Sochi-Milwaukee Trifecta

Some readers of this blog know my home base is Atlanta and home town/family are in Oklahoma.

Milwaukee is where my heart resides since my long-time girlfriend lives there in suburban Delafield, Wis.

Each time we drive by the Pettit National Ice Center in nearby West Allis, there's a five-ringed reminder of Milwaukee's ties to the Winter Olympics.

And it's good to see the Journal-Sentinel's Gary D'Amato in Sochi after shaking hands at the Team USA Media Summit last year.

The Sochi Games includes 15 Wisconsin Olympians, according to this Carnival Cruise Lines gallery of U.S. athletes (see photo atop this post).


The last 24 hours in Sochi yielded a trifecta of other big Milwaukee-in-Sochi connections.

Through our work for the Citi Every Step of the Way program, on Friday we hosted media at USA House to speak with speedskating Olympic Champion Dan Jansen. With a few clicks, anyone may support his charity of choice, Olympians For Olympians, and it was fun to learn more about his Sochi experience and current projects in the Carolinas.

Later that evening, another Milwaukee hero and a personal favorite athlete from Calgary, Albertville and Lillehammer -- Bonnie Blair -- arrived and cheerfully visited with colleagues, friends and fans.

After spotting Blair in the Vancouver Olympic Village in 2010 (she was so friendly then, too), I was very happy to help her snap a few photos with members of the Kellogg's team (for which I am a freelance contributor) who gave an enthusiastic Blair her own Tony the Tiger hat and mittens.

Visiting with Blair I learned she now resides only a mile from my girlfriend, and we've both frequented the same grocers, pizza parlor and Delafield steakhouse -- unbelievable!

Blair also wants folks to know she is new to Twitter and loving it. And her sister's favorite cereal is Frosted Flakes because "They're Gr8!"

Then came the most surprising Milwaukee-Sochi moment, this time with a Grammy Award winning jazz musician.

With the Cultural Olympiad underway across Sochi, the centrally located Winter Theater -- a 75-year-old historic venue at which the International Olympic Committee Session took place -- hosted a Russia-USA cultural exchange concert tied to the U.S. Department of State.

The theatre is down the road from my hotel, so I bought a ticket and enjoyed a great balcony seat similar to the upper rows of Milwaukee's historic Pabst Theater.

Between songs, Milwaukee-born jazz trumpeter Brian Lynch introduced his band then gave a shout-out to Wisconsin.

His on-stage expression was surprise and smiles when the mostly Russian audience reacted to my cheer of "Go Milwaukee!" from the back row.

Who knew two would-be cheese-head Americans were in the house?

We both learned later a young couple from Chattanooga, Tenn., also attended.

After the show, which included mostly new works by Lynch set to debut in a stateside tour this spring, Lynch posed for photos and spoke with a few reporters, sharing that his agent got the call about the Sochi gig awhile ago but he did not plan to attend Olympic events (according to his website he has a Moscow concert on Monday). We agreed to connect again in Wisconsin, and jazz fans there are in for a treat.

Only at the Olympics do these connections seem common and "normal." It will be fun to see a fellow Georgian, bobsleigh Olympic bronze medalist Elana Meyers, compete later this week.

No Oklahoma athletes spotted yet, but on the lookout. Borrowing from Lynch's catalog, "It Could Be" there is one Okie athlete somewhere in Sochi.

Photos by Nicholas Wolaver

From Russia With Love

Valentine's Day in the Olympic City was lovely though work-filled before a little bit of fun.

It was great to see the Russian President for the third time in a week when Putin visited USA House, this time all-smiles (he also visited neighboring Canada House).

As they say in the musical from my home state, if we keep meeting like this, "People Will Say We're In Love."

The media relations team for Citi (for which I am contributing a few freelance hours) worked through a busy day of interviews for athletes Evan Lysacek, Erin Hamlin and Dan Jansen to discuss the Citi Every Step program.

My main media hit du jour was with The Weather Channel whose producers invited Lysacek to discuss the men's figure skating finalists.

It was good to see Al Roker again (I only seem to visit his set during the Winter Olympics, starting with Roker's visit to B.C. Canada Place in Torino).

The Weather Channel's on-screen set is in "The Hollywood Squares" media platform near the Olympic Cauldron, and as we exited Evan's Weather interview several other NBC affiliates confirmed on-the-spot interview requests -- a golden afternoon for any Olympic publicist.

Later, back at USA House, I spoke with Lysacek and Hamlin about wardrobe malfunctions for the Winter Games, and their comments are included in the following post written as the next Glam.com contribution submitted for approval:

You’re a Winter Olympian who reached the pinnacle of your sports career. You have the world on a string!

But what’s to be done when the string on your competition uniform starts to unravel? You don’t want to destroy this sweater!

Wardrobe malfunctions are a reality for elite athletes in Sochi.



Photo via AFP/ScanPix

There are self-inflicted costume issues. Russian speedskater Olga Graf was so elated after earning a medal she unzipped her suit to reveal her “commando” competition style during the first week of the Games.

The word on the street is some of Jamaica’s bobsled team gear wound up in Australia rather than Sochi. Lesson to future Olympians: Pack official gear in carry-on luggage.

Aside from human errors in Olympic attire, according to some Team USA athletes, the accidental wardrobe malfunction can take place in any sport, often at the worst possible time. Who could forget Tanya Harding’s laces going bad in Lillehammer?

During a walk between venues in Sochi, Olympic champion figure skater Evan Lysacek said tears, rips or split pants are the most common for male skater wardrobe woes, while for women’s figure skaters, shoulder strap breaks or the slip of a low-cut top are issues for some. Though Lysacek said he never suffered a wardrobe malfunction of his own, he witnessed a few athletes work through quick fixes.

“I’ve seen others make a quick change,” said Lysacek. “You have to be prepared for anything.”

You’d think that with a custom-designed costume costing thousands of dollars, the expensive threads might stay in one piece and on the athlete.

“I worked with Vera Wang on all of my costumes,” said Lysacek. “They were all one-of-a-kind designs but they fit within with just an inch [of adjustability].”

Lysacek added that Wang personally designed and fitted his uniforms, a special experience with the added benefit of minimizing potential problems.

Sled athletes also face winter wardrobe malfunctions.

Luge Olympic medalist Erin Hamlin, who earned a bronze for Team USA, said in her third sliding run in Sochi she noticed a problem with her “bootie” – her competition shoes.

“They can break and the problem can definitely affect your slide, [so] I always have extras just in case,” said Hamlin. “Though in our sport our scores are not affected by the [cosmetic] design of the uniform, there are other factors that can affect speed for which we are judged.”

Both Hamlin and Lysacek are athletes for Citi Every Step, an Olympic-related program through which athletes invite fans to click their shared support of non-profit sport initiatives. Hamlin is supporting  USA Luge Slider Search while Lysacek designated Figure Skating In Harlem to receive benefits when fans click to direct Citi funds (disclosure: Citi Every Step is a client for which this Glam.com contributor is providing freelance P.R. counsel in Sochi).

Illustrating Hamlin’s remarks about uniforms and speed, perhaps the worst type of wardrobe malfunction in Sochi is a technical one. On Saturday, U.S. Speedskating announced their athletes want to stop using the 2014 Under Armour-designed suits, now blamed for less-than-stellar times in a sport for which thousandths of a second determine medalists.

At least the speedskaters uniforms weren’t like the see-through yoga pants that earned headlines in 2013.

Photos by Nicholas Wolaver except the Olga Graf image via AFP

The Word of the Street

Olympic champion Picabo Street may exude fearlessness.

After all, she built her successful downhill ski career by careening as fast as possible down the slopes.

During yesterday's special appearance at the suburban Atlanta corporate office for U.S. Olympic partner Citi, Street did talk about fear and how she tackles it through lessons learned from family, friends and coaches.

"Replace your fears with the task at hand," said Street.

The three-time Olympian said pausing to assess one's frightening situation only makes it more difficult, likened to standing on a high-dive -- the longer one waits or taking time to look down, the harder it gets to just take the plunge.

Street is heading to Sochi with Citi as an ambassador in the company's five-ringed Every Step of the Way initiative through which Olympic fans may help channel donated funds to one of 10 designated Team USA affiliate nonprofits. With just a few clicks online, anyone may elect to support Street's charity of choice, ski and snowboard safety organization Stay On the Slopes. (Disclosure: The P.R. firm for Citi Every Step, MATTER, is an agency for which I will freelance in Sochi.)

Does Street have fear about heading to Russia? Probably yes.

"[Please] pray for us all, for our safety," Street said to about 100 Citi employees in attendance.

To overcome her apparent concerns about personal security in Sochi, Street's selected tasks at hand include her Citi project and an on-air gig with Michelle Kwan as the duo will appear as Fox Sports One correspondents. With a smile and nervous chuckle, Street mentioned the network's plans to activate the pair of Olympians as hard news anchors if the need arises.

But the prospect of frightening Sochi scenarios was only a brief portion of Street's 45 minute, mostly unscripted, very animated and often hilarious chat with Citi team members. Observing Picabo's great storytelling techniques and "keeping it real" demeanor reminded me of great scenes portrayed by Melissa McCarthy.

 

With one of her sons joining the event for "mom's take the kids to work day" Street shared many stories of her own upbringing as a tomboy coming of age in Idaho.

Street explained that some of her earliest memories of skiing went back to a day when her older brother and father left her home to hit the slopes. Upon their return, Street made a strong case for future inclusion, donning her brother's oversized-for-Picabo boots and other gear.

When she finally did get to join the family ski experience, she was all about getting to the bottom of the hill with haste.

Street said she was more afraid of getting pushed off the chair lift than speeding down the mountainside with as few turns as possible.

"I tried turning but it only slowed me down," Street said.

At age 10, Street started telling family and friends of her Olympic aspirations. After many unheeded conversations, her dad finally turned the tables on the young female skier.

"He said, 'O.K., we're going to put all of the family apples into [Picabo's Olympic dream] basket, so it might get heavy -- don't drop it!'" said Street.

No pressure!

Of her many years among the world's best skiers, Street cited a point of pride was rallying her U.S. teammates to dominate. She also cherishes the friendships made with Team USA and European peers.

On those who inspired her most, Street said fellow Lillehammer '94 Olympian Dan Jansen was the biggest impact and that he "epitomized perseverance."

Perseverance came into play when Street later crashed, breaking both the biggest and smallest bones in her body, her jaw and many other body parts. When I asked her one-on-one how she tackled the frustration of being cooped up for a long recovery, Street was frank about the wrath the experience brought her.

"I was angry!" she said. "I was angry and everyone knew it."

She said she channeled that anger into finding other ways to keep her body in shape for an eventual return to the slopes. Street added that being holed up in the hospital made her achingly anxious to pounce.

"It was like being a hungry tiger pacing back and forth in a cage," Street said. "It's like [a tiger who] can smell blood outside and wants to, can't hardly wait, to attack!"

She said she thinks Olympic champion Lindsey Vonn may be in this place mentally during her own recovery from injury.

When a Citi audience member inquired about getting from greatness level to Olympian level technique in sport and in life, Street said she learned to put the lion's share of focus on improving weakness, and that hard work will help overcome flaws while naturally refining one's areas of strength. She said 2014 Team USA members Mikaela Shiffrin and Patrick Meek each remind her of Street's own drive, speed and hard work.

"All choices have consequences," said Street. "My wish [to get to the Olympics] became a daily choice. It was my wish on everything: birthdays, on the clock at 11:11, anything.

"I used to write the Olympic rings in the frost of the windows on the bus," Street added.

Funny, I used to do that on the bus in Oklahoma. And on the windows of my Volvo last week during Indiana's blizzard.

Further keeping it real, Street said during her Sochi TV project she will make it a point to ask Olympians and celebrities to talk about their "crappiest job" for which Street has her worst: Cleaning toilets. As a youth, Street used to help her mom with house cleaning assignments, perhaps another motivator to hit the slopes with dad and brother.

Photos by Nicholas Wolaver

Better Know An NOC: The Colbert Nation!

Last month, on this blog, I added a feature inspired by Comedy Central and The Colbert Report's smart and funny "Better Know A District" segments.

To date, this blog's "Better Know An N.O.C." (national Olympic committee; B.K.A.N.O.C.) visited Aruba and Zimbabwe's national sports teams.

On tonight's edition of The Colbert Report, Stephen Colbert answered the call of U.S. Speedskating's plea for a new sponsor (their main funding source declared bankruptcy and pulled the sponsorship) and The Colbert Nation (!!!) is now the official sponsor of U.S. Speedskating!

The Associated Press' entertainment reporter Jake Coyle appears to have scooped other outlets (save Colbert) with this news.

Like U.S. Speedskating's deep heritage and excellence in the sports world, Stephen Colbert consistently impresses me greatly on many levels, and his award-winning work is outstanding and hilarious. Seeing how Colbert interacted with Olympic speedskating legend Dan Jansen was great fun, and an even better surprise came with the on-the-air sponsorship paperwork signed with U.S. Speedskating's leadership in the studio.

So, as you watch Olympic speedskating heat up the ice now through Vancouver 2010, you better know the newest NOC on the planet: The Colbert Nation (let's make it official via the International Olympic Committee with TCN named as The Colbert Nation's competition acronym?).

On tonight's show we got a peek at U.S. Speedskating's new "Colbert-infused" uniforms -- I can hardly wait to learn The Colbert Nation's national anthem to be played just after "The Star Spangled Banner" when the U.S. wins gold.

Anyone can lend their support to the team by answering U.S. Speedskating's "win a trip to Vancouver" contest now in progress. The Colbert Nation's logo is now part of the contest page on U.S. Speedskating's website, and is sure to be added to the site's main sponsor page soon. Somebody get Stephen Colbert to Milwaukee/West Allis, Wis., on the ice at The Pettit National Ice Center!

Bravo, Stephen! Bravo -- That's The WØRD.

Photo via The Hollywood Gossip website; and photo via Yahoo! News, AP Photo, Comedy Central and Kris Long

Ohno Skating Into Vancouver

USA Today's Vicki Michaelis had a good report this morning regarding Apolo Anton Ohno's preparations for Vancouver 2010. It would indeed be thrilling to see him skate victorious in Canada after witnessing his gold medal feat in Torino a couple of years back.

Speedskating is among my favorite Winter Games sports (both long and short track). After following Bonnie Blair and Dan Jansen during the late 1980s and 1990s, interest waned until experiencing the Olympic Speedskating Ovals, first in the Milwaukee suburb of West Allis, Wis., home of the Pettit National Ice Center, and the 2002 Olympic speedskating venue (the Utah Olympic Oval) around Salt Lake City (a curiously simple venue by comparison to the training facility up North).

During travels to Chicago for work this past week, I drove past the Pettit Center a few times and was surprised (well, maybe not that surprised) to spot a giant inflated pumpkin -- some sort of temporary Halloween superstore -- across the parking lot from the front door to the rink. One must wonder whether there are costumes for young trick-or-treat fans who aspire to be Ohno, Jansen, Blair or other Olympic speedskating greats.