[mr.x]

The Whistler Sliding Centre

Location: Blackcomb Mountain
Distance from Whistler Olympic and Paralympic Village: 10 km
Venue Capacity: 12,000
Elevation: 935 m (top) - 785 m (bottom)

Venue Description
Located on Blackcomb Mountain in the resort of Whistler, the new sliding track is integrated into Whistler's long-term resort development plan. The Whistler Sliding Centre will be an excellent site to showcase sliding sports to the public. Its location near several of the resort's world-class hotels will attract many tourists, providing a sustainable revenue stream that will support the Centre's long-term operations.

Construction Update
The project features construction of a new 1,700 m concrete sliding track, refrigeration facilities and access road. Construction began in June 2005 with the track slated for completion in winter (December) 2007. The track and all buildings were complete by winter 2007.

Post-Games Use
The Centre will be operated under the direction of the Whistler Legacy Society, supported by an endowment trust that was established by the federal and provincial governments as part of their 2010 Winter Games venues investment. This high-performance competition centre, located in the heart of the Whistler/Blackcomb resort, will introduce sliding sports to the area’s many visitors.


Events taking place at this venue:

Bobsleigh
Four-man Men
Two-man Men
Two-man Women

Luge
Doubles
Singles Men
Singles Women

Skeleton
Men



First test run in December 2007
http://www.vancouver2010.com/images/misc/Sliding/Sliding2.jpg?action=scale&width=600&height=400&quality=75

http://www.vancouver2010.com/images/misc/Sliding/Sliding3.jpg?action=scale&width=600&height=400&quality=75

http://www.vancouver2010.com/images/misc/Sliding/Sliding4.jpg?action=scale&width=600&height=400&quality=75

http://www.vancouver2010.com/images/misc/Sliding/Sliding5.jpg?action=scale&width=600&height=400&quality=75

http://www.vancouver2010.com/images/misc/Sliding/Sliding6.jpg?action=scale&width=600&height=400&quality=75

http://www.vancouver2010.com/images/misc/Sliding/Sliding7.jpg?action=scale&width=600&height=400&quality=75

http://www.vancouver2010.com/images/misc/Sliding/Sliding8.jpg?action=scale&width=400&height=600&quality=75

[mr.x]

Vanoc offers look at Olympic sliding centre
Gary Kingston, Vancouver Sun
Published: Tuesday, March 18, 2008

WHISTLER -- In its quiet moments, there is an idyllic charm to the Whistler Sliding Centre. Tucked between Whistler and Blackcomb Mountains, the concrete- and ice-walled chute is framed by rock faces and snow-draped trees. There is also a small waterfall behind the start area.

Put a bobsleigh, skeleton or luge on the track, however, and it turns into something else. At 130 to 145 kilometres an hour, the guided missiles rush by in a blink of an eye with a whoosh from the lugers and a thunder clap from the bobsleighs. Danger lurks in nearly every corner.

Vanoc gave reporters a look at the track, one of just 15 in the world, Monday as Canadian athletes trained on a facility that is earning a reputation as perhaps the fastest in the world.

There is still some landscaping and road work to finish and some fine-tuning of the timing system before next February's World Cup events.

This summer, the venue will be open for public touring. Some passenger rides, a key post-Olympic feature of the track, will also take place before the Games.

"It might be for smaller groups, but it's important for us to get started beforehand on things that will be there," said Craig Lehto, the sliding centre's director.

Lehto has been too busy to hitch a ride himself. And Vanoc CEO John Furlong? "No way."

Has he asked for one? "About 1,000 times. There hasn't been too many people who haven't asked for a ride. It's a long queue."

During the Games, spectator capacity will be 12,000, with small grandstands at the finish corner (1,500 seats), the takeout area where the athletes brake to a halt (600) and the start (200).

"It's a great atmosphere at the start," Lehto said. "The finish corner will have a phenomenal atmosphere to it with the big video board and the scoreboard. And the takeout is where the athletes find out how they did. The jubilation there is amazing."

With roads on either side of the track, spectators will be encouraged to try several viewing areas. "When you're eight feet away from it and the four-man is going by your nose, it's like thunder in the mountains," Lehto said. "It's an amazing feel. You can feel it as much as you can hear it."

gkingston@png.canwest.com

[jlousa]

Maybe someone from Calgary could answer this for me, or possibly someone here knows. While I have no inclination to try the ski jump as I imagine I'd get hurt. I would love to take a bobsled down the track though. Can you rent a bobsled for a trip down? Is it safe (never seen them flip over)? While I'm not expecting to beat any records I think sliding down the track at over 100km/hr would be pretty fun.

[mr.x]

Maybe someone from Calgary could answer this for me, or possibly someone here knows. While I have no inclination to try the ski jump as I imagine I'd get hurt. I would love to take a bobsled down the track though. Can you rent a bobsled for a trip down? Is it safe (never seen them flip over)? While I'm not expecting to beat any records I think sliding down the track at over 100km/hr would be pretty fun.

You don't exactly rent a bobsled/luge sled, you actually rent a session. It's expensive, something like $120 for the bobsled and $30 for the luge...but it does include some training so that you don't get killed and know what to do, as well as equipment (helmet for sure, and perhaps even a skin suit?:banana: )



The vid below is from Calgary Olympic Park...it takes 60 secs to go through the entire track, and you reach max. speeds of 120 km/h. The Whistler track is much faster, with a max. speed of 145 km/h.
7Gpx3ZjRfXM


Can you handle that? And can you imagine yourself in a skin suit?:jester:
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2240/2171449153_52b345f7e5.jpg?v=0

[MalcolmTucker]

Maybe someone from Calgary could answer this for me, or possibly someone here knows. While I have no inclination to try the ski jump as I imagine I'd get hurt. I would love to take a bobsled down the track though. Can you rent a bobsled for a trip down? Is it safe (never seen them flip over)? While I'm not expecting to beat any records I think sliding down the track at over 100km/hr would be pretty fun.

They have public bobsleighs that are almost impossible to tip over in. I am not sure if they still do that, as all I can see is ones that are guided by a driver now. Possibly they are using close to actual sleds now.

In the summer they have a road sled that is supposed to be pretty crazy that goes down the concrete of the track.

You can also Luge from the Jr start.

I wouldn't say its the safest thing, (my second cousin has had more than his fair share of wipeouts on the luge) but its not unsafe either.

[SFUVancouver]

HOLY CRAP!
7Gpx3ZjRfXM


After seeing that this makes a whole lot more sense:

http://www.vancouver2010.com/images/misc/Sliding/Sliding8.jpg?action=scale&width=400&height=600&quality=75

We have lift-off!

[excel]

^thats a crazy picture.

[mr.x]

Learn about the discipline of bobsled by watching "Cool Runnings". :D
http://www.teachwithmovies.org/guides/cool-runnings-DVDcover.jpg

[ckkelley]

Gettin' stoked!!

[worldwide]

looks relatively safe...


compared to standup downhill skateboarding

[mr.x]

Check out the official website: http://www.whistlerslidingcentre.com/


http://www.vancouver2010.com/images/Features/SlidingCentreEdited.jpg


http://www.vancouver2010.com/images/Features/WSCTOUR_260608_VANOC.JPG

[SpongeG]

hot

[hollywoodnorth]

damn I'm starting to like Sliding more now ;) :D

[northwest2k]

http://www.vancouver2010.com/images/Features/WSCTOUR_260608_VANOC.JPG

We need more info on her!!

[mr.x]

The Whistler Sliding Centre
Track statistics
Length (bobsleigh and skeleton) 1,450 metres
Length (men’s luge) 1,374 metres
Length (doubles and women’s luge) 1,198 metres
Elevation at top of track (men’s luge start) 938 metres
Elevation at low point of track 786 metres
Vertical drop 152 metres
Maximum track slope 20% at corner 2
Number of corners 16
Track access points 7
Construction Summary
Year venue construction started June 2005
Year venue construction completed December 2007
Track designer Udo Gurgel (IBG Designs, Germany)
Venue architect Stantec Architecture Inc.
Track construction contractor Emil Anderson Construction (EAC) Inc.
Track buildings contractor Heatherbrae Inc.
Track systems contractor Western Pacific Enterprises GP
Track refrigeration contractor Cimco Refrigeration (Toromont Industries Ltd.)

[hollywoodnorth]

can I hear a....

GO TASTY SHORT BLONDE GO!

er I mean a....

Go 2010 Go ;)