The Whistler Sliding Centre takes the thrill of sliding down a hill on a sled to a whole new level. It's been called an elevator shaft with ice and has captured the imagination of visitors and residents alike.
Located in the beautiful Fitzsimmons valley on the southeast slope of Blackcomb Mountain, The Whistler Sliding Centre is the site of bobsleigh, luge and skeleton competitions for the 2010 Olympic Winter Games.
When the first sled flew down the track, athletes and coaches knew they had something special. The 1,450-metre track is designed to be a unique world-class venue with a 175-metre vertical drop and 16 concrete corners. Top speeds average 135 km/hr, making this track one of the most challenging and fast in the world.
The Whistler Sliding Centre is also one of only four sliding centres in North America, and one of 15 in the world.
The First Nations people have specially designated The Whistler Sliding Centre. The Squamish Nation calls it a Wild Spirit Place, or Kwekwayex Kwelh7aynexw, while the Lil'oet call it A7x7ulmecw, or Spirited Ground. The designation is fitting because sliders are all, well - a little wild.
After all, it takes a lot of guts to fly down 1,450 metres of ice - head first in some cases. It's faster, steeper, and more intense than any track in history. The Whistler Sliding Centre will be the ultimate test of body, mind, and spirit for the world's top sliders in 2010.
Construction of The Whistler Sliding Centre took place between June 2005 and December 2007. It wasn't as simple as pouring water on concrete and praying for a freeze -- the track was built with precision.
During its construction the sliding centre used 350 metres of concrete, 100 kilometres of ammonia refrigeration steel piping, 700 lights, 600 awnings and 12,000 metres of steel conduit.
The venue was also built with sustainability in mind. The track location is carved out of the forest and is surrounded by trees, which allowed minimum tree removal during construction while the trees provide shading to the track. Energy efficiency initiatives were also built to minimize energy use by the refrigeration plant. These initiatives include:
The result is a track made of six-inch concrete with a required precision of within three milimetres.
The first run took place on December 19, 2007 with Canadian bobsledder Pierre Lueders and his brakeman Justin Kripps. At the time, Lueders called the first run a privilege.
"What a rush - and what a privilege to be the first ones down the newest Canadian sliding track," said Lueders. "I've driven every track in the world and each one has its own personality. The Whistler track was challenging and will unquestionably test the skills of the world's best sliding athletes."
You hear it long before you see it - a thunder that tumbles down the valley, filling the air with a low rumble. Then you see it, a blur of speed right before your eyes. It makes watching sliding sports an adrenaline rush.
After all, the athletes (a.k.a. speed demons) are navigating through G-Forces approaching 5 Gs and the track has an average grade of 11.6 per cent. The athletes say every run is different.
From the moment an athlete moves down the track, the power of the course is felt. It starts fast and gets faster and harder. One curve leads straight to the next. There are no simple lines or place to catch their breath as the track throws one challenge after another at the slider.
While bobsleighss use the whole track, for men's luge it will be shortened to 1,374-metres long, while for women's luge and doubles luge the course will be shortened even more to 1,198-metres and reduced to 14 corners. There are also 36 on-track video cameras and 42 "timing eyes".
Before you Go:
Check the weather at each venue before you go!
See the answers to Frequently Asked Questions.
Transportation to Sport Event venues in Whistler:
BC Transit bus system to all other venues from Whistler Village, Squamish and Pemberton: http://www.bctransit.com/olympics.
The Whistler Sliding Centre will be operated under the direction of the Whistler 2010 Sport Legacies, supported by an endowment trust that was established by the federal and provincial governments as part of their overall 2010 Winter Games venues investment.
The Whistler Sliding Centre will showcase sliding sports by hosting international competitions and developing sliding sports opportunities in the community. Its location, near several of the resort's world-class hotels, will provide the opportunity for tourists to try out the track, while providing a sustainable revenue stream towards the centre's long-term operations.
As one of only two sliding tracks in Canada, The Whistler Sliding Centre track will help to elevate the Canadian high-performance sport development program along with complementing the 1988 Winter Games sliding track in Calgary, Alberta
For more information, visit whistlerslidingcentre.com.
Link to the official website for the Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games.
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90% of terrain will remain open on Whistler Blackcomb during the 2010 Winter Games
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