Let The Games Begin

The 2010 Winter Games kicked off last Friday. The ceremony was held at the BC Place here in Vancouver where spectators were given ponchos to wear and drums for audience participation.

The ceremony started with a video clip of a snowboarder going down the slopes while a narrator enumerated the places where the Winter Olympics have been been held. Then an unexpected entrance of a snowboarder through one of the Olympic rings awed the audience. What followed is a superb opening ceremony albeit the lip-synched duet performance of Nelly Furtado and Bryan Adams and the hydraulic malfunction of one of the arms for the cauldron.

There were quite a number of highlights but personally loved two performances: K.D. Lang singing Cohen's Hallelujah and the poem We Are More recited by Shane Koyczan. The ceremony's depiction of Canada's culture was not much of a production number but more of visual effects. Kudos as it was put together superbly!! But just wondering why the focus was only on the aboriginals? I have to mention that I liked the whales and that part where a young guy flew over the prairies. Was this produced by Cirque du Soleil??

Prime Minister Stephen Harper was present, of course and the Queen's representative, Her Excellency, The Right Honourable Michaelle Jean. Premier Gordon Campbell was on hand but his name was not mentioned during the ceremony. (No politicking???) Both IOC President Jacques Rogge and VANOC CEO John Furlong delivered their obligatory speeches.

An unusual moment was the moment of silence for Georgian athlete Nodar Kumaritashvili who met a tragic accident while training that morning in Whistler.

The finale of the ceremony -- lighting of the cauldron -- was delayed a bit. This was due to the hydraulic malfunction I mentioned earlier. Instead of 4 poles to support the cauldron, only 3 went up, leaving Catriona Doan no pole to ignite. The ceremony didn't end there for the Great One has to go across downtown to Coal Harbour to light a smaller version of the cauldron. It is an Olympic tradition that the Olympic Flame be viewed by the public.

This part of lighting the second cauldron might be the reason why Gretzky was chosen to be the final torchbearer. Imagine if it was Betty Fox who will be carrying the torch across town on top of a truck, not to mention it was raining that night.

Many opined that this last part -- hydraulic issue and running to the second cauldron -- quite put a damper on the ceremony as everybody expected an ending with a bang. But with or without bang, the opening ceremony served its purpose. It welcomed the whole world and its athletes to the world of games where it is just not winning but coming together in the spirit of sportsmanship.

And Vancouver is proud to be the host... Let the games begin!!!!