Pyeongchang Course Preparation View # 4 – February 07th

Lars and I have been here for 15 days now and are working well together. Between grooming and skiing we have probably been around the courses close to 50 times. We are getting better at track placement and scrub zone areas. Many positive grooming comments already. Let’s hope it continues. Wax test areas and ski depot are being used daily and are groomed along with the rest of the courses. Our Korean assistant, we refer to him as Mr. Li, does the training course. I feel a little bad for “taking over “ the competition grooming, but it seems easier to share the load this way due to the very limited communication. Google translate is very helpful!!

Opening Ceremonies are 2 days away and the venue is looking ready and busy with skiers, wax techs and 1,000’s of volunteers in their grey and red Olympic uniforms.

Members of the Jury have arrived and are checking the courses today, we will undoubtedly get some more work to do tonight.

This afternoon OBS is doing a Dress Rehearsal on the Individual Start Stadium and Courses. The Team of Korean Forerunners will ski the course and provide an opportunity for the TV Crews to see what it will look like. Once they have finished, we will regroom the course for the Sprint Dress rehearsal scheduled for 7:30 tonight. Tomorrow, Thursday, they will do the same for Skiathlon.

Friday is the first big day with Official training for Skiathlon. Both Stadium and Course need to be fully groomed and track set as it will be for the next day, the first race.

Great to see the Canadian Wax Team onsite. After a frustrating first day when the heater in the room where their stone grinder is turn off and the water lines froze and burst. Yves managed a quick repair. This morning I drove them to a local hardware store to purchase a few last minute items and they offered to stone grind and re-wax my very worn out skis. Watch out Kleabo.

I mentioned security earlier but they are in the news again. Lars and I were surprised upon entering the venue yesterday morning. Normally they take our water, oranges, bananas. Bags go through the scanner and we walk through the “arch”. Yesterday….nothing, this morning the same. You probably heard about the outbreak of the Norovirus before we did. Apparently there are 1200 security volunteers all having to stay in their rooms at their local accommodation.

I also wrote about food in the last report…but I have to share something with you again. I mentioned that the 3 common elements to every lunch and dinner were rice, kimchi and grated lettuce. Well we experienced our first breakfast in the workforce food tent one morning. Of course there is rice and kimchi, but to make it breakfast they add cornflakes to the grated lettuce (photo attached…those are quail eggs).  Our new routine is to head down the street to “Paris Baguette” and enjoy a croissant and a latte, almost as good as Bridgehead!

For event schedules and Olympic news check out: https://www.pyeongchang2018.com/en/index.

That is it for now….heading back to the race course to make sure we get the machines filled up. Bu that is another story…….

Cheers Dirk Van Wijk