Quote:
Originally Posted by milomilo
Because I have zero clue about the rules; what's wrong with using Sunshine or Louise?
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Sunshine can only handle a Women's downhill and is too small for Men's downhill, this going by the mid 80s design requirements for FIS downhill event.
By today's standards its highly doubtful Sunshine could host the downhill or Super-G without some major hill contouring and adjustment.
Looking at Goats-Eye (which was not built during the mid 80s when Sunshine tried for World Cup events) It might be possible to install a Men's Downhill to Olympic standards. The start would have to occur above Goat's eye chairlift return station and would then necessitate construction of a second temporary lift to get officials and racers to the start gate. The race would then go through Upper Freefall, Gold Afterburner, Silver Scapegoat, and finish at the bottom of a re-contoured Bronze Scapegoat.
The Super-G might be able to fit onto the old Women's World Cup Downhill run.
Giant Slalom and Slalom would be tough to find additional space that also meets FIS standards at Sunshine.
Looking at Lake Louise, it too might not be able to hold an olympic caliber alpine ski event. IIRC there is a specific reason why Lake Louise holds its World Cup Downhill first in the season and this reason has to do with lack of challenging terrain/course. Additionally even Lake Louise would be hard pressed to find suitable terrain to host all alpine skiing disciplines simultaneously.
Quote:
Originally Posted by MichaelS
We are discouraging people from using our national parks now? (serious question, in regards to this scenario).
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Parks Canada is always discouraging people from using the western Canada National Parks. Granted during the 10 years of Conservative government, Parks Canada was in constant tantrum mode over any proposed development in the western national parks and this was taken advantage of by tourist corporations.
For example, Sunshine is only ever allowed to replace chairlifts at the end of their service life and cannot build new lifts in new locations. For example Goats Eye has the hill capacity for a second quad or six pack lift. This lift was planned to operate from the bottom of Bronze Scapegoat to the top of Gold Afterburner, but Parks Canada refuses to consider any new lift capacity.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Fuzz
I think they see it as damaging to the parks. The mandate isn't to encourage use, its for protection. The ski hills have kind of an unwritten rule on how many people the parks want to have as a maximum, which is why they limit development and number of lifts/capacities. So with the crowds, buses, infrastructure, traffic etc that would go with an Olympic event, they see it as a threat to their protection mandate. Had someone proposed Sunshine or Lake Louise today, they would never get permission. I think originally for '88 they wanted it at Lake Louise(as that is where the world cups are) but it was shot down, so Nakiska was built.
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The issue Parks Canada has with Olympic style event is that they lose control over every aspect of Alpine events during construction and operation of the Olympics. Parks Canada wants an environmental assessment for every rock or plot of dirt moved to contour the hill to FIS demands. Then there is Olympic demands. For example during 19888 inspection of Nakiska, the Olympic committee was deeply concerned with getting media and nonskiing race officials to the bottom of the Slalom events. Th original solution was a ski-do bus operation from Top of Silver Chair, but this was nixed. Instead the Olympic Chair was quickly designed and constructed to allow for these officials and dignitaries easy non skiing access to the bottom of the race course. Under Parks Canada, there is no chance they would approve construction of the Olympic Chair just to placate the demands of Olympic governing body.