Affording Vancouver... in (Wow!) Less Than 500 Days

Is it me, or does 500 days seem a pretty small increment of time?

An article that ran in the Kansas City Star a week ago counted a little less than that—497 days, to be exact—till the start of the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics. Which surely translates to a small lifetime for those who want to watch it… no time at all for those hoping to participate in it… and something in between for those of us that want to write about it.

If you hope to go to said Games this is the article you’ll want to read, as it contains an easy breakdown of the cost to attend the 17 different events. Among the most pricey (leaving out the opening/closing ceremonies, which top out at well over $1000):

+ Hockey ($25-$775)
+ Figure Skating ($50-$525)
+ Ski Jumping ($80-$210)

As for those of us who are budget-minded and plan to blow most of their money watching quad-jump attempts, here are the cheapest three to catch in your down time:

+ Biathalon ($25-$70)
+ Cross-Country Skiing ($25-$70)
+ Bobsleigh ($30-$85)

Is it any wonder the Olympic TV coverage seems to favor the more “expensive” events?

And I was surprised to see hockey tickets run even higher than figure skating tickets, until I remembered where the Olympics are being held! :-) (Hey, I spent my honeymoon in Canada AND attended a hockey game while there… I get it. At least a little.)

So if you’re making plans, go sit down with your 3 or 4 grand (in Monopoly money, if necessary) and figure out the best way to slice that pie up. Three days of skating here, two days of skeleton there… who could ask for anything more?

For the Clip of the Day I thought I’d go back to the last time the Winter Olympics came to Canada… and go with a pairs skate for the first time in a while. This is the Watson and Oppegard free skate that won them the bronze medal (that’s Peter Oppegard, perhaps better known nowadays as a coach).