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Ba. Isathhi aaa PORT PERRY STAR -- Tuesday, March 8, 1988 -- 17 Olympics equal cross-country Steve Rensink didn't have a lot of time for sightseeing at Cal- gary's Olympic Winter Games, but that's okay by him. The 30 year old Prince Albert area resident (who is soon moving to Greenbank) was pretty content to work 13 of the 16 days he spent out at the Nordic Centre, grooming cross-country ski trails for racers from around the globe. Besides, he and his family are more familiar with Alberta than most folks from Scugog--he lived there for five years teaching school, and familiarizing youngsters with the Jackrabbit cross-country ski program. Last July he returned to Scugog because, "We thought it was time to come back and get closer to the folks" (his father is local builder Nick Rensink). 'But it was his experience in: Al- berta with cross-country skiing that led to his posting with the Olympic Winter Games. After organizing many races and learn-to-ski programs, he was an experienced choice to work with the Olympic cross-country crews. The search for such people actually began about four years ago. "I guess they knew we were headed for the Olympics, but nothing was said," Steve recalls. Approximately 90 per cent of the officials came from Alberta and British Columbia, with a handful coming from elsewhere. Steve was one of only a few to come from Ontario. He arrived in Calgary early in the morning of February 13th, and despite the wee hour (3 a.m.), "there were a lot of people, ath- letes, delegates, that were coming in." February 13 was the day the whole world was looking forward' to, opening day at the Olympics, including the spectacular opening ceremonies. Unfortunately, Steve missed out. Caught up at the Accredita- tion Centre, and then whisked off to the Canmore Nordic Centre, he was busy working on trails while the opening ceremonies were go- ing on. Likewise, he was already on a plane back to Ontario when the closing ceremonies were going on. Still, Steve didn't go out to Calgary to watch pomp and cere- mony. What he was actually look- ing forward to the most was watching the intense, world-class level of racing. "I guess when I headed out there, I expected a lot different than what I got," he says. "I thought the races, the competi- tion, would be the big thing for me. I thought it would blow me away, but the races were nothing. They were only a fraction of what the Olympics were all about." More than just the races, Steve, like so many others, found him- self caught up in the "spirit" of the games--the friendliness, the goodwill, the whole atmosphere. "The athletes had a lot of fun with each other," Steve explains. "During the races, on several occa- sions, I saw and heard athletes cheering on people from other teams." And Steve should know--the crews had the best seats in the house for watching the games. While they started working on the trails early in the morning until evening, with more work in be- tween cach race--the crew was free during the actual racing. Actually, once a race began, all equipment was pulled off the tracks, and the crew members were invited to stand anywhere they wanted along the course of the races to watch. "We do no repair unless we see something that's a hazard to the skier," Steve says. As for the work itself, Steve and his crewmates used "cverything from using our feet to shovels, picks, axes, rakes, skiing in tracks, the snow machines, and a lot of manual work" to keep the Cross-country tracks in top-notch racing condition. Due to unseasonally warm weather, the snow base at the Nor- dic Centre was extremely thin, so no heavy equipment was used be- cause as Steve says, "it would have wrecked the trails." As for the racers themselves, well, Steve just watched in amaze- ment. "They just dance on those skiis!" he says, adding he felt "very humbled" by the talent and sheer speed of the racers. "The men's relay races, over a short distance, were really fast. These guys, the guys in particu- lar, after four km., they were still pretty close together. They were probably going, oh, 40 miles and hour. They were really cooking. It was just wild." An avid cross-country skier himself, Steve was pretty im- pressed. "That's one of the things about the Olympics that really hit me-- watching those skiers inspired me to get in a little better shape and get out skiing," he says enthusias- tically. And even though he didn't get out to sce any other events other than cross-country, Steve's not dis- appointed. "That's what I think the Olym- pics arc about--for me, it's cross- country." sikkens Cetol TS INTERIOR EASY TO APPLY: -- One product does the entire job: stains, seals and finishes. -- Dries in 4 to 6 Hours EASY TO LIVE WITH: -- Translucent satin finish -- Protects window sill against moisture sikkens 295 Ritson Road South -- OSHAWA -- 434-3939 CENTRAL PAINT seniors moore & WALLPAPER Paints available" Just returned from the Calgary Winter Olympic Games and the Canmore Nordic Centre, where he helped groom cross-country ski trails for racing, Steve Rensink couldn't be any happier about his ex- periences--even though he didn't do much sightsee- ing. For details, see story. Calgary computer wiz (From page 16) competition. But just being in Calgary was an experience, and he admits he got caught up in all the excite- ment and Olympic fever, especial- ly in the evenings at the Plaza when as many as 75,000 people crowded around to see medal pres- entations. Mr. Nicol stayed in the Vil- lage set up for the more than 4,000 media people from around the world who were there to cover the Games. One computerized aspect of the Games was the installation of 750 info terminals for use by the athletes. These terminals con- taincd complete biographical data on all the competing athletes, as well as a complete history of how they performed in their respective sports. In all, IBM Canada has about 30 employees working at the Games for the month of February, and the computer hardware and systems were worth somewhere in the neighbourhood of $5 million. Collecting lapel pins is always a popular thing to do at internation- al events like the Olympics, and Mr. Nicol brought home several corporate pins. He said the IBM pins were in hot demand among the collectors. Mr. Nicol's work with IBM as a trouble-shooter (his col- leagues call him Mr. Clean-up) has taken him to Pcking, Japan, Thailand, Burma, Chile and Jama- ica. After working the Calgary Winter Games, he said there is an "outside chance" he may be asked to pack his bags and catch a flight to South Korca for the Summer Olympics. Kelly, Zuly, Greenway, Bruce BARRISTERS and SOLICITORS Motor Vehicle -- Criminal Personal Injury -- Wills Real Estate -- Family Law Corporate & Commercial EVENINGS & WEEKENDS BY APPOINTMENT 114 King St. E., Oshawa 723-2278 Life-long memories from patrol (From page 16) important part of the Olympics, or any skiing events. It's patrol- lers like Garry who are first at the scene of any skiing accident, who administer first aid, and get the in- jured party to a waiting ambu- lance at the bottom of the hill, as quickly as possible. And with the intense level of competition at an even: like the Olympics, accidents are bound to happen. Ski patrols were active at every outdoor venue, but Garry was working at the Freestyle demon- strations, Ballet, and Acrials, at Canada Olympic Park. The most serious incident Garry was involved with, took place when an American aerialist was knocked down and suffered a mild concussion. Bill Esdale was first at her side, and Garry was right behind him. And while he had to be con- stantly watching for any prob- lems, he also had a chance to see some great skiing. An avid skier himself, even he can't believe the guts of the acrialists. He got to know many of the young skicrs pretty well during the games, and as a member of the Ski Patrol, he had the best seat in the house for watching. Not that he spent all his time in Calgary working (he worked 11- 12 days, between 8-10 hours a day). When he first arrived in Cal- gary, he and Bill spent some time skiing at at beautiful Lake Louise, having some fun before the "work" began. And he took in the opening cer- emonies, the closing ceremonies, and a variety of events in be- tween, including some dance pairs figure skating, four hockey games, bobsledding and luge. About the bobsledders and luge competitiors, Garry says bluntly, "They're nuts!" He just couldn't believe how fast they got going down the runs, sometimes more than 100 km/ hour. "What you saw on TV is noth- ing! You should have been there to see them go!" And while he didn't actually meet the infamous Jamaican bobsled team, he did buy one of their sweatshirts, which sold as fast as hotcakes (the shirts are the Jamaican team's main source of revenue). The opening and closing cere- monies were the most emotional cvents for Garry, who says the highest moment of the "entire games for him was when the youngster at the opening ceremo- nics lit the Olympic flame. "There were a lot of happy, hap- py feelings," he recalls. "Even now, when I watch the Olympics on tape, I get a lump in my throat." Figure skating medal round tick- cts were in short supply, so he misscd out on sccing Brian Orser and Elizabeth Manley, but the pride they and the other athletes generated was cvident everywhere at the games. Pride was onc of the most over- shadowing cmotions at the games, and Garry was more than proud to wear his Olympic Ski Patrol jack- ct and sweater. For Garry, and others who shared the once-in-a-lifetime experience of Calgary, it was an incredible time, and the memories, as well as the fricnds he made, will always lin- ger.