Portland 2026... and that great hockey barn in the making

[Pounder]

So this apparently popped up over the weekend... http://portland2026.com/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Where I found humor is the suggestion... which would necessitate doubling the likely floor space in Viking Pavilion if this is in the plans:

http://portland2026.com/venues/indoor-events/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; (scroll down)

Having said that, a Winter Olympics in Portland is doable. There's going to have to be a couple building investments, and in all likelihood, Mount Hood isn't enough for alpine events (meaning Bend, a very long distance by Olympic standards). There's ways to get there... but the prevailing Portland politics have to be accommodated, rather than proceed in the misguided opinion that it can be overwhelmed. This website, and the Twitter account... makes the effort look a bit like a troll.

 

[martymoose]

So this apparently popped up over the weekend... http://portland2026.com/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Where I found humor is the suggestion... which would necessitate doubling the likely floor space in Viking Pavilion if this is in the plans:

http://portland2026.com/venues/indoor-events/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; (scroll down)

Having said that, a Winter Olympics in Portland is doable. There's going to have to be a couple building investments, and in all likelihood, Mount Hood isn't enough for alpine events (meaning Bend, a very long distance by Olympic standards). There's ways to get there... but the prevailing Portland politics have to be accommodated, rather than proceed in the misguided opinion that it can be overwhelmed. This website, and the Twitter account... makes the effort look a bit like a troll.

Interesting.

Like you mentioned, it's a bit of a stretch for the alpine events.

 

[CaseyOrourke]

So this apparently popped up over the weekend... http://portland2026.com/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Where I found humor is the suggestion... which would necessitate doubling the likely floor space in Viking Pavilion if this is in the plans:

http://portland2026.com/venues/indoor-events/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; (scroll down)

Having said that, a Winter Olympics in Portland is doable. There's going to have to be a couple building investments, and in all likelihood, Mount Hood isn't enough for alpine events (meaning Bend, a very long distance by Olympic standards). There's ways to get there... but the prevailing Portland politics have to be accommodated, rather than proceed in the misguided opinion that it can be overwhelmed. This website, and the Twitter account... makes the effort look a bit like a troll.

Interesting.

Like you mentioned, it's a bit of a stretch for the alpine events.

No more than what it was in Sochi. I understand the alpine events were a long way from the actual city.

 

[Pounder]

No more than what it was in Sochi. I understand the alpine events were a long way from the actual city.

Actually, the Sochi mountain venues were only about 30 miles from the city. The damnable part is that the place is about the southernmost inhabitable area in Russia and was really a summer resort. I don't think everything in the mountains was built from scratch. Everything by the sea WAS built from scratch, including the "town" around the arena venues.

Did some research; Timberline has enough length for a downhill run. I don't know if they regularly hold a race, or if the course is something that can be accomplished. More important, if you want 12,000-20,000 people to see a race, where do you stage the busses? (You DO NOT try to get 12,000 people to drive to Timberline or anywhere near the resort, you direct people to a staging area, you rent busses from all over the country and keep rotating them up to alpine sites... that's what I saw with Snowbasin and the Super GS during SLC 2002) I do know Bachelor has the more highly regarded downhill course. I know I worked a giant slalom at Meadows once; that's modestly easier to accomplish.