Whistler – Vaulted to fame by a gutsy underdog performance at the 1988 Olympic Winter Games and immortalized by a colourful Disney movie, Jamaica’s bobsleigh program has long been the object of much attention.
Now, the Jamaican sliding team could be poised to share some of its limelight with Pemberton.
Ian Porter, owner of the Copperdome Lodge, got the ball rolling after he read a Vancouver Province article about the Jamaican team considering possibilities for moving to Whistler to train.
For about 11 years, the Jamaicans have called Evanston, Wyo., their base for North American training, thanks to the initiative of City Prosecutor Paul Skog and a generous embrace from that community. But with the 2010 Olympics on the horizon, Jamaica Bobsleigh Federation officials – including President Chris Stokes, a member of the famed 1988 team – expressed interest in relocating to Whistler for training.
Prompted by a desire to connect Pemberton to the Games and a view of certain parallels between Jamaica and Pemberton, Porter said he sought out contact information for the federation officials online and approached them to offer free accommodations at the Copperdome Lodge for the duration of their training.
“I don’t see Pemberton getting a lot out of these Olympics to date,” Porter said. “I just saw this as an opportunity to do something that’s fun and… hopefully shine a spotlight on Pemberton.”
The Pemberton and District Chamber of Commerce quickly got involved, supporting Porter’s initiative and devising a plan to find food, transportation and sponsorships to help the team, President Paul Selina said.
“Whatever we can do to help this team achieve their goals, we’re going to try and do,” Selina said.
Jamaican officials have responded positively to the Pemberton offer, and at this point the team and an agent have extended verbal and written commitments to come here, Selina said.
One of the only remaining sticking points is the matter of securing time for the Jamaicans to practice at the Whistler Sliding Centre. Once that’s settled, Selina said, the Jamaican athletes could be headed this way sometime next month.
Selina said the community is already beginning to rally behind the plan, with representatives from the Village of Pemberton, the Squamish-Lillooet Regional District, several community groups and the First Nations supporting the idea at meetings last week.
“There’s a buzz around town — someone beckoned me over from a construction site today (Nov. 14) and said, ‘Hey, there’s a lot of (talk) about the team from Jamaica coming over here,’ so they’re really excited about it, all the way up the scaffold on this construction site,” Selina said.
Porter said he’s certain the valley communities can rally together to support the Jamaicans in their training with commitments for vitals such as fundraising and food.
“I’m very confident the community will come together to get these things provided,” Porter said.
Both Selina and Porter said they see parallels between the Jamaican and Pemberton communities, as well as sharing a desire — which the Chamber has fostered in local businesses — to pursue opportunities for Pemberton to get more involved in the upcoming Olympics.
Porter pointed to similarities between Pemberton, situated as Whistler’s frequently “unrecognized sibling” with many strengths, and the Jamaican team, with its strong athletes toiling away outside the glare of the spotlight.
Selina described both the Jamaican team and Pemberton as unique and “off the beaten track.”
“In a lot of ways it’s a perfect fit — they want to be here, they’ve done their research into the community and they’re really excited about coming here,” Selina said.
Similar sentiments motivated Evanston’s Skog, who sought to link his Wyoming community to the 2002 Salt Lake City Olympics and found himself greatly admiring the underdog spirit of the Jamaican team, which he felt his town shared.
Coupled with Evanston’s proximity or easy access to bobsleigh centres, and “with the idea in mind that Ev should position itself for the 2002 Winter Olympics, and with the Jamaican bobsled movie in mind, I picked up the phone one day and said, ‘Hello, Jamaica,’” Skog said.
Skog’s pitch to Stokes about a hospitable, ideally positioned community began a beautiful friendship that has seen three generations of Jamaican bobsleigh athletes come to train in Evanston before hitting the America’s Cup circuit and attempting to qualify for each Olympics.
That roster of Jamaican sliders who trained in Evanston included Lascelles (King) Brown, who went on to win a silver medal at the 2006 Olympics while competing with Pierre Lueders for Canada.
Evanston citizens and businesses have wholeheartedly embraced the Jamaican athletes, supporting them with vitals such as accommodations and transportation while treating them as favoured celebrities.
And in return, Skog said, the relationships formed with the Jamaicans have been universally positive.
“In return you are going to meet some of the most fantastic people — friendly, jovial, dedicated athletes,” Skog said.
Community members interested in helping with sponsorships should contact Alexandra Ross at edc.alex@telus.net or (604) 905-8672.
Porter is hosting a presentation and movie night at the Copperdome Lodge on Friday (Nov. 21) beginning at 6:30 p.m. to get the community involved in the initiative. The movie portion will feature Cool Runnings, the 1993 Disney flick based on the story of the Jamaican bobsleigh team.
