Spencer Phinney (11) swaps Olympic pins at his third Olympic Games. Photo credit: Les Bazso, PNG, Vancouver Sun
Truth be told, I never imagined there was such a thing as a serial Olympic-goer until I met one in the 1.5-hour line up at the Canadian Mint Pavilion. He seemed a cross between a Boy Scout leader and a perfectionist CEO. This was his 13th Olympic Games as a spectator.
Serial Olympic-goers are an interesting study. Here’s what made this one stand out:
- Official-looking lanyard. Athletes have one. Volunteers have one. And so does any serious spectator. Look for a multi-day transit pass (good for the length of the Games) and a plethora of official Olympic trading pins attached.
- Borderline stalking stories. These spectators see and hear things that only someone who hangs on the periphery of the athletes’ village could. Fascinating tidbits, but you’re left wondering about the embellishment factor.
- Name dropping. It isn’t with giddy excitement that they mention athletes they’ve met or traded pins with during the Games. The drop is casual and surprisingly modest, just another one for the resume.
- A chick under wing. This American dad brought his son (maybe 12; not pictured above), leaving the rest of the family at home in Norway. He had instinctively imprinted the next generation of serial Olympic-goers in his blood line.
- The backpack. Compact yet efficient and definitely high-end. It was packed with sandwiches made earlier that morning for this very occasion, wasting no time when you could be standing in line for the next epic experience.
I could be next. Gasp! After seeing the Sochi House (Russia) 3D model for the 2014 Olympic Winter Games location, I started thinking fur-lined hats and vodka. Hmm. I wonder what kind of sandwiches I could make there.
