OLYMPICS!

YAH Tommy Ford International Heart Throb Olympic Sensation!

Just rolled into Bend from our trip north to the Olympics. Ville and I met Sarah and Jordan in Portland and drove up to Seattle to check out the city and stay a night with some great family friends who spoiled us rotten (thanks again Danny and Mary!) and walked to Pike Street Market (watched the guys throw fish around) and to the Space Needle. We all agreed that Seattle is a pretty cool city.

The next day we hit the road up to Vancouver and were able to find parking to walk around the city and see the torch. The feeling and atmosphere just being there was electric. For it being the Olympics, we were shocked at the almost non-existent traffic and smooth travel over the boarder. The immigration woman in Canada even welcomed Ville to Canada! (Not quite the same as the hour and a half to 2 hour full-cavity search welcoming he gets EVERY time he comes into the U.S.) Drove up past Vancouver and stayed the night in a sweet (nicer than all our places) one-bedroom apartment we rented in Squamish.

This was a perfect location to roll out of bed and get on a free bus to Creekside Village in Whistler were the Men's Giant Slalom was on Tues. Jordan and Sarah had seated tickets in the stands and Ville and I standing tickets near the run. Ville and I stood up against the partition and had a great view of the skiers and the big t.v. viewing the entire run of the skiers. As the first of the 2 Finnish skiers came down, I waved a Finland scarf and and Ville cheered. All of a sudden we were up on the big screen and Ville began yelling "aiti" (mom) into the camera. Not 3 seconds later Ville's phone started going off and texts and calls came in about us being on t.v. in Finland and Norway! Now we are famous! (e-mail us for an autograph). Ville found out later we were on EuroSport (much like ESPN shown all over Europe)

As Tommy Ford (Jordan's best bud from Bend) came screaming down the run we were screaming our lungs out. And he did awesome! And then the camera zoomed in on Jordan standing and yelling in the stands and he was up on the big screen! With his sweet t-shirt and everything. (long story, but they had these t-shirts made for Tommy's 18th birthday to embarrass him and we had more made to wear to his Olympic debut)

Both times Tommy finished his runs were were able to see him at the bottom (he was "thrilled" to see we were all wearing the matching shirts). Heading up there we were told not to expect to see Tommy other than his run, so spending time with him and his family was more than we could ask for. A moment we will all never forget. So stoked for you Tommy, way to be a stud.

Unfortunately, we were extremely disappointed to hear that NBC sucks and never even aired Tommy's run. There was 4 American skiers and his was not aired. SO, I have attached 2 articles where you can read about Tommy and his runs aired on NBC's website. I highly recommend watching the Truth In Motion documentary done on the U.S. Ski Team, it's so awesome!! Look for Tommy Ford in the future of skiing, he is 20 now and only getting to be more of an "international heart throb"

Oregonian: (um, notice the Sarah and I misprint. Thank Sarah)

http://www.oregonlive.com/olympics/index.ssf/2010/02/2010_winter_olympics_tommy_for.html

Bulletin:

http://www.bendbulletin.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20100224/SPORTS05/2240380/-1/RSSNEWSMAP

http://www.nbcolympics.com/search/results.htmx?q=tommy%20ford