Social media has been one of the stars of the 2010 Olympic Games. I experienced the paradigm shift at the Vancouver airport when I was approached by a publicist from Flint Communications. She overheard me talking about winning the Microsoft Office Winter Games Contest and had heard the buzz surrounding it on Twitter.

There are two factors that are not surprising: 1) She eavesdropped on a loudmouth like me. 2) She was familiar with the contest.

Despite being used by millions of people, Twitter is a surprisingly close-knit community. This woman’s PR company was hired to train the speed skating team in social media tools such as Twitter and Facebook.

The lesson here is simple: there is no more powerful publicity vehicle than connecting the athletes directly to their fans.

Organizations are starting to understand that. The United States Olympic Committee has a Twitter feed of the athletes on their Press Box site. The Vancouver Organizing Committee (VANOC) has branched out to YouTube, Twitter and Facebook, as well as other offerings such as podcasts and photo galleries. The tools I am using with the Microsoft Office ’10 Beta allow me to upload my posts from Word directly to my blog.

Microsoft Office’s publicity gurus came up with the brilliant plan for me to host a casual meet-up for Vancouver mom bloggers. We met at Trafalgars Bistro, a quaint restaurant with a dessert menu that made me gain five pounds just by looking at it.

The women and I talked blogs, tech and kids. They clued me in on where to find Wi-Fi in Vancouver (in the parking lot at Best Buy, Safeway and Future Shop). And we dished about desserts. We were, after all, at a dessert emporium.

One of the women attempted to explain it all to me.

“Well, if I was given a choice between chocolate and vanilla, I’d choose chocolate. But put chocolate up against a carrot cake? I’d choose carrot. So basically, chocolate is not an addiction but it could be considered an issue.”

The same could be said for my attitude about social media.

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Check out these lovely Vancouver bloggers and twitterers: Nicole @nicole013; Stephanie @thetsunamimommy, Gwen @leftcoastmama, Cari @canigetrecipes, Kerry @crunchycarpets, Naomi @namtastetravels, Krista @KristaU.

© Crazy Bloggin’ Canuck–A Denver Mom’s Blog

Bode Miller at the men’s downhill

Even in the womb, my son Bode had an Olympic connection–we named him after Bode Miller as we watched the Torino Games.

Since that day, I have dreamed of getting Bode’s autograph or posing for a picture with him. My dream finally became tangible when serendipity (a.k.a. the USOC) handed me tickets to the men’s downhill where Bode was competing on Monday.

Our Whistler accommodations at Creekside Village are not only luxurious but they’re also conveniently located at the base of the downhill run. We were given the option to take the chairlift or hike up the mountain.

I’ll let you guess which lane was more popular.

I’ve never attended a downhill event and was surprised to be almost outnumbered by Europeans in the stands. The Swiss, in particular, were in abundance toting their over-sized cowbells and reacting to every nuance on the mountain. Loudly.

View of the Men’s Downhill

Bode was scheduled to ski eighth. You’d have thought I was his own mother for how nervous I was for him. He was the overall World Cup champion when he went to Italy in 2006 and he came up short in five Alpine events. This was his chance for redemption.

The great thing about attending the downhill is you don’t miss a thing. Cameras capture the skier’s every move at the top of the mountain and it is broadcast live on a Jumbotron, I decided I would film the big screen and move to the actual ski slope as he barreled across the finish line.

The first part of my plan went accordingly. The second did not. There was a minor glitch: when I moved my Flip Video Camera over to film him directly, I couldn’t find him. I ended up capturing a really nice looking ski slope without anyone on it.

Evidently, I do not have a future in broadcast journalism.

It took Bode 54.40 seconds to achieve a measure of redemption for the Torino Games and win the bronze medal. He held a press conference later that afternoon and come hell or high water, I vowed to be there.

Or rather, come “dumb” and “dumber,” which was what happened to me.

I had spent the afternoon at the USA House getting interviewed by KOA radio and CNet about my Olympic experiences using the Office ’10 Beta. I was supposed to Skype in to Fox31 /Channel 2 in Denver but my continued Internet connection problems plagued me and I was running behind because of it.

I arrived at the Whistler Media Center with 10 minutes to spare. It was my first visit there and I spent the next few minutes trying to find the press conference room. I finally asked someone for directions.

You know. Because I’m female and I am allowed to do that.

Turns out, the press conference was at the Whistler Media House, which was on the other side of the pedestrian village. With mere moments to spare, I did what I do best: I freaked out and then sprinted to the WMH.

In my Sanitas clogs.

Through throngs of people.

And yes, it was every bit as ugly as it sounds.

I arrived breathless, sweaty and frazzled but most importantly: on time. I kicked back and listened to my son’s namesake field press questions.

Bode Miller Press Conference

Bode Miller has been vindicated by the media for his renegade attitude, particularly as it relates to commercialism at the Olympics. At the press conference, he was different than in Italy, penitent even, having finally achieved a sort of truce surrounding the inevitable pitfalls that come with this sport.

He blew off questions about his Olympic legacy, saying it could have been anyone’s day out there and he was 0.09 seconds behind the winner and 0.02 from second place. This margin between first and third is the smallest in Olympic history.

“I was really getting myself wound up and emotionally involved in what I was doing. It’s part of why I came back and raced. I was amped up.”

With this bronze medal and the two silvers he won eight years ago in Salt Lake City, he is the most decorated American in Olympic skiing.

An impressive Olympic legacy, even if he claims he doesn’t care about having one.

My plan was to approach him following the press conference but I did not anticipate he would be rushed away to attend the medal ceremony. Dejectedly, I left the building. As I was standing outside licking my wounds, I was approached by Kevin Neuendorf, Public Relations Manager for the USOC. Kevin has been integral in securing me event tickets and we had not yet met. He had recognized me from my blog.

The Hair is always a dead giveaway.

We chatted about my Olympic experience thus far. At one point, I lamented I had missed my opportunity to meet Bode Miller. It got worse when he said, “That’s really too bad. If I’d known you were coming, I could have had you meet him backstage following the press conference.”

The moral of this story is two-fold:

Sometimes it’s better just not to know what might have been.

And don’t judge a woman until you’ve run a mile in her clogs.

To follow Team USA updates and your favorite athletes’ Twitter feeds, be sure to go to USOCpressbox.org. Also, download your free copy of Microsoft Office ’10 Beta at officewintergames.com.

Today, we are mourning the loss of the USB cord for my camera. Until I find a replacement, here are a few pictures to tide you over.

I will eventually download them all on Flickr but my persisting Wi-Fi problems have made this an impossibility. So pervasive have been my problems with finding a reliable connection that the phrase I use most often wherever we go is:

“Sounds cool but do they have Wi-Fi?”

You know. Because posting stories to my blog directly from Microsoft Office ’10 is the entire reason I’m here.

This picture was taken on Day 1 when I attended the press conference for the Proctor and Gamble Family Home. The P&G executive gave a great overview of the facility but it was his glowing recommendation of the Charmin in the bathrooms that caught my attention. So much so that I had to pose in Said Bathroom.

And it was every bit as exciting as he promised.

Sure, the Olympic Superstore is best known for carrying The Hallowed Red Mittens. But it also offers so many hip items in its official product line.

This ear-muffed hat is not one of them.

I took this picture at the torch run. There is nothing that says “Crazy Canuck” like wearing a hockey jersey with the Canadian flag tied to a hockey stick.

And wearing The Hallowed Red Mittens, of course.

I’m sure you’ve heard the controversy regarding the fenced-off Olympic Cauldron. Organizers of the Vancouver Games expect to unveil a plan tomorrow to make it more accessible to the public.

Until then, it just bears a striking resemblance to Gumby from afar.

This final picture is my personal favorite. When I was in the Media Press Centre, I dropped by the United States Olympic Committee’s office. I was amused to see about 15 clocks on the wall, many just a few inches apart. The head-scratcher? They all displayed the same time zone.

Possible explanation: the Olympic Games are the center of the universe and who cares what time it is in the rest of the world, anyway.

On Valentine’s Day, we drove to Whistler. Visiting this fabulous ski town has always been on my bucket list.

I guess that means I can finally die now.

If you’ve tuned into the 2010 Vancouver Games, you know they’ve had a snow problem. Or rather, a lack of snow problem. As we toured Whistler’s crayola-hued village, it started raining.

At the Winter Games.

Canada’s weather is confused.

One of the casualties of the conditions is the Snowboard Cross on Cypress Mountain. Some 8,000 ticket holders have had their tickets canceled because heavy rains have made the general admission standing room area at the Cypress snowboard stadium unsafe for spectators.

When we started touring Whistler Village, conditions were clear. Within 30 minutes, we got caught in a torrential downpour. We found shelter…and solace in The Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory’s patriotic caramel apples.

That evening, Robin scored me a ticket to the Victory Ceremony. To celebrate, I got myself some tail.

Beavertail pastry, that is.

This is, after all, Canada.

Even if it is confused about winter.

There are Victory Ceremonies in Vancouver and Whistler each evening where the athletes receive their medals. A concert follows.

The exuberance was palpable. All over Whistler, Canadians partied at the news that Alexandre Bilodeau became the first Canadian to win an Olympic title inside his own country’s borders.

Tickets for the Victory Ceremonies are in demand and I crammed into the plaza with hundreds of people from all over the world.

I saw Apolo Ohno officially make history by tying Bonnie Blair’s record and I laughed at bubbly Shannon Bahrke’s exuberant reaction to her bronze medal in the moguls.

Not to be forgotten is my run-in with the giant beach ball during the pre-show while I was tweeting.

Yet I still managed to snap a photograph before getting taken out.

We all have our moments of Olympic glory.

Stay tuned for tomorrow’s update and my greatest disappointment of the Games involving my son Bode’s namesake.

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I’ve been working with Microsoft Office to demonstrate technology in action! Be sure to go to www.OfficeWinterGames.com to download your free Microsoft Office 2010 Beta. Looking for breaking news on the Olympic? Go to http://pressbox.teamusa.org.

© Crazy Bloggin’ Canuck–A Denver Mom’s Blog

On Friday, I visited the USOC-run USA House. It is not open to the public and has become the stomping grounds for athletes, sponsors and dignitaries.

USOC Director of Corporate Partnerships John Pierce gave me a tour. The hip facility includes the USA Team Store, a media work room, the AT&T All-access Lounge with complimentary Acer laptops, Panasonic flat screens with a constant stream of the Olympics, Wii entertainment, the Bud Lounge with full bar facilities and a constant flow of free food.

My husband would have threatened to move in.

The USA House hosts both past and present Olympic athletes and at one point, I chatted with Olympic gold medal gymnast, Shawn Johnson.

Shawn Johnson at the USA House

OK, I mostly acted like a giggling groupie when I asked to take her picture.

The true highlight was meeting one of my idols: Olympic legend Bonnie Blair (see my interview with her here).

She was instrumental in helping me win the Microsoft Office Winter Games Contestand we spent an hour together talking about Office ’10, her Olympic experiences, and visiting Allstate’s Hall of Fame Tribute Wall where she will be included amongst the chalk murals. Bonnie told me the reason why I was her choice for winning the contest is because she loved the humorous perspective I share on my blog about motherhood.

Just another day on the job interviewing Olympic legend Bonnie Blair

Following our interview, we watched speed skating on the 105-inch Panasonic television in the Bud Lounge.Bonnie gave me the insider scoop on the behind-the-scenes action and we were reprimanded for being too loud.

Microsoft Crew with Bonnie Blair at the USA House

It was then I knew she was my kindred spirit.

It was fascinating to watch the qualifying heats of the 1,500m Men’s Short Track as Apolo Ohno strove to tie her record. I entitled this photo: “I’m coming for you.”

And he did later that night when he won the silver medal. He now shares Bonnie’s record for the most medals awarded to an athlete at the Winter Olympics.

She was, of course, gracious about his victory. I was so inspired and entertained by her that I knew I’d be her BFF if we lived in the same town.

Or I’d most certainly be her stalker.

Cool tidbit: The USA House had a smattering of guitars autographed by the AT&T Team USA Soundtrack Bands such as Sugarland, Hoobastand and others. To download these songs, go to www.att.net/TeamUSA or text USA to 2257. All proceeds benefit Team USA. Also, be sure to go to www.OfficeWinterGames.com to download your free Microsoft Office 2010 Beta.

One of my sources of frustration leading up to arriving at the 2010 Vancouver Games was my lack of itinerary.

When I arrived here, I understood why. Microsoft has been working directly with the United States Olympic Committee on securing me event access. The USOC is juggling 25,000 members of the international media.

It would be safe to say they have just a few things on their plate.

That said, they still managed to score me tickets to the Opening Ceremony. The plan was for me to go with Kevin Neuedorf, USOC Public Relations Manager and sit with the press corps.

Then The Tragedy of the Track happened when Georgian athlete Nodar Kumaritaschvili was killed during a training run. Kevin needed to be there so I flew solo.

Or rather, I rode the media bus. One of the perks of being an accredited member of the press is shuttles are provided to many events and media accommodations. I underwent an airport-esque security screening at the Main Press Centre (MPC) prior to boarding the buses to BC Place Stadium.

The entrance for the press was behind heavily veiled curtains, befitting of the Land of Oz. But on the other side were the same over-priced food booths that were found in the public concourse.

Such the anti-climax, just like The Wizard.

The press section was two-tiered. Media who were reporting live were given tables and Wi-Fi. The rest of us were ushered to a seating area located just above the main performance floor and a stone’s throw away from the presentation balcony.

We were given an embargoed media guide with background information and descriptions of each segment with supporting images and text. Everyone in attendance received an Audience Kit that kit that contained a small Canadian flag, battery-powered candle, an LED flashlight, a drumstick, and a blue, white or lavender poncho.

Mine was blue. I think. It was dark and my post-Lasik night vision sucks.

The hour prior to the Opening Ceremony, the audience practiced our role in the performance. There were 230 audience leaders positioned throughout the stadium who cued us, demonstrating when and how to use our props.

And then the Opening Ceremony was underway. Ecstatically, I joined in the wave during the countdown and threw myself into the audience-participation portion of the program.

Until I looked around. Only one-third of the media had bothered to wear their ponchos. Even fewer opened their Audience Kit.

Killjoys.

If you watched the Opening Ceremony, you know it was a visual spectacle that highlighted Canada’s distinct cultures , music and art. Oh, and in keeping with national patriotism, there may have been one or two (thousand) maple leafs that rained down on us.

It was every bit as magical as it appeared on television. A few highlights

*Seeing the athletes’ faces as they entered the stadium for the first time, their Olympic dream finally realized.

* A 20-metre LED light covered bear dropped out of the sky to the main stage in a cascade of falling stars.

*When the audience recreated a northern light sky with thousands of LED flashlights. Giant projectors transformed the night sky into a star chart.

Hands down, the most powerful moment of the evening—something that could never be captured on camera—was when the athletes from Georgia walked in. A blanket of emotion enveloped the crowd as we uniformly stood to honor their teammate who had tragically died earlier that day.

Final respects were made. Tears were shed. And it was a sobering reminder of the dangers as well as the glory that can only come from being a part of the Olympic experience.

© Crazy Bloggin’ Canuck–A Denver Mom’s Blog

Our first item of business on Friday was seeing the longest torch relay in Olympic history. The torch spent 106 days on the road with 12,000 torchbearers who covered 45,000 kilometres of the sprawling Canadian landscape and visited 1,036 communities 300 metres that may be done on foot, in wheelchairs, canoes and dog sleds in rural and urban settings, in snow, sleet and extreme Arctic cold.

Not bad for a 3.5-pound torch.

The previous evening, I was introduced to my official entourage (Anthony (Microsoft Office’s PR Manager a.k.a. “The Godfather”), Robin (He Who Has Every Important Person On Speed-Dial)and his videography crew Rich and Brandon (The Stalkers).

The latter three men have been assigned the dubious task of filming Microsoft Office ’10′s technology in action. That’s not the dubious part.

The dubious part is that I’m the one putting it to action and my every move is being recorded.

Let’s get something straight: I’m not shy. But I’ve also never been the star of my own reality series and the constant attention has made me cognizant of just how ineloquent I can be.

Though I like their description better: “You have a lot of energy.”

We joined the jubilant crowds to cheer the torch bearer while basking in the revelries of the maple-leaf-adorned spectators.

Olympic parade followed by the torch bearers

The Olympic Torch Bearer looks like I was going to swipe his torch. Maybe I was.

From there, we hit the streets, wandering around downtown Vancouver.

We checked out the countdown to The Games clock in the B.C. Pavilion where Rich instructed me to walk by the fountain and ruefully look at the water. OK, so maybe he never actually said “ruefully.”

But if he had, you’d better believe I’d have known how to deliver after all the acting practice I’ve been getting.

We visited Robson Square where we chatted with a young hockey team who had been torch bearers. As we were leaving, a plastic penguin-toting couple stopped me in my tracks. Turns out, The Traveling Penguin has accompanied them to 26 countries thus far.

I tried to console myself that a flightless bird has somehow flown the coup more than me.

The true highlight of the morning was visiting the 21,000-square-foot Olympic Superstore located in the Hudson’s Bay Company. The line to get in stretched down the block and upon being granted entry, we bee-lined it for the hot-ticket item at the Olympics: The Hallowed Maple Leaf Mitten. These warm little numbers are priced at just $10 a pop and the demand is great. So great that as of Friday (before the Olympics had even began), they had sold 2.6 million.

Buying out the Olympic mittens

Rich, Anthony and Robin contributed to at least half of total sales.

Olympic Superstore

In my next update: My golden ticket to the Opening Ceremony.

© Crazy Bloggin’ Canuck–A Denver Mom’s Blog

This is my third time at an Olympic Winter Games. I attended the first two as a “civilian.” As an accredited member of the media, my experience has been completely different.

Mostly because I get to wear a cool press pass that lets me into really cool places.

Another reason my experience has been different is I lived in the previous two Olympic cities and had never experienced the frenetic pace of the airport. When I touched down in rainy Vancouver on Thursday morning, I was greeted with scenes like this:

I have no idea who the Russian athlete was that they were filming.

Just that he was a wee bit important.

Turquoise-clad volunteers practically outnumbered the travelers and they helped me follow a maze of signs through the parking lot to where I caught a media shuttle to my hotel. After dropping off my luggage, I hopped on another media shuttle to the train. I met Microsoft Office’s PR rep, Krista, outside of the Main Press Centre where I received my official accreditation.

From there, we lunched across from the famed Gastown Steam Clock.

At least that is the assumption I made, given the number of people snapping pictures like it was some famous Russian athlete.

The Home I Want Away From Home

That afternoon, Krista and I attended the housewarming party of the Proctor and Gamble Family Home. P&G took their sponsorship of Team USA further than most. Instead of just hosting a center for athletes to congregate, they created a four-story home where athletes, their families and friends can gather.

The centerpiece of their Olympic campaign? Thanking mothers. P&G reached out to all 250 athletes on the U.S. Olympic Team and extended financial support so they would be able bring their mom (or other family member) to cheer them on at the Games. P&G then debuted a couple of their “Proud sponsor of mom” commercials.

Warning: they are exactly the kind of ads that I curse because they reduce me to a blubbering fool.

The media and several members of Team USA were then unleashed to experience the Proctor and Gamble Family Home. Krista and I received hand massages at the beauty and grooming salon day spa that also offered Cover Girl makeovers, Venus and Oil of Olay leg therapy and masseurs.

We sampled 24 flavors of chips at the Pringles snack lounge, I made my own Pringles label for my kids and we watched the athletes rock out to Rock Band on the Wii.

We visited the children’s play area at Pampers village, which was cool enough to almost make me wish I had my little ones with me. Krista and I ended our sojourn at the P&G Family Home by visiting the Crest and Oral B “Smile Room” where, transposed against a winter background wearing Olympic garb, we smiled.

Kinda funny how that works.

Friday is the first official day of the 2010 Vancouver Games and there will be plenty more smiles where those came from as we watch the torch relay.

The most exciting news of all: I was secured a ticket to watch the Opening Ceremonies in the press box with Kevin Neunendorf, Public Relations Manager of the USOC. Stay tuned!

© Crazy Bloggin’ Canuck–A Denver Mom’s Blog

During the 2002 Salt Lake City Games, I attended a quarter-final men’s hockey game. The man seated beside me was draped in a Canadian flag and was topped off by a maple-leaf hat.

“What part of Canada are you from?” I excitedly queried my fellow Canuck.

“Oregon.”

I didn’t want to make the same mistake twice but when I spotted Darrin Steele walk on my flight from Denver to Vancouver, I had a sneaking suspicion he was cheering for the Red, White and Blue.

Maybe it was his Team USA jersey. Or his star-spangled knee-length coat. But most likely the dead giveaway was his set of headphones that were replete with stars and stripes.

Now that, my friends, is a true fan.

Steele is a two-time Olympian who is now the CEO of the United States Bobsled & Skeleton Federation in Colorado Springs. During our three-hour flight to Vancouver, we talked about everything from the logistics of walking in the Opening Ceremonies to his recent foray into Twitter and social media.

The U.S. Bobsled Team

“I attended the bobsled during the 1988 Calgary Games,” I generously offered.
“Oh really? That’s great!”
“Kind of. We waited for ages in the sub-zero temperatures, only to have the sled blaze by us in a millisecond. If we blinked, we missed it.”

And yes, I really did tell this to the CEO of the Bobsled Federation.

While certainly not the most spectator-friendly sport, Bobsled and Skeleton are among the most crazy. He has been CEO since 2007 and competed on the four-man bobsled team in the 1998 Games and on the two-man in 2002. If you need a course in Bobsled 101, the four positions are the pilot, two side pushers and the brakeman. Skeleton was added to the Olympic roster in 2002.

Steele was recruited for the bobsled while he was still a decathlete. “A lot of the men come from a track and field background, as well as football,” he said. “The women come from soccer, track and field and gymnastics.”

Steele says Whistler’s track is the fastest in the world. With speed comes danger but he has confidence in Team USA. “The women’s bobsled team finished #1, 3 and 6 on this track at the World Cup.”

He also says the most consistent performers to watch are Shauna Rohbock who earned a silver medal in Torino and Steve Holcomb, the reigning World Champion, is ranked #1 in the world in the four-man. In the skeleton, Steele predicts some upsets but says to watch for Noelle Pace, who was a world champion in 2007. I took this picture of Noelle later that day at the Proctor and Gamble Family House. It was before I knew who she was.
And just thought she had really great red-, white-, and blue-streaked hair.

An Athlete’s Life

The Opening Ceremonies is far from a compendium of band geeks but the terminology is similar. Athletes are given a “Marching Pass,” which they use to walk in the Opening Ceremonies. Some choose to skip out to rest or train. Unused tickets are redistributed to the team’s staff and trainers.

Steele’s fondest Olympic memories are of the Opening and Closing Ceremonies and his actual event.

“As you’re waiting to enter the stadium, you can feel the anticipation building. When you walk through that tunnel, it’s the best feeling in the world. You’re blinded by flashing cameras and the pulsation of the crowd,” Steele remembers. “The Closing Ceremony is a big party where we traded jackets, snapped photos and danced on the infield. Most of us aren’t famous but we have killed ourselves for this moment. And it’s every bit as great as we’d always dreamed.”

As for the Athlete’s Village, Steele says there is an evolution during the Olympics. In the beginning, everyone means business and it is just a place to rest and prepare. But over the course of the Games, the atmosphere becomes much more fun and loose. “I think if the athletes were there for even one extra week, there would be a few Olympic babies born nine months later,” Steele joked.

As our conversation drew to a close, he put me on the spot: “So, the question is: who are you cheering for?”

“Mostly Team USA,” I answered truthfully. “But when it comes to hockey, I plead the 5th amendment.”

Just don’t remind him as a Canadian, that isn’t even possible.

Follow the bobsled’s updates at http:www.bobsled.teamusa.org. Darrin is on Twitter @darrinsteele. Stay tuned for my updates from Day 1 of the 2010 Vancouver Games.

Side note: My heart-felt sympathies to the luger who died on the track on Friday. A sad reminder of just how dangerous these sports are.