Whistler weekend roundup

Ah, what a lovely, fairly intoxicated two nights I just spent in Whistler BC, home of the Vancouver 2010 downhill and sliding events.

On Saturday I attended the two-man bobsleigh event, checked out a late-night ski and snowboard stunt show, and was memorably hit on by an Austrian luge trainer (I guess two-man luge is really as gay as everyone says).

On Sunday I attended the men’s super-combined downhill/slalom event, watched the Canada-U.S. men’s hockey game with my brother (who scored us primo patio seats facing the big screen in the village square), and checked out the late-night stunt show again.

And on Monday I saw some free outdoor concerts, including a one-hour set by New Wave pioneers Devo, who headlined the night’s victory ceremony. I’ve been a Devo fan for 20 years, so I thrilled to such classics as “Whip It”, “Gates of Steel”, “Beautiful World”, and “Mongoloid”. But sadly, I did not score one of the several hundred energy dome hats the crew tossed into the crowd.

None of this would have happened (not to me, anyway) if not for the short-notice arrival of J, an American guy I met in Manila, who flew in from New York for the weekend. Having an out-of-towner under my wing motivated me to get my ass up to Whistler to sample its Olympic offerings—and I’m glad I did, because Whistler is truly the place to be for these Olympics.

Whistler is smaller, prettier, better-behaved, and it’s actually winter there. It isn’t plagued by the hordes of dodgy drunks that are becoming a problem in Vancouver. Its nightly victory ceremony and concert is free—as opposed to $26 in Vancouver—and they let everyone in.

And best of all, accommodations are free. If you sleep at my brother’s place.