Congratulations to the producers of the Vancouver 2010 Opening Ceremony – they pulled off an amazing show that as a Vancouverite and a Canadian I was very proud of! The highlights for me were:
1. Cauldron Lighting (x2)
My heartrate definitely jumped a bit as the awkard moments ticked by when it seemed there might be a problem raising the Cauldron (I can only imagine the frantic scrambling behind the scenes!). They recovered very well though and the choice to have Rick Hansen pass the flame to Catriona LeMay Doan, Steve Nash, Nancy Greene, and Wayne Gretzky to all light the Cauldron together was brilliant.
Even more brilliant was having Gretzky riding with the flame in the back of a pickup truck through the streets of Vancouver to light the outdoor Cauldron. I loved that there were people out in the streets cheering and able to run right up along side the truck. Seemed like a very Canadian way to conclude the Opening Ceremony.
2. Tributes to Georgian Luger Nodar Kumaritashvili
The death of Georgian Luger Nodar Kumaritashvili in a training accident just hours before the start put a damper on what otherwise should have been a day all about celebration; however, the ceremony respected and paid tribute to Nodar and the Georgian team with remarks from Jacques Rogge, a minute of silence, lowering the flags to half-mast, and a standing ovation from the crowd for the Georgian team as they entered the stadium. John Furlong’s words were particularly inspiring to the athletes:
“You compete with such bravery, conviction and pride. At these Games you now have the added burden to shine and be united around your fallen colleague Nodar. May you carry his Olympic dream on your shoulders and compete with his spirit in your hearts.”
3. Slam Poet
The guy going on about Canada – reminiscent of Molson’s Joe Canadian rant – was awesome! I didn’t know there was such a thing as a “Slam Poet” until afterwards.
Full Transcript of Shane Koyczan’s poem.
4. John Furlong’s speech
The speeches at Olympic opening ceremonies usually really bore me. John Furlong’s speech I thought was great though – very inspiring.
“…we invite people everywhere to share and experience — even if just for a few moments — what it feels like to be a proud Canadian.”
“…Many thousands have made tonight and the days ahead possible — But the spirit and soul of all 33 million Canadians has been sewn into the fabric of these Winter Olympic Games. This journey has not been about the few — but rather the many. All Canadians – Aboriginal Canadians – New Canadians – English and Francophone Canadians – And the myriad of cultures, micro cultures, languages and peoples that make Canada – Canada….”
5. Participation of Famous Canadians
The selection of Canadians to play various roles in the ceremony was very diverse:
- Bryan Adams
- Nelly Furtado
- k.d. lang
- Sarah McLachlan
- Loreena McKennitt
- Ashley MacIsaac
- Jacques Villeneuve
- Donald Sutherland
- Bobby Orr
- Anne Murray
- Betty Fox
- Barbara Ann Scott
- Romeo Dallaire
- Julie Payette
- Rick Hansen
- Catriona LeMay Doan
- Nancy Greene
- Steve Nash
- Wayne Gretzky
Liam Kerney 