Are You Going to London?

The 100 days to London countdown brought several questions to my inbox and Facebook posts, generally asking "are you going to London?"

In my case, the answer is "yes" but the details such as "when" and "how" are yet to be determined. The search for accomodations is underway, with suggestions and invitations welcome.

I noticed USA Today's travel reporter Kitty Bean Yancey posted a reader survey asking a similar question, and with early voting in progress, the "yes" crowd is not exactly in the lead. Check out the poll to cast your own vote.

Also, one one less days to go until the Olympic opening ceremonies, check out this great rhyme for No. 99. Sorry, U.K. the German original has a better (and the original) video online.

Photo via this link

The World Comes to Orlando

For the 13th consecutive year, my third week of November included a trek to IAAPA Attractions Expo, our client IAAPA's global gathering of more than 25,000 professionals in the world of theme parks, water parks, zoos, aquariums, family entertainment centers, museums and other attractions.

This week our team worked with reporters from the Associated Press, Central Florida News 13, Fox 35 Orlando, USA Today, the Orlando Sentinel and MSNBC (among others) to report from this big business event.

A couple of years back an Olympian was on the tradeshow floor, and though no Olympic competitors are here in 2011, we did find a nice Olympic surprise in a recent book by Ripley Publishing -- "Strikingly True" -- in which the colorful text features Ripley's - Believe It Or Not! factoids about several Olympic competitors as well as other five-ringed trivia. It is worth a look-see on your next trek to the bookstore, Nook or Kindle.

Infographic via IAAPA.org

Borderline

An article on the USA Today online travel section just started me whistling that Madonna tune "Borderline."

It's been about three years since my lone drive from Seattle to Vancouver via the Washington:British Columbia border crossing. According to today's report, if I'm to repeat that transnational trek again next month there may be a longer wait and more detailed search of the vehicle.

So in case you're planning to drive from anywhere in the USA to the 2010 Winter Olympic metropolis, be sure you plan ahead and bring your required documents.

If only I could drive one of those T-top Datsun Z cars (as featured in the "Borderline" video) ...

Photo via Flickr user i_am_metolius

Olympics In The News

Lots of Olympic headlines this week:

Today's Wall Street Journal features a good read of what the 2016 Olympic bid cities, including the Chicago 2016 Olympic bid committee, will tackle on the home stretch of the International Olympic Committee bid process.

The U.S. Olympic Committee yesterday announced a new multi-Olympiad sponsor, Proctor & Gamble, as reported by USA Today. Here's the link to the U.S.O.C. press release.

National Public Radio also got into the act recently with an update on the Olympic bid process.

More to come later regarding the I.O.C. announcements expected today.

Olympics May Link Rings to Golf

Hello from Germany! Posting from the Four Points Sheraton at Munich´s Olympic Village (the hotel was literally part of the 1972 Olympic Village) across the highway from the Munich OlympiaPark, which includes the spectacular Olympic Stadium, Olympic Tower (still coming to türms as I see it each morning) and the big pool where Mark Spitz made history. Olympic history overload, actually (more to come in future posts).

Just wanted to get a few links up from today´s International Olympic Committee announcement of some potential sports to be added to the Olympic program, including GOLF! The announcement was made at IOC meetings in Berlin (what the heck am I doing in Munich?!).

Here is the IOC press release, and here is a USA Today news article by Jerry Potter that sums up the story nicely with some remarks on Olympic golf from Tiger Woods and Padraig Harrington.

This isn´t the first time golf has been up for Olympic consideration (as noted in Potter´s article, golf was on the 1904 Olympic roster in St. Louis).

As I recall, there was much ado about the Atlanta Games (and Billy Payne, specifically -- former ACOG founder turned Augusta National leader post-1996) trying to add golf to the Olympic programme (when I was working on the ACOG archive in 1997, I recall taking a few practice swings with an ACOG-produced golf club infused with the Olympic rings -- guessing that golf club remains in a vault somewhere, or in Billy Payne´s office).

Rugby is also up for consideration, like golf, for the 2016 Olympic Games.

More to come from Munich, and from Lausanne (heading there this weekend). Auf Wiedersehen!

Photo via www.GolfCanada.com and this article by Chris Traber.

Rafer Johnson 25 Years Later

As noted recently, the LA Sports Council hosted a gala LA84 XXV celebration of the Olympiad and city "that saved the Olympic Games," according to former IOC President Juan Antonio Samaranch.

Today (July 28) marks the "official" anniversary of the spectacular kick-off to those Games -- yes, 25 years ago tonight I was glued to the TV as ABC broadcast David Wolper's masterpiece opening for the Games of the XXIIIrd Olympiad. The LA Times has a great series on the anniversary featured for the next few days, and a gala gallery of attending Olympians. USA Today's Christine Brennan also reported on the silver anniversary of LA's second Olympic host stint.

There were dozens of "moments" that night: The biggest card trick of all time, the "Rocketman" flyover, 84 grand pianos appearing out of nowhere, and the debut of John Williams' outstanding Olympic fanfare are highlights.

But it was Rafer Johnson's ascent to ignite the Olympic Cauldron that captivated me most. Bill Dwire really tells the tale well in the LA Times features.

I was extremely lucky to speak with Mr. Johnson inside Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on July 18 at the gala (see video) and witness his encore lighting of the cauldron.

Off camera, when asked his level of nervousness in the moment climbing the stairs, Johnson and I happened to be at the base of that stairway, and he looked up it, smiled and said there were countless, incredible emotions before and since that night and iconic moment in 1984, but that one thing relieved him at the gala.

"I was nervous. And looking up these stairs again, one thing is certain: I am happy not to have to run up them again tonight!"

IAAPA Attractions Expo part 4 -- Joan Lunden and the Olympics

During IAAPA Attractions Expo, one of the celebrity attendees was an exhibitor who millions would recongnize from "Good Morning America" and ABC's coverage of the Olympic Games.

Former ABC anchor and reporter Joan Lunden was on site with her husband and daughter, Lindsay, and their team showcasing KinderKord, a new device intended to help families stay together while visiting attractions or just out on the town. It appeared they were getting a lot of attention for this new item, and media outlets like USA Today were checking it out in advance of the Expo as well (thank you, Jayne Clark).

With thanks to Lindsay for making the arrangements, I was able to spend a good deal of time with Ms. Lunden asking her about several Olympic memories from ABC. She had some amazing stories (see video) from Sarajevo's 1984 Winter Games and 1988 Calgary Winter Games on the ABC front, and also some personal family memories all the way back to the 1960 Winter Games at Squaw Valley, Calif. Donna DeVarona, Jim McKay, Charles Gibson and other ABC anchors and reporters (and their shared Olympic reporting duties) were obviously some good times for Lunden who enthusiastically told many cool tales from the Olympic front lines.

Turns out as a youngster, Lunden's family had a home on the same mountain as the Winter Olympic downhill ski runs, and she used to attend skating and ski lessons in Squaw Valley with some of the Olympic coaches and officials in town preparing to host the Winter Games "back in the day."

Lunden also shared fond memories of working with the 2002 Winter Paralypics for several broadcasts, and her trial run using the same ski equipment used by blind skiiers at the event.

Many thanks to Ms. Lunden and the KinderKord team for making time to chat at IAAPA Attractions Expo!