I couldn’t stay long without the threat of falling asleep in such a cozy place.
Transportation Translation.
If you don’t speak the local language, always carry a business card and directions for your accommodation detailed in the local language. Before arriving at the Olympics I was hearing reports of how unorganized things were on the ground so I expected the worst but by the second week when I arrived, it felt like a well oiled machine and the taxi line outside of Gangneung train station was impressively orchestrated with reps interpreting you destination to every single driver and if there was any unclarity you and your taxi driver were moved to a secondary queue for further assistance, just to keep things moving as quickly and efficiently as possible.
No rest for the weary!
The Olympics are exhilarating and exhausting. I had a crash course Olympic experience with three days on the ground, and between all the planes, trains, busses and jet lag, I generally found myself fast asleep within minutes of every roll of the bus wheels or glide down the train tracks. Sometimes I set the alarm on my phone in anticipation of my train arrival time to make sure I wouldn’t miss my stop. Even those that were there for the long haul of 2-3 weeks of the olympics that I spoke to, said it’s an experience of always on the go from one event to the next, it’s not a holiday for the weary, but it is indeed rewarding.
My trip wrapped up with a very full flight from Seoul back to London, and in the last ten minutes of the flights’ decent into Heathrow, the child sitting behind me projectile vomited. I used a Clorox wipe to get the chunks off the arm of the jacket, peeling it off inside-out in efforts not to vomit myself from the smell. Not quite the cherry on top of my trip, definitely no cherries in those chunks, poor kid.
