Groundhog day?

Not too early a start today. At 10 am I shoot some scenics around the Village Stroll. "Groundhog Day" is a common feeling many of us have expressed on days that start like this. Fog on the ski hill, drizzling rain in Whistler. What will the day bring? The morning assignment list shows me shooting scenics and a couple bands around Whistler. My regular evening assignment of Medals Plaza will be cancelled due to no Canadian medalists. Maybe I'll only work an 8 and get a chance to watch the Men play Russia in hockey. A Russian 80's metal band "Gorky Park" plays in the village square. After I shoot them a Kossak group takes to the stage. Is this an omen. Sarah Gallashan from CTV Vancouver's Whistler bureau grabs me for a little cover and a couple quick interviews.

I settle into an office chair at the Media Centre newsroom to watch some of the hockey game. I laugh a little as I point out to Todd Battis sitting across from me that my attention is drawn to the other monitor showing Women's Bobsleigh. "It looks like we have a good chance at 2 medals on the ice at the sliding centre tonight." With this possibility I suggest to my assignment desk that I supplement our resources at sliding by me picking up the medalists as they get on the gondola tonight, ala Jon Montgomery. They tell me to go for it. As the third period of the hockey game concludes I am shooting a huge Whistler Square crowd go bananas. Now it's off to the Blackcomb Gondola for the ladies. I give some fan reax video to my runner to bring back down the mountain from the Bobsleigh venue. And now I wait. Can this work out as well as Jon Montgomery did? Will the girls get beers? Will I get on the gondola with 4 new medalists and their escorts? After a 1 hour wait in the rain I'm told the ladies won't be taking the gondola but boarding a van to our CTV set in Whistler. Katherine Barnes a Producer from SportsCentre meets me back in the Village. We trace a circuitous route through restaurants, elevators and into the lobby of a hotel. We wait there with our CTV make-up artist for the Gold and Silver medal winners. After a long wait for them to complete their required drug testing I get a chance to shoot them emerging from behind a police escort in the driveway of the hotel. They enter the lobby to be greeted by only a handful of fans and friends. After washroom breaks and a quick make-up application we are off to the set and the crowds that await them there. I follow down the stairs towards the throng of screaming people. The ladies are interviewed by Jennifer Hedger Live on our set. Perry Solkowski from CTV Vancouver says to me "you know you're with me right?" I nod my head, another Producer from Good Morning says "you're shooting with me, OK?" I say I'll be right there after I ingest my footage of the girls. Five interviews in the middle of the fire storm later and I can't believe I thought this might be Groundhog day. Oh how a day can evolve at The Olympics. Fourteen hours after my day began I head for the hotel. I make an omelette and a Caesar for dinner just before midnight. Deja vous!