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

[Alphaville]

Originally Posted by piles

How come?

Aside from the fact Australia and NZ are the only two nations in the southern hemisphere to have won medals (NZ one silver in 1992; and Australia 1 bronze in 1994; 1 bronze in 1998; 2 golds in 2002 and 2 in 2006) we hold little persuasive power to bring it down here.

I know the AOC itself would throw huge support behind an NZ bid, but I can't see it winning votes - or even being shortlisted.

Look at it logistically from the IOC's perspective. I am sure they would love to bring it to NZ or South America - but the reality is that the disruption it would cause to leagues, training, etc.. for major powers like North America, Europe, Japan/Korea/China is not enough.

[IHaveNoLegs]

Originally Posted by Mr_kiwi_fruit

Are you being your usual arrogant, rude and obnoxious self again ?

Davee asked if this could be moved into the main forum and I agree with him. Just in case you didn't know it, South Island is part of New Zealand and therefore involves the entire country.

If you have a bone to pick with me send me a pm bit I will no longer tolerate your blatant crassness. Is that understood ?

Boy aren't some people a little sensitive; you're like a parking officer who tells people to tuck their shirt in. This isn't a NZ bid so why is it part of the threads title?

[Davee]

Thanks Mr KF x

[Davee]

Originally Posted by IHaveNoLegs

Boy aren't some people a little sensitive; you're like a parking officer who tells people to tuck their shirt in. This isn't a NZ bid so why is it part of the threads title?

The reason I asked Mr KF to move this thread to here was because it's not really about CHC. Even though I would love to see CHC take a major lead in any bid for the Winter Games it would -as you say - be a South Island hosted event. However - something as big as this would just have to involve all New Zealanders getting on board and taking ownership of the dream. The front page of KiwiScrapers is the best place for this - it's a great place to get more people involved in the discussion and air their views.

[buildemhigh]

Originally Posted by IHaveNoLegs

Boy aren't some people a little sensitive; you're like a parking officer who tells people to tuck their shirt in. This isn't a NZ bid so why is it part of the threads title?

At any rate how serious can anyone here really be about us getting this event... But if it isnt a NZ bid and just a Sth Island one great, look forward to you and your limited population funding both the application and event should "you" be successful....

[Snorky33]

Originally Posted by greenwelly

There are specific requirements for a FIS course

http://www.fis-ski.com/data/document/ICR04.pdf

Downhill
701.1 Vertical Drop
701.1.1 Men's Courses
For Olympic Winter Games, FIS World Ski Championships, FIS World
Cups and FIS Continental Cups - 800 m (in exceptional cases 750 m, for Continental Cups 650 m) - 1100 m.

Big mama is around 620m

Currently no ski field in the country has 800m vert, In the south island it would require lift access and formed trails from either Treble Cone Summit, or North Peak at Mt Hutt, and even then it would only just scrape in.
(Yes there is a little used rule that allows you to split the race in two part if your poh-dunk country does have high mountains,but I cannot ever see it being used by the FIS)

The current course in Whistler has 959m of vert. (Whistler-blackcomb has a total of around 1600m vert)

Also NZers simply wouldn't turn up to watch the events, Vancouver is already getting grief over the low attendances at the alpine events, due to it being so far from Vancouver City and they have a population of around 2.4million in the metro area. - A World cup downhill race in Europe last month had 32,000 spectators, where would Wanaka/Methven put them all.

Yes first of all you are correct about the downhill, right now of course NZ doesn't have an Olympic standard downhill, but over time all of the venues will be developed...remembering it's a good 20 years away at least, the entire Treble Cone mountain in Wanaka would need to be totally redeveloped to get that 950m vert. Remembering it's the Queenstown Winter Olympics not Wanaka, Wanaka will just be a satellite town to Queenstown hosting the Downhill & Super G at Treble Cone and Nordic at Snow Farm. Naturally NZ & Australia being sports mad countries will get right into these events...it'll be no great surprize to see more Aussies than Kiwis attend the events, by then flights from Australia will be daily into Queenstown.

[KaneD]

Originally Posted by Davee

The reason I asked Mr KF to move this thread to here was because it's not really about CHC..... The front page of KiwiScrapers is the best place for this - it's a great place to get more people involved in the discussion and air their views.

Thank you Davee

If NZ ever hosts a Winter Olympics, it will only be if central government gets behind it on behalf of ALL New Zealanders. But of course, in following with the theme of there being a 'host city', I would think that Christchurch is the obvious choice, but actually I think that the official host city should really be Queenstown as it is far more recognised internationally as a 'Ski Resort' town. This is much the same how Lillehammer hosted it instead of Oslo for example.

From an infrastructure perspective, I don't think there will be any problems in hosting it - We're 12 years away from any potential 2022 Games which is more than enough time. NZ has enough places where some events could be held, and enough places where the remaining facilities 'could' be built which have a realistic future life after the games. The only exception as has been pointed out is the downhill run but this isn't an insurmountable problem now that snow making machines are readily available.

Perhaps the biggest challenge for NZ is that while NZ is a mountainous country, curiously, we're not a big Winter Sports country in the way that European countries are. Of course big events like this only work when there are people willing to pay for tickets to attend. The IOC won't be keen to see major events broadcast around the world with hardly any spectators on site.

According to Wikipedia, some 1.2 million tickets were sold at the Lillehammer Olympics. Lillehammer is also a small town (Pop. ~20k) and is a couple of hours or so from Oslo which has around 800,000 people.

At face value the South Island is similar - Chch in 2022 will have say around 500,000 in its metro area and the South Island as a whole, 1.1 million. But of course you have to factor in that Europe is on Lillehammer's doorstep... The South Island is miles away from anywhere.

So can we do it? I think yes, but it won't be an easy task.

[Snorky33]

Correct As with all things...let time pass.

[Davee]

Thanks KD

I agree with what you say........nicely summed up.

[KiwiRob]

Originally Posted by KIWIKAAS

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

If you condsider 3 hours by car not far, then yes it isn't far.

Lilliehamer is kind of like a boring Norwegian version of Queenstown. Queenstown beats Lilliehamer hands down for accommodation (it also beats Oslo), restaurants, nightlife, value for money. Queenstown also has an airport which Lilliehamer doesn't. The Lilliehamer games are widely recognised as one of the best ever Winter Games, so considering the town and the general laziness of the Norwegian people I'm positive NZ could put on a far better games.

[KiwiRob]

Originally Posted by NapierMan

You are all DREAMERS!!!
There is not inferstructure to support this!!!! The Olympic comitee will have to be stupid to select NZ in its current state..and i dont see it changing in the near future.

There was no infrastructure in Lilliehamer either, all the venues had to be built specifically for the games.

[KiwiRob]

Originally Posted by Alphaville

Look at it logistically from the IOC's perspective. I am sure they would love to bring it to NZ or South America - but the reality is that the disruption it would cause to leagues, training, etc.. for major powers like North America, Europe, Japan/Korea/China is not enough.

How do they get around this issue for the Summer Games whenever it goes south of the equator? It's not an insurmountable issue IMO.

[Snorky33]

Look at it logistically from the IOC's perspective. I am sure they would love to bring it to NZ or South America - but the reality is that the disruption it would cause to leagues, training, etc.. for major powers like North America, Europe, Japan/Korea/China is not enough.[/QUOTE]

All of the major winter sports nations in North America, Europe and Asia will be told to adapt by the IOC to a future winter olympics being staged south of the equator.

[Ironmanfood]

Originally Posted by KiwiRob

How do they get around this issue for the Summer Games whenever it goes south of the equator? It's not an insurmountable issue IMO.

It's only been in the southern hemisphere twice. The first time in 1956 there were no major professional leagues to disrupt - and the games were held in the SH summer proper. (in Dec IIRC)

The second time in 2000, with pro-sport to well established in their windows - the games were held in Sydney in September - which is effectively the NH summer anyway (they are usually held in August anyway).

You can't do that with the Winter Games in NZ - it would be comparable to holding the Winter Olympics in Queenstown in March. The weather is important.

[Ironmanfood]

Originally Posted by Snorky33

All of the major winter sports nations in North America, Europe and Asia will be told to adapt by the IOC to a future winter olympics being staged south of the equator.

LOL. Tui add moment.

All of the major winter sports nations will be told to adapt by the IOC. Yeah right.

[Alphaville]

Originally Posted by Snorky33

All of the major winter sports nations in North America, Europe and Asia will be told to adapt by the IOC to a future winter olympics being staged south of the equator.

Source?

[Alphaville]

Originally Posted by KiwiRob

How do they get around this issue for the Summer Games whenever it goes south of the equator? It's not an insurmountable issue IMO.

The summer Games are a completely different ball game. Far more negotiable for months, with a window of staging it from June to October.

The Winter Olympics will never be staged outside Jan/Feb/March.

Like any Kiwi, I would love to see the Winter Olympics in the South Island - but when you realistically look at the situation, I'm almost 100% certain it will NEVER happen. The odds are just too far against countries like NZ and Chile hosting.

[Davee]

'Sprawl' claim over ski-field land swap

A land swap with DOC has paved the way for a $250 million expansion of Canterbury's Porters Ski Area.

The proposed revamp includes New Zealand's first on-snow village and a gondola.

Porters confirmed it signed a memorandum of agreement to swap 15 hectares next to the Department of Conservation-owned Lord's Bush Scenic Reserve, near Springfield, with 21ha on the ski area's access road.

Porters Ski Area owners say the 15ha square block has a 1.8ha "tongue" of important forest remnants and they plan to spend more than $400,000 over the next decade on ecological restoration.

However, conservationists believe the deal is "inappropriate" and that building an alpine village at the foot of the existing ski area is "the worst example of tourism sprawl in a very special place".

Porters Ski Area managing director Michael Sleigh said expanding the 700ha ski area into the adjoining Crystal Valley and building European-style accommodation for up to 3000 people was essential for the business's survival.

"Without some form of significant development of this kind, Porters is a marginal ski-field."

Blackfish, a consortium of New Zealand and Australian investors, has pumped about $1.2 million into the ski area – which is on a perpetual "ski lease" from DOC – since buying it three years ago.

Sleigh said development consents would be lodged by the end of the year.

Up to 1000 jobs could be created through planning and construction work, as well as permanent and seasonal positions.

Consultant ecologist Vaughan Keesing, of Boffa Miskell, said the addition of the 15ha block would make DOC's Lord's Bush site more viable.

The 50-year vision for the site was reintroducing rimu and totara, creating wetlands and public walkways, and spending up to $439,000 on restoration over 10 years.

DOC Waimakariri area manager Kingsley Timpson said lowland forest was under-represented in Canterbury and, outside of Christchurch's Riccarton Bush, the Lord's Bush area was the next-largest piece available. "We're not seeing a loss of any of that significant landscape. It's a world-renowned ski-field and we're supporting that concept by allowing for appropriate activities to take place on conservation land."

However, Forest & Bird South Island conservation manager Chris Todd said the exchange was "quite inappropriate" and a village did not fit well with the primary purpose of the adjacent conservation land.

He did not think the conservation values at the Lord's Bush site were particularly high.

Conservationist Lesley Shand called the exchange "a major land grab".

The Selwyn District Council anticipated more development between Springfield and Arthur's Pass by putting land aside at Castle Hill, which was not fully developed.

"[Castle Hill is] a far more appropriate village site because there's sewerage there, streets, footpaths, street lighting and an existing community – and it's a mere seven kilometres down the road," she said. "I consider it's [the proposed development] the worst example of tourism sprawl in a very special place."

Christchurch and Canterbury Tourism chief executive Christine Prince said the Porters expansion would cement the South Island as "the place to ski" and enable Canterbury to better compete with Queenstown.

Darfield farmer John Morten, Selwyn district's deputy mayor, said the "ambitious" development would not be possible without a change in attitude by DOC, adding: "I can't see any negatives about the proposal."

[Snorky33]

That sounds interesting so if Porters does receive a major redevelopment over the next couple of years so to become Canterbury's major ski hub, i wonder if Mt Hutt will one day also receive a major redevelopment to finally have an Olympic standard downhill, i know at the moment Mt Hutt just serves as an off-peak training base, if it wishes to join the world cup circuit it will need that facelift first. This is just the basics first, but one day if the IOC does move away from it's small Winter Olympics window...who knows? maybe in another 20 years or so we may get a stand-a-lone Christchurch-Canterbury bid.

[Davee]

I would always go for a "city"/SI bid with a strong inclusive NZ feel. If we get all parochial, we'll just end up with the Auckland verses the rest of NZ situation and that's not good for the country or a games bid