Sports and all

Woohoo. I'm finally writing again. Saying that, I feel like there's very little to celebrate. I've been ill with a cold for a good two and half weeks and it is really starting to piss me off big time. Maybe after the weekend I'll feel better, maybe not. Time will tell.

Anyhow, it's once again time for the winter olympic games and this time in Torino. Being a Finn I guess it must be passed along in the mother's milk that at least to certain extent you just have to be watching sports, and in particular winter sports. Makes sense, if you remind yourself that winters in Finland are rather long and summers, well they usually make an attempt to arrive just to realise that it's already time to go before the fun really begins. This may be a slight overstatement but you get the picture.

Winter, nevertheless, offers a variety of sports possibilities and pastimes. Take skiing for example, Finns have never really been interested in alpine skiing as a competitive sport before the last few years. I'm tempted to blame this on the older generation who simply can not understand that you can call something like that a sport where you are being taken up the slope by machinery and come down using the force of gravity.

Most of us who have tried alpine skiing know that this is not the case but you have to remember that crosscountry skiing is a whole different story altogether. It's said to be one of the most demanding endurance sports there are and for a reason. Last time I was on a pair of x-countries was probably in the army during my national service and that's a shame, for it really is one of the best forms of exercise you can do.

This dichotomy should not prevail and it appears that alpine skiing is finally gaining some respect (not to mention snowboarding, freestyle skiing and, of all mother earth's things, curling!). This is largely thanks to two or three successful skiers who have finally brought Finnish alpine skiing to the top. Today, it appears that first Finnish alpine skiing medal has become reality. I rest my case. Did I forget to mention there are no mountains in Finland?

Now curling, there's a weird 'sport'. I'm not sure if I'm too old-fashioned to call it a sport. Sure, you need good skills to throw the stone accurately and good arms to swipe the ice clean in front of the sliding stone. But a sport?

Hype is currently the closest thing I'd use to describe the interest curling has raised over the last few days. Finland is in the olympic final against Canada and almost 1.7 million people are expected to watch this on telly. Traditionally, only ski jumping or ice hockey get such figures.

Just to create a little more contrast, Canada has one million people curling players whereas Finland has one thousand and yet, they are in the olympic final. Man, something's truly wrong or maybe 'Uusis' really is the coolest man on the planet (Finland skipper). Madness, but hey it's all good albeit I don't see people actually getting fit doing this.

Ok, that does it for the day. I still feel quite ill and fed up with my job but that's a different story so until then, adios.