Canada's insider blog

Have you ever wondered what it was like to take part in an Olympic biathlon or ski jumping competition? If so, you can visit Whistler’s Olympic Park and Paralympic Park, and take a guided route up to the ski jumping site or learn to shoot a biathlon rifle on a real range.

Located in Callaghan Valley, just a ten-minute drive from Whistler Village on Function Junction (and then another ten minutes up the paved highway), the site for the nordic competitions–where many of world’s best will gather in just a few short months– is spectacular.

The two square km area includes three separate stadiums, 10 km of cross-country competition trails, four km of biathlon trails, a biathlon range, two ski jumps, and a swanky daylodge facility. Not only that, but it is the FIRST Olympic venue to host all of the nordic sports in one place.

Standing before me at the ski jump site were two enormous concrete structures that looked liked giant slides. Guarding the venue is an Inukshuk, which is based just on the outside of the field. (Inukshuks have been everywhere this trip.) Carved into the side of the mountain, the ski jump venue reminded me a lot of our Calgary Olympic experience, only that this time, we were completely secluded high in the mountains.

No city landscape or highways are visible.

Moving on, we drove by massive yellow construction gear diggin up dirt, signaling all the work that still needs to be done on this project.  After all, the venue will host 30 per cent of the Olympic medal events and 50 per cent of the Paralympic medal events.

At the biathlon rifle range, we weren't feeling brave to shoot anything that early in the morning, so we watched a couple of tourists do it instead. Lying down on her belly, one lady was especially fierce when handling the gun. Nearby, we caught a few future Olympians raining on the course.  Wearing tight cross-country ski outfits, roller blades, helmets and rifles on their backs, they were incredible to watch.

I can already imagine the spectacle February 2010 will look like.  Now empty, by then the park will be flooded with thousands of spectators and media waiting for their chance to participate in this once on a lifetime experience.

To share your own personal photos from across Canada, we'd love to see them at Locals Know.