Olympic Athlete Spotting in Vancouver: A Fantasy Guide

True, you’ll be watching these athletes soaring through the air or racing down a sheet of ice these Winter Olympic Games, but what happens after they’ve won all those gold medals? They’re visitors to Vancouver, too, and you never know when you’re going to spot one of them experiencing the city just like you. If the following star athletes’ personal interests give us any clues, we’ve got some guesses about where they might find their own brand of fun in Vancouver.

Apolo Anton “Bust a Move” Ohno — Short Track Skater

That’s not really his nickname, but we gave it to him because the five-time short track medalist won the reality TV show “Dancing with the Stars” in 2007 — and he did it to Young M.C.’s “Bust a Move” no less. If he nabs a couple of golds like he did in Torino, he might just feel like celebrating at the legendary Commodore Ballroom. Since its $3.5 million renovation, the live music/dance venue is still notorious for its sprung dance floor. If you don’t find Apolo there, he might be freestyling at ginger sixty two, one of Vancouver’s most popular nightclubs where the world’s top DJs perform.

Sidney “The Next One” Crosby — Captain of the Pittsburg Penguins

Fresh off a Stanley Cup win, Sidney is still pretty mellow despite being dubbed “The Next One” by none other than Wayne Gretsky. The 22-year old Canadian centre doesn’t have much time outside of hockey, but when he does, the movie nut likes to relax in front of the silver screen. Of course, there’s the IMAX Theatre at Canada Place, whose crystal clear images and giant screens are a draw for any movie buff. But you might also find Sidney taking a film tour with Vancouver Movie Tours and trying to catch some movie stars filming the latest blockbuster, given the fact that Vancouver — or rather, “Hollywood North” — is one of North America’s top filming destinations.

Yu-Na “Queen Yu-Na” Kim — 2009 World Figure Skating Champion

The young figure skating phenom has broken records left and right: highest scores for a short program and free skate, highest point total, first person to receive a +2.00 “Grade of Execution.” But speaking of grades, she’s only 18 and hasn’t graduated college yet. After all the Korea University controversy last May (KU released an ad boasting that it delivered a “world leader” despite the fact that her busy schedule keeps her in Canada for most of the year), Yu-Na might just want to check out UBC’s campus. Not only is it in close proximity to Jericho Beach and Spanish Banks, it’s home to the Museum of Anthropology, one of Canada’s foremost museums, and the UBC Botanical Gardens.

Shaun “Flying Tomato” White — Snowboarding Poster Boy

Last but certainly not least, the iconic Shaun White, winner of Torino gold in the Men’s Halfpipe event, will certainly be popping some 1080s this Winter Games. His flaming red hair, which earned him his famous nickname, won’t be too hard to spot in Vancouver. The ?ber-social Shaun will probably be looking for a party after his events, and both the ultra-modern Republic and the celeb-magnet The Roxy Cabaret fit the bill. Of course, where Mountain Dew and extreme adventure are, Shaun is, too. Sign up with one of Vancouver’s adventure tour companies and you might see Shaun right along with you jumping out of skydiving planes or catching some air on a snowmobile.

http://www.tourismvancouver.com/visitors/vancouver/2010_olympics/2010_stories/olympic_athlete_spotting