and stage the most incredible spectacle BC has ever experienced.
What you NEED TO KNOW before you arrive »»
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Vancouver and Whistler are
preparing to host the 2010 Olympics and stage the most incredible spectacle BC has ever experienced. What you NEED TO KNOW before you arrive »» |
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 News Weather & Inside Trading Olympic ATHLETES & Entourage come to COMPETE & MEET while SPORTS FANS come to PLAY in Vancouver and Whistler What You Need to Know about Vancouver WEATHER It rains in Vancouver - a lot ... so arrive prepared. If you wait until you get here to buy raingear you will get soaked, literally and figuratively.
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OLYMPIC TICKETS click here Airport to Downtown Directions 2010 CLOCK Canada's Northern House MAP Downtown Vancouver CANADA PAVILLION LiveCity Downtown Celebration Site Four Host Nations Pavilion MAP French Quarter (Granville Island) MAP Sochi House (Russia 2014) MAP Holland Heineken House MAP David Lam Park MAP Nightly Medal Award Ceremony - $22 Musical Headliners Alberta House MAP Bombardier Streetcar Streetcar Olympic Line Scandinavia House Atlantic Canada House MAP CentrePlace Manitoba MAP Saskatchewan Pavilion Irish House MAP German Saxony House MAP LiveCity Yaletown MAP House of Switzerland O-Zone Richmond Laser Waterworks Show Laser Light Show ::::::::::: Whistler Events |
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has SNOW Yeah Baby - too bad it was back in 2009 Can you spot the Flying Tomato shreddin' the pipe in this vid? Vancouver and Whistler are surrounded by huge rain forests. Sometimes the clouds are so thick you can't see our mountains for weeks on end, especially in February, which is the month the Olympics are staged. It is wet here, and the special challenge for Winter Olympics tourists is that your raingear needs to keep you warm as well as dry. Quite literally, within a twenty minute drive, you can go from below zero degrees Celsius (32 F) and bright sunshine, to a downpour that causes spontaneous mudslides to drag entire houses and huge stretches of highway to crash down steep mountain slopes. There is rarely a warning, and people are occasionally buried alive. As you drive up the mountain to the Olympics sport event location the weather can change from torrential rain to a snowpack four meters thick. Weather conditions change constantly from warm, to wet, to snow, to cold, all within a one or two hour period. It's chaotic, but it is also what makes it so incredible to live in and exciting to visit our region. If you wait until you arrive to purchase winter raingear a few things will happen. The first, is that waiting is exactly what sports event merchandise sellers want you to do, because then they have you at their mercy - you're trapped. Olympic organizations are planning to build a Supercentre to sell official Olympics merchandise, and the same pricing structure will probably roll out regarding raingear that happens with souvenirs. Someone has to pay for the high cost of promoting the Olympics, and the sad truth is that tourists pick up a big piece of the tab, not Olympics sponsors like VISA or GM. These large multinational corporations are in business to make money, not offer tourists a free ride. If you wait until the last minute to purchase raingear you will pay exorbitant prices, not to mention you will probably look like an Olympics tourist and an easy mark for panhandlers. It's fine in some cases to look like a tourist, but it's not a good idea to place an Olympics target on your back in a region that will also be extremely terrorist sensitive. More realistically though, you might not be able find reasonably-priced suitable raingear when you arrive, which could easily ruin your entire stay. You could end up on the mountain or in the city with gear that will not keep you dry, warm, or safe. It's also possible that panic shopping for raingear could cause you to miss an event, one that you've already paid $1,200+ per ticket. Arrive here prepared, because it will rain. How much is anyone's guess, but probably way more than where you live. Dress like you live here. Not only will it lessen your chances of being targeted as a tourist, you will stay comfortable. The best way to dress like you live here is to dress in layers and purchase your raingear in advance from local companies "online" and avoid the last minute rush and feeding frenzy. You'll save money and time. There are two things to look for regarding wet coast raingear. Cost and comfort. Everyone here dresses in layers because winter weather changes radically from moment to moment. We also use unique materials and designs in our clothing. The outer layer has to be waterproof and it has to breathe. If it doesn't breathe you will freeze when the rain stops and the temperature drops, which can happen within an hour. People often freeze to death on the same mountain slopes where the 2010 Olympics events will be held, so don't underestimate the importance of being prepared. One miscalculated turn down the wrong path on our Coastal Mountains and you become the target for our professional search and rescue teams, or a tasty snack for a bear. Every year, someone dies from exposure simply because they went on a short two hour day-hike and got lost, or they slipped and fell into a ravine. Bear and cougar attacks are also relatively common in BC. Please don't become an exposure or fall statistic, or worse, bear poo. You need good outerwear and footwear before you arrive, and because our weather is so unique, it is highly doubtful you will find the right products for a reasonable price where you live, unless of course you already live in mountains surrounded by rain forests. A winter coat and rain boots won't cut it here. Some people also prefer a small umbrella - something they can put in a backpack or hang from their waste. Unfortunately, not just any umbrella will do. Many Vancouver retailers sell dumbrellas. They are priced at three times the normal cost of an umbrella, and they last until the first gust of wind blows through, which is about five minutes. Dumbrellas fill our trash cans. Your special challenge as an Olympics spectator is that you will have to use your umbrella in huge crowds, so if you bring a large umbrella from home, bring a helmet too, because when you pop open the circus tent spectators behind you will whiz snowballs at your head in short order. The solution is to purchase an umbrella used by locals. It has a unique shape specially designed for use in crowds and narrow sidewalks. Personally, I prefer a rain proof hoody, but if you feel more comfortable with a wind catcher, at least choose wisely. Some enterprising retailers will even have raingear delivered to your hotel. However, don't trust your hotel or sports organizations to provide raingear, because chances are it will be very average quality and tourist expensive. You'll get soaked in more ways than one. Some companies will even offer free raingear, but keep in mind you get what you pay for, and being stuck on a cold mountain in a free outfit that resembles a garbage bag poncho is not a good choice, especially when TV cameras catch you trudging through the snow like a wet duck and beam it around the world - cute look Daffy. Keep in mind too that not everyone in the 2010 Olympics region of Vancouver and Whistler are Olympics tourist-friendly. In fact, as the Games draw closer many residents, and even some businesses that have been negatively impacted by the Olympics are downright nasty. Also, you really do not want to look like an Olympics tourist, because in our terrorist plagued world, it's not cool to stick out. It's dangerous and you have to evolve with the times. Prepare intelligently, and also don't mistakenly assume because it has an official Olympics logo on it's the genuine product, or even if it is, that it is the best value for your money. Olympics products are often very expensive so shop around online and explore what independent businesses have to offer. Take home a memorable souvenir that represents our region as well as the excitement of your overall experience at the Games. Dress warm and dry, and plan, plan, plan before you arrive. Remember, sports event merchandisers love it when you arrive unprepared because it means you'll pay whatever they demand. Don't be a tourist - or at least try not to look like one! It's also harder than you think to get around in an Olympics region click for Need to Know Car Rental, Bus, Limo, & Taxi info TIPS: General Weather Transportation Safety Shopping Your best course of action is to PLAN PLAN PLAN !!! See you soon, and if you have questions, please contact us here! Check out our Newsletter - It's FREE!! blog comments powered by Disqus         Mouseover thumbnails for a mini PHOTO TOUR and a FREE offer |
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