Ohno-Fast and Oh-So-Sloooooowwwww

Now that the Olympics are over, I am going into a bit of withdrawal for winter sports. Those speed skaters scare the hell out of me, yet I can’t take my eyes off of them. It’s beyond my understanding how anyone can move that fast on a slippery surface without falling down and bringing down everyone else around you. But they do. And then to top it off, the most decorated American skater of all has the last name “Ohno”, which is about as amusing bit of irony you could hope for.

Another sport I always find myself watching intently is curling. It is all so bizarre, with middle-aged guys sliding a giant teapot-shaped stone toward some equally big stones. Plus, the guys wear some magical sort of footware (not skates!) that allows them to sail here and there like feathers. Compared to the speed skaters, this is about as totally the opposite you could hope for. But it captures my attention every time. Also, these guys seem to be intent on making a fashion statement. Did you see the pants the Norwegian team was wearing? And then those fancy hairdo-s they were sporting. Some big styling there!