31 January, 2006 (Tuesday)
A brief update
Another week has passed and I'm behind again in my updates. In my defence, the last 7 days have been pretty jam-packed... and the snow continues to fall outside. I think that's the theme for January at Big White - snow drifts and big snow flakes.
What have I been up to? There was the Rocket's hockey game on Wednesday night, followed straight on by Australia Day celebrations and then the weekend (of work). I had my first ski lesson here (yesterday) and today I was down in K-town (as I've begun calling it) doing the weekly rent payment and shopping.
No huge happenings personally, but the last few weeks have been nothing if not entertaining and instructive. I think what I really need right now is a week or two just to catch my breath and take it all in. The cough is back after last week's revelry and I've got a long backlog of 'things to do'.
(Image: Clouds and snow ghosts - Falcon Chair)
Big White news:
25 January, 2006 (Wednesday)
Rush the bus
After 8 hours at Happy, it was a bit of a rush to get ready for the hockey game. Josh was still soaping it up in the shower (it can be darn inconvenient sharing a bathroom with 3 other guys), which in the end left only 20 minutes for Dave and I to get ourselves suitably attired. I think I missed out washing my ears properly as a result.
Sleeping on a coach
Nevertheless, both of us were warmly seated in the coach by 5:30pm. Dave had his two-four of Pilsner and Chai for company (I know which one he treated more affectionately), while I was seated toward the back with Tanya and Kate behind (I’d got the tickets for Tanya as a farewell present). I guess I must have still smelt funny or something because nobody seemed too eager to sit next to me. Well, the girls had also dumped their personals on my companion seat. Neither of the jackets fit.
The hour bus trip sped by in near darkness, the clinking of glass bottles and metallic ring of stainless steel cans breaking up the constant chatter. Kate told us a few stories of growing up; about lots of snow time, living for a year in Alaska and most recently settling in Port Macquarie. She showed us pictures of her family, to which Tanya cooed enthusiastically at the cuteness of her brother. Hot, hot, hot? I didn’t have too much to say. He kind of wasn’t my type. Gender. Whatever.
Welcome to the hockey, please have your passes ready
The bus pulled up at Prospera Place, home venue of the Kelowna Rockets with only a quarter of an hour to spare before the game – Kelowna Rockets vs Left Bridge Hurricanes. The group of Big White-ans (not just staff) tumbled out onto the pavement to join the crowd moving to the entry doors. It looked busy inside and out, but everything was moving along steadily.
Inside the doors we were stopped by three solid women, two uniformed. The first woman seemed to be supervising, the second randomly searching bags and patting down suspicious bulges (usually jacket pockets, but I wasn’t there long enough to see if they went further), and the third scanning tickets. Thankfully I was previously warned and was missed over for the search, my big black jacket concealing my camera and mickey. Chai wasn’t so lucky, his $20 bottle of Captain Morgan’s captured after he was randomly searched. I guess the security gal just thought he was the right type to pat down.
Past the doors I was hit by the big game ambiance. The obligatory program stand took pride of place in the middle of the room, flanked by guys in yellow hats and shirts spruiking 50/50 raffle tickets for a mid-game draw. Food and beverages were up against the wall under bright fluorescent lights, a growing swell of punters lining up for their $7 plastic cup of beer and $5 hotdog. Business seemed good.
The food and beverage gals who served me my chicken wrap and beer dinner asked for identification before they’d let me pay. I wasn’t sure whether I should be flattered or annoyed. The legal drinking age in BC is 19, with a similar stipulation to New South Wales that identification should be requested of anybody who looks under 25. In general British Columbia is pretty strict on drinking ages in its pubs. On the mountain we’ve had the RCMP (Royal Canadian Mounted Police) visit each weekend to check venue capacity and scout for underage drinkers. Apparently they’ve caught more than a few.
Warning: Section 106
Big White had been allocated seats in areas 105 and 106 of the main stadium (I’m not sure where the first 100 sections are located, maybe they keep them in the basement?). I recognized the odd face scattered about. Our seats were in Section 106, Row S – right at the back to the left of the goals. The seats were the usual sports flip-down affair, but provided a good view of the rink. Behind us were the corporate boxes, each sponsor labeled neatly with company insignia.
The Rockets (in their green and white) and their opponents came out and faced off from opposite sides of the ice.
The home team received a rousing cheer, which was shortly followed by a rendition of the Canadian national anthem. I remember standing there, watching Tanya and Kate stuff chips into their mouths with the Canadian national anthem being mouthed around me, thinking that, as anthems go, it worked but… was of a different flavour to our own Advance Australia Fair. A hint of patriotism, from me? Perhaps. It’s possible. I just remember basking in the memory of other events, of other places and other times. It didn’t last too long though.
The game started with the drop of a puck. For the first few minutes it took some concentration to keep track of who had possession and where it was flying on the ice. While the players might lack the size and ferocity of the pro-league NHL, it was still fast and physical. Right from the start there were plenty of body shots, impacts on barriers and frantic clashing of sticks. Players powered over the ice, cutting fast zig-zags and sending ice chips flying with short sharp stops in an effort to evade their opposite number.
The atmosphere amongst the crowd was pumped, with lots of alcohol flowing. From the start the Rockets were all over the Hurricanes, dominating aggressively. Within the first few seconds the Rockets scored, only to have the Hurricanes level in the next five minutes. Shots at goals were punctuated by excited cheers and cheesy music, misses by disappointed “ohs”. The first half finished too soon.
First break
At first break the team mascots paced around the ice at our end. The Rocket’s Raccoon pursuing the Hurricane’s Wolf, spraying him (I assume it was a him?) with a water bottle. There was the requisite prized draw and featuring of a corporate box.
The last ten minutes of break were taken up with a Junior Dragons game, the ice split into two mini fields with two sets of nets. Kids no older than 10 or 11 came out to scramble after a puck. After a quick resurface by the zambonis the game resumed.
Second period
The second period was hard fought and just as fast. Ice chips rained down on the brink and the barriers rattled with the impact of shoulder-padded bodies. Tensions were raised with the referees having to intervene more than once, sending off players from both teams (although probably more Rockets than Hurricanes).
Second break
During second break I popped out to refresh, catching Ryan and the twins (Mike and John). More prize draws, more cheesy music and the zambonis returned to the ice.
Final period
Third period tempers flared again, with more than a few scuffles. Towards the end with, Kelowna at a decisive 4/1 advantage, there was a full scale fight. Both teams dumped their gloves, dropped their sticks and went for it, piling up on the ice. Helmets were ripped off. Fists flew. Neither teams held back.
This availed the Hurricanes nothing, with Kelowna easily defending their lead through the final minutes.
No overtime?
As the game ended the crowd quickly dispersed. The buses loaded and we were pulling out within 15 minutes. On the way back Tanya was motion sick and found her way to the front of the bus to rest her head in her lap. The rest of the bus however was in fine spirits, still riding the high of the Rocket’s win and a lot of alcohol. Drinking songs were sang and more cans were crushed.
Before we knew it we were pulling up to Happy Valley. It was cold and snowing out and the wind was just starting to pick up. With the hour approaching 11pm, the Gondola was closed for the night leaving a long walk up the hill. Tanya wasn’t in a good way, shivering uncontrollably and looking green. With Kate flanking Tanya’s other side we started the long trudge through the new snow.
Before we got too far however the bus driver had a change of heart and offered to take us to the main village centre.
Most of the survivors of the game headed straight off to Sam’s but, being the responsible soul that I am, I volunteered to walk Tanya back home and made sure she was okay before setting back out. So we limped back to Tanya's and after a glass of water I started the long way up the ski slope to Sam’s. Despite an uphill hike in slippery new snow I finally found back, where the party was still going. A lot of the crew had headed off, but there were still plenty about celebrating the Rocket's win.
All in all it was an enjoyable evening (although I’m still gasping at the prices they can charge for food and alcohol!). The game was terrific and the atmosphere fun, so I’m looking forward to getting out there again this season to see the Rockets in action.
Another week has passed and I'm behind again in my updates. In my defence, the last 7 days have been pretty jam-packed... and the snow continues to fall outside. I think that's the theme for January at Big White - snow drifts and big snow flakes.
What have I been up to? There was the Rocket's hockey game on Wednesday night, followed straight on by Australia Day celebrations and then the weekend (of work). I had my first ski lesson here (yesterday) and today I was down in K-town (as I've begun calling it) doing the weekly rent payment and shopping.
No huge happenings personally, but the last few weeks have been nothing if not entertaining and instructive. I think what I really need right now is a week or two just to catch my breath and take it all in. The cough is back after last week's revelry and I've got a long backlog of 'things to do'.
(Image: Clouds and snow ghosts - Falcon Chair)Big White news:
- Kelowna Rockets: Last Wednesday the Kelowna Rockets truimphed over the Left Bridge Hurricanes 4-1. The game was hard and fast with the Rockets dominating from the start. It was a great introduction to live hockey, with a big game atmosphere, lots of physicality and not a few scuffles. While I'm not a fan of the cheesy music and between period spruiking of motor oil products, I really enjoyed the atmosphere and the game itself. No, I haven't bought myself a Rockets jersey (yet).
- Australia Day abroad: As expected, Australia Day away from home was a completely different experience. Everybody came out of the woodwork to wave the Australian colours and drink too much alcohol. There were blue wife beaters on display, gangly white legs sticking out of board shorts and not a little fake tan. I had a steady day at work before getting out with the gang and taking lots of photos. By the end of the night the dance floor was speckled with the Union Jack, Southern Cross and Green & Gold. Thanks Jess and Georgia for the great flag t-shirt! Nobody else could compete.
- Jae returns: Jae has just got back from a few days down at Whistler hanging out with relatives. Apparently the night before he went out boarding it dumped down 40cm of snow, so he's dispelled all those 'Whistler has no snow' myths that have been floating around. It's also Merv's last week with us and Tanya is due to fly out on Saturday. The exodus begins.
- Valentines: Two weeks to Valentines Day. I wonder if this one will score a blip on the Big White radar? Is this just another excuse for on-mountain shenanigans?
25 January, 2006 (Wednesday)
Rush the bus
After 8 hours at Happy, it was a bit of a rush to get ready for the hockey game. Josh was still soaping it up in the shower (it can be darn inconvenient sharing a bathroom with 3 other guys), which in the end left only 20 minutes for Dave and I to get ourselves suitably attired. I think I missed out washing my ears properly as a result.
Sleeping on a coach
Nevertheless, both of us were warmly seated in the coach by 5:30pm. Dave had his two-four of Pilsner and Chai for company (I know which one he treated more affectionately), while I was seated toward the back with Tanya and Kate behind (I’d got the tickets for Tanya as a farewell present). I guess I must have still smelt funny or something because nobody seemed too eager to sit next to me. Well, the girls had also dumped their personals on my companion seat. Neither of the jackets fit.
The hour bus trip sped by in near darkness, the clinking of glass bottles and metallic ring of stainless steel cans breaking up the constant chatter. Kate told us a few stories of growing up; about lots of snow time, living for a year in Alaska and most recently settling in Port Macquarie. She showed us pictures of her family, to which Tanya cooed enthusiastically at the cuteness of her brother. Hot, hot, hot? I didn’t have too much to say. He kind of wasn’t my type. Gender. Whatever.
Welcome to the hockey, please have your passes ready
The bus pulled up at Prospera Place, home venue of the Kelowna Rockets with only a quarter of an hour to spare before the game – Kelowna Rockets vs Left Bridge Hurricanes. The group of Big White-ans (not just staff) tumbled out onto the pavement to join the crowd moving to the entry doors. It looked busy inside and out, but everything was moving along steadily.
Inside the doors we were stopped by three solid women, two uniformed. The first woman seemed to be supervising, the second randomly searching bags and patting down suspicious bulges (usually jacket pockets, but I wasn’t there long enough to see if they went further), and the third scanning tickets. Thankfully I was previously warned and was missed over for the search, my big black jacket concealing my camera and mickey. Chai wasn’t so lucky, his $20 bottle of Captain Morgan’s captured after he was randomly searched. I guess the security gal just thought he was the right type to pat down.
Past the doors I was hit by the big game ambiance. The obligatory program stand took pride of place in the middle of the room, flanked by guys in yellow hats and shirts spruiking 50/50 raffle tickets for a mid-game draw. Food and beverages were up against the wall under bright fluorescent lights, a growing swell of punters lining up for their $7 plastic cup of beer and $5 hotdog. Business seemed good.
The food and beverage gals who served me my chicken wrap and beer dinner asked for identification before they’d let me pay. I wasn’t sure whether I should be flattered or annoyed. The legal drinking age in BC is 19, with a similar stipulation to New South Wales that identification should be requested of anybody who looks under 25. In general British Columbia is pretty strict on drinking ages in its pubs. On the mountain we’ve had the RCMP (Royal Canadian Mounted Police) visit each weekend to check venue capacity and scout for underage drinkers. Apparently they’ve caught more than a few.
Warning: Section 106
Big White had been allocated seats in areas 105 and 106 of the main stadium (I’m not sure where the first 100 sections are located, maybe they keep them in the basement?). I recognized the odd face scattered about. Our seats were in Section 106, Row S – right at the back to the left of the goals. The seats were the usual sports flip-down affair, but provided a good view of the rink. Behind us were the corporate boxes, each sponsor labeled neatly with company insignia.
Go Rockets!An aside on Hockey:
I can’t admit to being a total hockey buff like Jae or Dave, I don’t know any of the players in the NHL or team mascots or even who is on top of the ladder and destined for the playoffs. But since arriving here in the land of the Maple Leaf I guess I’ve watched a few snippets of the game and absorbed at least a little. The basics? Well, to begin with, in Canada you NEVER refer to the game as “ice hockey”, it is quite simply “hockey” – there is no other game.
Hockey is played with 6 a side on the ice, usually with a goal keeper and the remaining 5 players split between defensive and attacking positions. Replacements (usually about twice the number of players on the ice) stand in the wings, ready to jump straight into the game.
The game is composed of 3 periods (before overtime), each 20 minutes in duration – no quarters or halves just periods. The rink itself is encircled by waist-high plastic barriers, topped by transparent sidings. These get a regular work out with body impacts common for attackers trying to flank or defenders trying to clear the puck from their goal end.
The Rockets (in their green and white) and their opponents came out and faced off from opposite sides of the ice.
The home team received a rousing cheer, which was shortly followed by a rendition of the Canadian national anthem. I remember standing there, watching Tanya and Kate stuff chips into their mouths with the Canadian national anthem being mouthed around me, thinking that, as anthems go, it worked but… was of a different flavour to our own Advance Australia Fair. A hint of patriotism, from me? Perhaps. It’s possible. I just remember basking in the memory of other events, of other places and other times. It didn’t last too long though.The game started with the drop of a puck. For the first few minutes it took some concentration to keep track of who had possession and where it was flying on the ice. While the players might lack the size and ferocity of the pro-league NHL, it was still fast and physical. Right from the start there were plenty of body shots, impacts on barriers and frantic clashing of sticks. Players powered over the ice, cutting fast zig-zags and sending ice chips flying with short sharp stops in an effort to evade their opposite number.
The atmosphere amongst the crowd was pumped, with lots of alcohol flowing. From the start the Rockets were all over the Hurricanes, dominating aggressively. Within the first few seconds the Rockets scored, only to have the Hurricanes level in the next five minutes. Shots at goals were punctuated by excited cheers and cheesy music, misses by disappointed “ohs”. The first half finished too soon.
First break
At first break the team mascots paced around the ice at our end. The Rocket’s Raccoon pursuing the Hurricane’s Wolf, spraying him (I assume it was a him?) with a water bottle. There was the requisite prized draw and featuring of a corporate box.
The last ten minutes of break were taken up with a Junior Dragons game, the ice split into two mini fields with two sets of nets. Kids no older than 10 or 11 came out to scramble after a puck. After a quick resurface by the zambonis the game resumed.Second period
The second period was hard fought and just as fast. Ice chips rained down on the brink and the barriers rattled with the impact of shoulder-padded bodies. Tensions were raised with the referees having to intervene more than once, sending off players from both teams (although probably more Rockets than Hurricanes).
Second break
During second break I popped out to refresh, catching Ryan and the twins (Mike and John). More prize draws, more cheesy music and the zambonis returned to the ice.
Final period
Third period tempers flared again, with more than a few scuffles. Towards the end with, Kelowna at a decisive 4/1 advantage, there was a full scale fight. Both teams dumped their gloves, dropped their sticks and went for it, piling up on the ice. Helmets were ripped off. Fists flew. Neither teams held back.
This availed the Hurricanes nothing, with Kelowna easily defending their lead through the final minutes.No overtime?
As the game ended the crowd quickly dispersed. The buses loaded and we were pulling out within 15 minutes. On the way back Tanya was motion sick and found her way to the front of the bus to rest her head in her lap. The rest of the bus however was in fine spirits, still riding the high of the Rocket’s win and a lot of alcohol. Drinking songs were sang and more cans were crushed.
Before we knew it we were pulling up to Happy Valley. It was cold and snowing out and the wind was just starting to pick up. With the hour approaching 11pm, the Gondola was closed for the night leaving a long walk up the hill. Tanya wasn’t in a good way, shivering uncontrollably and looking green. With Kate flanking Tanya’s other side we started the long trudge through the new snow.
Before we got too far however the bus driver had a change of heart and offered to take us to the main village centre.Most of the survivors of the game headed straight off to Sam’s but, being the responsible soul that I am, I volunteered to walk Tanya back home and made sure she was okay before setting back out. So we limped back to Tanya's and after a glass of water I started the long way up the ski slope to Sam’s. Despite an uphill hike in slippery new snow I finally found back, where the party was still going. A lot of the crew had headed off, but there were still plenty about celebrating the Rocket's win.
All in all it was an enjoyable evening (although I’m still gasping at the prices they can charge for food and alcohol!). The game was terrific and the atmosphere fun, so I’m looking forward to getting out there again this season to see the Rockets in action.
posted by the wastrel @ 11:37 PM
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