Olympic Rockers

On Friday all eyes will be on Sochi’s Ice Cube Curling Center as Canada takes on Great Britain in the Men’s Olympic Curling Finals.

That’s how hip Curling is now. The sport’s venue is named after a famous Rap star.

Related:

“Curling: Right on the Button,” Kristi Finefield, Library of Congress blog

Sir David Attenborough describes Olympic curling [video]

“Curlers more likely to hurt themselves than lugers, speed skaters,” Christopher Ingraham, Washington Post blog

“Getting to the Core of Olympic Curling Stones,” Julie Leibach, Science Friday

“Why Curling Ice is Different Than Other Ice,”  Smithsonian Magazine, Erica R. Hendry

World Curling Federation website

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It’s Bobsled Time

“The Bobsled Song,” written and presumably performed by Sidney Mills and Jon Notar, produced by Groove Guild.

Just in time for Sochi’s two-man bobsled competition, the Jamaica Tourist Board has released  this music video supporting the island’s bobsled team, led by veteran Winston Watt. The retro 8-bit animation is a turn-by-turn representation of the 1365-meter (4478-foot) course at the Sanki Sliding Center.

Related:

“It’s Bobsled Time (in Warrenton, Va.),” Tim Regan, WCP City Desk

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Snow Shortage in Sochi

Today in Sochi, the Pearl of the Russian Riviera on the Black Sea, the temperature hit 63 degrees Fahrenheit. Nice for folks who came to enjoy the subtropical climate, palm trees, historic hotels and spas, and wide beaches; not so good for the Winter Olympic Games.

The snow cover is so slushy that Olympic officials have tapped into Sochi’s Strategic Snow Reserve. Many Americans would gladly donate the deep snow that currently covers their cars, sidewalks, and roadways, but that’s impractical due to Sochi’s strict “Buy Russian” policy. Shipping snow to Sochi from Russia’s subarctic climate zone via Trans-Siberian Express would take too long; maybe they can use some of those Soviet-era cargo blimps.

More:

“Sunkissed beachgoers strip off in Sochi as hot weather turns ski and snowboard runs into slush,’ Dan Bloom, Daily Mail

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Image: Sochi Intourist Travel Brochure, 1937.

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Sochi

Sochi, on the Black Sea, is the Pearl of the Russian Riviera, with a subtropical climate, palm trees, historic hotels and spas, and wide beaches. Just the place to hold the Winter Olympics!

Now Sochi has a trio of ugly mascots, couples toilets, rampant corruption, 70,000 gallons of borcht,and a torch that’s been to outer space, but but no garlic picking, booze, dogs, yoghurt or gay people. In Sochi, Olympic Corruption seems to be this year’s demonstration sport.

 Other Sochi developments:

“Freezing Sochi: how Russia turned a subtropical beach into a Winter Olympics wonderland,” Duncan Geere, The Verge

“Meet the man who plans to ski down Sochi’s slopes in a mariachi-style suit,” Allison Jackson, GlobalPost

“Will Sochi Have Enough Snow?” Tim McDonnell, Rolling Stone

“Welcome to Sochi, would you like a ceiling in your room?” Alphonso Van Marsh, CBS News