Quick Facts : Whistler Sliding Centre

• One of only 15 international competition sliding tracks in the world
• Highest vertical drop of any track in the world: 152 metres
• Track G-force is expected to reach 5.02 Gs (men’s luge)
• Highest speed reached in inaugural 2007-08 season: 147.9 kilometres per hour (four-man bobsleigh)
• A thin ice surface measuring between two and five centimetres is produced and maintained by hand
• The track measures 1,450 metres from start to finish, with an elevation change of over 150 metres
• 350 tons of concrete were used to construct the track
• The track has 36 on-track cameras and 42 “timing eyes”
• Energy-efficiency initiatives, designed to minimize refrigeration plant energy use, include an ammonia refrigeration system. Ammonia is one of the most energy-efficient refrigerants, producing no chlorofluorocarbons (which contribute to ozone-layer depletion and global climate change).

Open : Whistler Sliding Centre & Olympic Park

The two centres will be opening their doors this summer to the public for tours.

“Tours are a great opportunity for the public to get a first-hand look at some of the most spectacular facilities of the Games and to learn about the sports they will host,” said Cathy Priestner Allinger, VANOC executive vice president, sport and Games operations. “Visitors will leave with a great sense of anticipation for the thrilling competitions that will take place there this winter, and in 2010. This is also a great chance for residents to familiarize themselves with the world-class facilities that are now in their own backyard, and what will be an important part of their community for years to come.”

Self-guided walking tours of the Whistler Sliding Centre will begin on July 3 and continue until the end of August. Admission for these tours is $5.

Beginning June 15, free, self-guided walking, car or bike tours of Whistler Olympic Park will be available during park hours. Visitors interested in guided tours or tours of the ski jumps, however, must book in advance at www.whistlerolympicpark.com or by calling 604.964.2455. Both The Whistler Sliding Centre and Whistler Olympic Park are wheelchair accessible.

VANOC press release.

2217 Slides Down, Several To Go

The Whistler Sliding Centre which got it's official homologation from the International Luge Federation and the International Bobsleigh and Toboggan Federation during the first week of March 2008 has 2217 slides under its' belt.

Canada now has two of the fifteen tracks in the world. The track built of the 88 Olympics in Calgary is known as one of the slower tracks worldwide. The new 1458 metre track in Whistler may be the fastest sliding track in the world.

"By the time [a luge athlete] exits curve one he is going 70 kilometres per hour, when he exits curve two, he is going 90 kilometres an hour, and by the time he crosses the finish line he is going 145 kilometres an hour," said Team Canada luge athlete and 2006 Torino Olympian Jeff Christie.

This second Canadian sliding centre, potentially the fastest in the world, will greatly assist the sliding sport athletes in their drive to Own The Podium in 2010.

The centre will host two world cups and should be fully operational for the 2008-2009 season. During the off-season a few minor details will be completed on the facility.

More info from Vancouver2010.com.