December 06, 2011 | Tips from Travellers >
Richmond, Attractions
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Today I had the opportunity to try a sport that I’ve never played before
in my entire life: curling. I remember watching the intense and
strategic games of curling during the Olympics, but beyond that the
closest I’ve come is bocce ball, which is not very close.
I
headed down to the Richmond Curling Rink, located kiddy corner to the
Richmond Olympic Oval. They have a great facility including eight sheets
of ice (play areas), a café, pro shop, and a huge sports bar and lounge
with a fantastic observation area overlooking the arena.
I
arrived with my friend Colin, who is an avid curling enthusiast and was
eager to get on the ice and throw some rocks with me. Before we began
however, I was introduced to the local resident expert Kim, who was more
than happy to show and explain the ropes of the game to me. Curling is
an interesting sport as it’s extremely technical and all about finesse.
The most common beginner mistake is throwing the rock too hard- a lot of
times it’s the gentler, steady shots that win a given game. As I
watched the various games going on around me, it became immediately
apparent the huge amount of strategy and positioning involved in
curling. This can be a dirty game! When I say that I mean like chess
dirty—out maneuvering and one-upping your opponent. I like it.
The
objective of curling is to push a 44 pound rock down the playing area,
called the sheet, and try to land it in the ‘button’ (bulls-eye) at the
far end. It is essentially a huge target on the ice about 146 feet away
from where you start. Frozen bocce on crack is a good analogy.
After
a quick on ice lesson on proper rock throwing technique (I was awful,
despite what Kim says), as well as a briefing on sweeping techniques
(yes, women sweep better than men- ha!), I was ready to try my luck! I
positioned myself and placed my foot in the ‘hack’ (like a starting
block used to push off of), broom in hand for support, and grabbed my
rock. Eyes on the target, I pushed off and launched my rock. I soon
found out that it’s imperative to the game of curling that you keep your
rock on your sheet of ice and not your neighbour’s. You don’t get
points for completely missing your target and landing it next door. Ha!
Well, despite my lack of curling skills I had a blast and it was a great
new experience.
Colin soon challenged me to a three rock game
for beers upstairs afterwards. Since I know you’ve watched the video you
all know how that turned out. J Winter ale with winter sports. I love
it.
If you’re interested in trying some curling or already are a
curler, the Richmond Curling Rink offers league play, tournaments, train
and plays, event hosting and sheet rental. Of course if you’re a
‘gifted curler’ like me, the bar and observation deck upstairs are also
an excellent choice! Definitely check them out and have some fun!
October 18, 2011 | Tips from Travellers >
Richmond, Attractions
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This week, in the spirit of Halloween, I ventured out with my two and a half year old neighbour Hudson to the pumpkin patch! The pumpkin patch is a fun destination packed full of activities and entertainment for the whole family! Located on Steveston Highway between No.5 and N0. 6, you will find everything there from mud, music, wagon rides, live shows, animals, a corn maze… and of course pumpkins!
I have fond memories as a child coming here and utterly caking myself in mud, finding the biggest and best pumpkin in the patch, and dragging it home for carving! I’m happy to say it’s exactly as I remember it, only this time, everything seems just a bit smaller. :)
Upon arriving I met up with Hudson, his father Doug, his mom Teresa, and their newborn, Finnegan. Hudson was very excited to get going!
Before starting we visited the small petting zoo near the entrance, complete with chickens, roosters, goats, and cows… or as Hudson called them ‘Moo Moos.’ We bought our tickets and headed in towards the famous wagon ride!
To get to the pumpkin patch, you must first hop on a hay wagon and enjoy a nice five minute ride through the farm and surrounding orchard. As you pass the serene sights of the dew filled fields and farm, you are sung to by a banjo wielding musician on the wagon! He does a good job at getting the kids going, as well as explaining the sights as they pass by. Soon, we were at the patch!
Beautiful! Pumpkins everywhere!!! Hudson and I were soon venturing out into the fields, with mud everywhere, hunting down the perfect pumpkin! After quite an extensive search over two different pumpkin fields Hudson located his pumpkin, as well as mine. It was a lot of fun watching Hudson romp around searching high and low for that perfect pumpkin. It brought back memories of when I was a child and I’m happy he got to experience it.
A short wagon ride later we were back at the farm, and in front of a giant box of delicious red apples. It’s tradition that after your hay ride and pumpkin search you reward yourself with a crunchy red apple! We watched a stage show with life-size characters dancing on the stage all to live music and soon were ready to head home with our prizes. What a great morning!
If you are in need of a pumpkin for Halloween, definitely head down to the pumpkin patch on Steveston Highway and get the full experience! It’s really a lot of fun for the whole family!
Thanks to Hudson and family for coming out and spending the day with me! Happy Halloween!
March 03, 2011 | Tips from Travellers >
Richmond, Attractions
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Hey everyone! Watch the video before reading!
The Richmond Oval was the home of the speed skating competition last year during the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games.
This is a majorly cool building. If you haven’t been there yet, you owe it to yourself to check it out! The facility is MONSTROUS and offers almost every sport you can think of. I was shooting there for an hour or so at most, and I saw at least five different sports being played, plus a HUGE gym facility that was bustling with activity. On top of that, everything is still pristine new and incredibly well maintained.
I was fortunate to meet up with Aran Kay, Assistant Manager of the Oval while I was there. He gave me a quick tour of the building: two Olympic sized ice rinks, eight hardwood ball-sport courts, a full gymnasium, a 200m running track, rubberized turf area, and even a high performance centre for elite athletes. The building was buzzing with energy and filled with people enjoying their sport of choice all night long. The only sport I didn’t see (being played at least) was VOLLEYBALL! I’m a bit of volleyball nut, so this made me sad. But, they did have nets set up, so I can only assume I wasn’t there at the right time.
It’s worth mentioning that the Olympic Oval is also a super eco-friendly building with TONS of sustainability factors built into it. In the video you probably noticed the stunning wood roof. Well, that’s not ordinary wood, but rather reclaimed pine beetle wood that would have otherwise been sitting in the forest and rotting. (thus creating CO2) They’ve taken almost 1.1 million board feet of this wood (from Williams Lake area, BC!) and made the roof you see today.
On top of that, the ice in the oval actually heats the building. Yes. Heats it. All the thermal energy generated to cool the slabs is pumped through pipes and distributed back throughout the building instead of being exhausted outside. Aran told me that there’s actually so much extra energy produced from this, that when the surrounding community starts getting built up more, they will be sharing that energy to heat neighbouring homes too. Beyond that, there’s a pond outside that collects all the rainwater that falls from the roof (and there’s A LOT of it; the roof is MASSIVE at seven acres). They use this collected water to supply the sanitation systems throughout the building, so they are far less reliant on city water.
The Oval really is a stunning building. I will be eagerly awaiting a volleyball indoor drop in schedule so I can get out there and play. Aran told me that they offer free guided walking tours of the facility, so if you’re interested at all definitely get down and check it out! So many people are already enjoying this incredible facility! Why aren’t YOU?
- VideoChris
February 17, 2010 | 2010 Olympics >
Richmond, Attractions
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I was given a single ticket to attend the ladies short track speed skating event on Tuesday. I quickly accepted the offer but I headed to the event with a little bit of trepidation mixed in with my olympic excitement. How much fun could a sporting event be if you went on your own? The answer? TONS!
I got off the Canada Line and was immediately shuffled onto a shuttle bus by an extremely cheerful bus driver. He spent the 10 minute bus ride getting everyone laughing and excited about Canada, speed skating, and the olympics in general.
Once I arrived at the Oval, there were plenty of helpful attendants who led me through a very efficient security line up and then to my seat.
Once in my seat I realized I was sitting in front of one of the Japanese speed skaters' families. They had lots of flags and signs and were taking tons of pictures (they even asked me to take a picture holding up the Japanese flag!). Behind the Japanese there was a large group of Dutch fans all donning the same bright orange jackets. I also befriended a very nice German man that sat beside me.
My trip to the Richmond Oval was what I believe is the true olympic experience: different nations coming together to celebrate sport in a fun and friendly manner.
February 10, 2010 | Field Reports >
Richmond, Attractions
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The Richmond Oval was built especially for the 2010 Winter Olympics and is a spectacular sight. It will be a lasting legacy for Richmond and the Vancouver area. The O Zone is a massive Richmond celebration site with tons of free entertainment and fun for everyone! Check it out while you can!!!
October 21, 2009 | 2010 Olympics >
Richmond, Attractions
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Visit the 2010 Winter Games long track speed skating venue before the Games! We visited on a rainy Saturday for a ride on the Canada Line and to see this magnificent building. We were able to stand right beside the starter, a body length from the best skaters Canada has on offer.
I kept starting up at the ceiling. It's intriguing. The wooden convex roof is made of small convex layers. Yeah - you'll just have to see it for yourself!
There are public skating sessions available, an opportunity to shot hoops, and a gym. It's well and truely open for use. Even good for plane spotters. It's North Shore mountain view behind the airport and Fraser River is worth the $2.50 Canada Line fare alone.