NZ | 2018/2022 Winter Olympic's Bid | Proposed

[KIWIKAAS]

Good one Cartel.
As much as I like ChCh I think its more of a Commonwealth Games location than a Winter Olympic city.
I think Q'town/ Lakes District will be able to handle it in 11 to 15 years time and look bloody good too.

[KIWIKAAS]

What a location!

[KIWIKAAS]

Some examples of venues that would be required.

Speedskating




Figureskating




Ice Hockey



Ski Jumping

[KIWIKAAS]

Originally Posted by Cartel

2018 - XXIII Winter Olympic Games

(from various sources)

Krakow, Poland
Sofia/ Serbia, EU
Reno / Tahoe, USA
Denver, USA
Tromso, Norway
Annecy, France
Charmoix, France
Gap, France
Grenoble, France
Changchun, China
Christchurch, New Zealand
Queenstown, New Zealand

Sofia is the capital of Bulgaria

[Cartel]

Lol. Yes they are thinking about a joint bid with Serbia.....I should have said that the "/" indicates joint bids. sorry!

And yes the very prospect of it is very exiting!

[KIWIKAAS]

Another BIG problem.
NZ dosent have a decent downhill course.
The one at Mt Hutt is a joke (with long traverses required to get the distance) and certainly not in the top league (as required). A totally new location has to be found. I selected a spot for the Downhill and GS on my little map but it really remains to be seen where it could be held. They need to find a bloody high mountain and build good access there (the Downhill is one of the biggest events of the games).

[Cartel]

Originally Posted by KIWIKAAS

Another BIG problem.
NZ dosent have a decent downhill course.
The one at Mt Hutt is a joke (with long traverses required to get the distance) and certainly not in the top league (as required). A totally new location has to be found. I selected a spot for the Downhill and GS on my little map but it really remains to be seen where it could be held. They need to find a bloody high mountain and build good access there (the Downhill is one of the biggest events of the games).

Porter Heights? It's an amazing little field and has the potential for many new long runs (which is being realized by it's new owners) It also currently has the longest ski run in the southern hemisphere! - Big Mama. But don't know the olympic requirements in terms of length for a downhill run...

[KIWIKAAS]

There's no specific requirement, but the course should be fast and dynamic.
The current runs at Mt Hutt and Mt Ruapehu are too short verticly so they have to do these massive traverses to make up the distance which (as you can imagine) is not good at all.
How steep is the ''Big Mama'' at Porter Heights? Long is one thing, it's got be steep too.
Just to illustrate the problem. A decent downhill course would be double the distance from Coronet Peaks chairlift base to the peak.
What ever the case. No current skifield has such a course. Will be interesting to see what the solution might be.

[Davee]

This is all very exciting.

I would like to see any Winter Olympic bid be hosted more as a South Island and New Zealand venture. I would see Australia being a player in the scheme as well, as the spin off in tourist would benifit both countries, and we could do with the experience and expertise that our Aussie cousins have in hosting MAJOR international events.

I like a lot of your ideas Kaas, and I can see what you are saying. I think both Christchurch and Queenstown would be best in hosting such an event. Simpley, the opening and closing of the games, indoor events would be best held in CHC, simply because of the population and post games, these venues could be well utilised. Christchurch with AKL would be the entry and exit points for all international vistitors and the accomidation is here and being developed.

Queenstown does need to be shown off to the world and I would love to see a lot of the out door events held in this Kiwi Paradise. It would be great to have an event on the North Island too! I don't think that should be ruled out - the games would be for all Kiwis

[Davee]

Taken from Christchurch International

[Kane007]

Calgary hosted the 1998 Olympics, and just like CHC is a city not actually in the hills. From memory its about a 1 hour drive down the highway to Banff.

[Davee]

[Allblackz]

Good to see I’m not the only one who feels as passionate about a winter games in NZ!

Queenstown could very well host a games much like the ones in Albertville, France (1992) and Lillehammer, Norway (1994) with many of the venues spread out of a area of small towns and resorts in the region.

[IHaveNoLegs]

Originally Posted by Cartel

Even if it did go over that figure. If they are thinking of giving Auckland another $3 billion for a bridge I'm sure they could fork out a mere $1 billion for the south island to host the olympics.

Just like all the money they are forking out for the 2011 RWC?

[KaneD]

Aren't you all forgetting something?

Lillehammer in Norway isn't all that big. When I was there in 2004, it felt like a small sleepy town, far less vibrant than Queenstown.

Also, Note that not all of the events have to held in the Queenstown Lakes district - Even the Sydney Summer Olympics had events staged in Canberra.

It is possible that the outdoor events such as Slalom, Ski Jump, X-Country etc could be held in Queenstown, but the indoor events that require large arenas like figure skating would be best held in Christchurch. Some events could be held at Mt Hutt too.

Note that this idea of splitting certain events and distributing across a few places isn't a new idea - it is a frequently used idea which helps distribute the burden of financing the event, and also makes the facilities more justifiable.

Note also that the IOC does have as part of its requirements to host their events, a viability plan which takes into account the sustainability of the facilities post event.

[Allblackz]

It is possible that the outdoor events such as Slalom, Ski Jump, X-Country etc could be held in Queenstown, but the indoor events that require large arenas like figure skating would be best held in Christchurch. Some events could be held at Mt Hutt too.

The IOC tends to prefer games that are as "compact" as possible.

[KIWIKAAS]

Originally Posted by DavidEugene

This is all very exciting.

I would like to see any Winter Olympic bid be hosted more as a South Island and New Zealand venture. I would see Australia being a player in the scheme as well, as the spin off in tourist would benifit both countries, and we could do with the experience and expertise that our Aussie cousins have in hosting MAJOR international events.

I dont think you'll get the Aussies on board with the finance except entrepreneurs out to make a buck

I like a lot of your ideas Kaas, and I can see what you are saying. I think both Christchurch and Queenstown would be best in hosting such an event. Simpley, the opening and closing of the games, indoor events would be best held in CHC, simply because of the population and post games, these venues could be well utilised. Christchurch with AKL would be the entry and exit points for all international vistitors and the accomidation is here and being developed.

I think Christchurch has to take on the supporting role here. ie: Airport and a host for some indoor events. Queenstown has the location and alure of a true Winter Olympic ''city''. Using ChCh as THE main location wont sell to the IOC in my opinion. The Olympics is as much about image and prestige as about sport. Queenstown has it, ChCh dosent.
The opening and closing MUST be held in Queenstown not Cristchurch. Think of the opening at Lillehamer with that lovely setting by the ski jump. It was wonderfull! Imagine holding it up at Coronet Peak in the snow, at night with great lighting effects. Much beter than marching around the QEII athletics track. Christchurch = yes, but in a supporting role only.

Queenstown does need to be shown off to the world and I would love to see a lot of the out door events held in this Kiwi Paradise. It would be great to have an event on the North Island too! I don't think that should be ruled out - the games would be for all Kiwis

NO! Leave the N.Island out of it. Too much fragmentation. Would be a nightmare for visitors wanting to see various events.

In summary. It makes no sense to sell a winter olympic bid on the strength of a city surrounded by green farmlands when NZ has a FANTASTICALLY SPECTACULAR alpine location already. No offence, but as a international viewer not familiar with NZ, if the opening were held in ChCh I would be thinking WTF!?

Btw. Lillehamer in Norway is not far from Oslo but yet the games were titled the Lillehamer games.

[KIWIKAAS]

Originally Posted by Kane007

Calgary hosted the 1998 Olympics, and just like CHC is a city not actually in the hills. From memory its about a 1 hour drive down the highway to Banff.

One HUGE difference between Calgary and Christchurch is that Calgary actually gets snow in the winter. The city is covered with the stuff for months every year. This meant that events like the ski jumping were actually held just on the outskirts of the city. You couldnt do that in ChCh.

A winter olympic city needs snow. Buckets of snow, truckloads, mountains of snow. Snow, snow, snow. Unfortunately there is no city or town in NZ which can boast having snow in the streets for months at a time. However you do have a much higher chance in Q'town and its just a short hop to the snow line when there is no snow in the valley. And even in the absence of snow in the town, there is always a backdrop right there with plenty of the stuff.
Christchurch is just too ''green pastures-ish''.

This is the ideal..

[Cartel]

Originally Posted by DavidEugene

This is all very exciting.

I would like to see any Winter Olympic bid be hosted more as a South Island and New Zealand venture. I would see Australia being a player in the scheme as well, as the spin off in tourist would benifit both countries, and we could do with the experience and expertise that our Aussie cousins have in hosting MAJOR international events.:

DEAR GOD please leave the Australians out of this!

Originally Posted by DavidEugene

Queenstown does need to be shown off to the world and I would love to see a lot of the out door events held in this Kiwi Paradise. It would be great to have an event on the North Island too! I don't think that should be ruled out - the games would be for all Kiwis

DEAR GOD please leave them out of this! Yes of course it would be good for all kiwis but it would be in the south island!

Originally Posted by IHaveNoLegs

Just like all the money they are forking out for the 2011 RWC?

Quite.

Originally Posted by KIWIKAAS

I dont think you'll get the Aussies on board with the finance except entrepreneurs out to make a buck

Agreed.

Originally Posted by KIWIKAAS

NO! Leave the N.Island out of it. Too much fragmentation. Would be a nightmare for visitors wanting to see various events.

Agreed my friend. It's a stupid idea. Sorry David but you really didn't think that one through did you?

Originally Posted by KIWIKAAS

In summary. It makes no sense to sell a winter olympic bid on the strength of a city surrounded by green farmlands when NZ has a FANTASTICALLY SPECTACULAR alpine location already. No offence, but as a international viewer not familiar with NZ, if the opening were held in ChCh I would be thinking WTF!?

Offence taken!!!. Maybe a bit out of line but fuck it I'm in a meticulously bad mood. KAAS don't take it personally......I apoligize for whatever it may or may not be worth.......

Originally Posted by Kane007

Calgary hosted the 1998 Olympics, and just like CHC is a city not actually in the hills. From memory its about a 1 hour drive down the highway to Banff.

Valid point my friend.

[SYDNEY]

It will be great for NZ but let's face it - NZ can't arrange a piss up in a brewery .... just look at the arrangements for RWC 2011 - pathetic !