Winter Olympics 2010: Getting (Beaver)Tail in Whistler

On Valentine's Day, we drove to Whistler. Visiting this fabulous skiing town has always been on my bucket list.

I guess that means I can finally die now.

If you've tuned into the 2010 Vancouver Games, you know they've had a snow problem. Or rather, a lack of snow problem. As we toured Whistler's crayola-hued village, it started raining.

At the Winter Games.

Canada's weather is confused.

One of the casualties of the conditions is the Snowboard Cross on Cypress Mountain. Some 8,000 ticket holders have had their tickets canceled because heavy rains have made the general admission standing room area at the Cypress snowboard stadium unsafe for spectators.

When we started touring Whistler Village, conditions were clear. Within 30 minutes, we got caught in a torrential downpour. We found shelter and solace in The Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory's patriotic caramel apples.

That evening, Robin scored me a ticket to the Victory Ceremony. To celebrate, I got myself some tail.


Beavertail pastry, that is.

This is, after all, Canada.

Even if it is confused about winter.

There are victory ceremonies in Vancouver and Whistler each evening where the athletes receive their medals. A concert follows.

The exuberance was palpable. All over Whistler, Canadians partied at the news that Alexandre Bilodeau became the first Canadian to win an Olympic title inside his own country's borders.

Tickets for the victory ceremonies are in demand and I crammed into the plaza with hundreds of people from all over the world.

I saw Apolo Ohno officially make history by tying Bonnie Blair's record and I laughed at bubbly Shannon Bahrke's exuberant reaction to her bronze medal in the moguls.

Not to be forgotten is my run-in with the giant beach ball during the pre-show while I was tweeting.

Yet I still managed to snap a photograph before getting taken out.


We all have our moments of Olympic glory.

Amber is the winner of the Office Winter Games contest from Microsoft Office 2010 and will be reporting from Vancouver throughout the Games.