by Hans Tammemagi –
My adrenaline surged and my knees wobbled as I went to the head of the Olympic ski jump and stepped onto long boards. Moments later I hurtled down the seemingly vertical track and then soared, OK, trembled, through the air. I barely managed the landing and slid to a stop.
Actually, the skis never moved. I was in a simulator, but the film and sound of wind whistling made it seem very real. My actions (when I took off, how I leaned, when I landed) were translated to a jump of 97.5 metres. Sadly, I didn’t qualify for the national team.
I was at the Richmond Oval Experience (ROX), which opened in late November in Richmond, B.C. and is North America’s first official Olympic Museum. Fittingly, it is located in the massive edifice that was the speed-skating venue at the 2010 Olympics.
What makes the ROX museum special is that it offers one of the most interactive experiences in the world, headed by five state-of-the-art simulators that are synchronized with athletes’ motions to replicate the actual experience and feel of various sports.
I sat in a kayak and felt the buffeting, wind and water as I paddled down raging, frothing rapids. I drove a bobsled at frightening speed down the perilous Whistler course. I experienced being a para-skier on the Olympic slalom course. I tested my accuracy and pace at shooting hockey pucks and kicking soccer balls. Then I compared my standing jump, strength and agility to Olympic athletes. Sadly, I didn’t fare very well and even young kids easily beat my scores.
I thought I would recover from my exertions by quietly watching the film Pursuit of a Dream, which shows the drive behind becoming an Olympian. To my surprise, the seats moved, synchronized with each athlete’s motion to replicate the experience. Bumping along with the action, I had no rest.
There is much more. Because the museum is sanctioned by the International Olympic Commission, it contains a wealth of Olympic artifacts including historic medals, Olympic torches, film clips of dramatic moments, and even Donovan Bailey’s track shoes. Unfortunately, I didn’t have time to sit in a broadcast booth and announce an Olympic sporting competition, or search the computer databases for special Olympic facts.
After several hours, emotionally and physically worn out but very happy, I exited the ROX and decided to tour the rest of the Oval. I was astounded by the building’s immense size and the way it has been reconfigured to provide a vast array of activities for the general public. There are two Olympic-sized ice rinks used for hockey, figure skating, short track speed skating and community skating. Eight sport courts were packed with people playing basketball, indoor soccer, volleyball and badminton. I was almost run over crossing a 200-metre training track! The fitness centre was enormous, an acre of buff people using a multitude of strength and cardio equipment while enjoying grand views of the Fraser River and snow-capped mountains. I gazed longingly at the state-of-the-art climbing walls and the climbers dangling like spiders from their ropes.
Outside, I circled the mammoth building, meandering along the boardwalk in the Water Sky Garden, admiring the large flapping banners depicting Canadian athletes, and following a mock Olympic torch relay.
I vowed to return: I will never compete in the Olympics, but the experience here will be almost as good.
