Archive for the 'Sports' category

In the movie Shaolin Soccer, monks used their kung fu skills to enhance their play.

Here, it’s totally not the case. By wearing magnifying glasses, these crazy Japanese soccer players are trying to keep track of the ball’s position. Easier said than done.

For the second year in a row, the very spectacular winter event Red Bull Crashed Ice is going to take place in my hometown, Quebec City, March 3rd, 2007.

Since the year 2000, the event has gained popularity and has seen cities like Stockholm, Sweden, Moscow, Russia, and Prague, Czech Republic host the event.

This unusual sporting event involves ice skaters, with a hockey equipment, minus the stick, racing against each others down an icy path where the course features whoops, berms, turns, curves and steep chutes. It requires skating skills, balance, and balls of steel.

The grand prize is $10,000 to be divided among the competition’s top four finishers.

Consecutive heats of four skaters racing head-to-head in a double elimination bracket will narrow the pool of participants from 64 qualifiers to a final four.

The actual race will start just next to the Château Frontenac. Then they’ll be storming down rue du Fort where they will reach a speed of about 60 km/h before hitting a steep right turn in front of the Post Office, across from the Parc Montmorency. Then things heat up as racers climb down the Côte de la Montagne going under Porte Prescott. In the middle of the steepest part of Côte de la Montagne, the track will make a sharp left at the level of the infamous Escalier Casse-Cou (“Breakneck Stairwayâ€?). Before hitting the bottom of the hill, skaters will literally fly over the Parc de la Cétière before zooming through Place Royale for the final sprint down the stairs of rue de la Place and the skaters will hit the finish line on Place de Paris.

I’ve taken the liberty to draw the abovementionned course. So as far as my understanding goes, this is it. Click on the picture to enlarge.

With a length of 430 meters and a vertical drop of over 60 meters, this course will be by far the most challenging ever built for Red Bull Crashed Ice.

The event will be free to spectators.

It is unfortunate that this event doesn’t take place during the Quebec City winter Carnaval as it would rejuvenate it a bit. Oh, and we want the duchesses back too!

Click on the video below to watch a promo video from last year’s Crashed Ice in Quebec City.

For any other information, go to their website at redbullcrashedice.ca

brem

Patrick Lagacé, from the newspaper La Presse is in the Old Capital for business and he used his time here to comment on the major differences between the city of Montréal and Québec City.

Finally, a montrealer admits that there is indeed a Québec distinct status, and even finds something positive out of it and does it all without judging without having experienced first hand.

Thank you.

That being said, one of the fundamental differences, is that the Québec population doesn’t feel threatened by the english-speaking majority. Furthermore, contrary to popular belief, there is an english-speaking minority in Québec City, but its constituents are invisible because they are well assimilated with the french-speaking population. I know that since I now am part of this community, by proxy when I married my wife.

The fact that there is a military base nearby reinforces certain convictions as well. Not geared towards war, but rather of solidarity for our soldiers.

Pat mentions that Québec is a sport city, even more so than Montréal. I can only wish for a CFL franchise for Québec City. Indeed, if the Rouge & Or can bring together 12 000 people at the Université Laval PEPS, I can’t see why this franchise wouldn’t be viable, if the Alouettes can barely gather 5 000 at the McGill stadium.

From a political point of view, of course, Québec City is center right. This is probably due to the fact that there is an obvious homogeneity among the population and also that there is almost only the middle-class in Québec. Few real poor, few real rich people.

After the last elections, Montréal folks were puzzled by the conservative vote turnout in the Old Capital. It was almost a sacrilege for them. We had broken the seal. In the Province of Québec, one must be social-democrat, whatever the cost. As it turns out, not in Québec City. Here, we didn’t appreciate either that Montréalers voted for corrupted Liberals.

I have no idea what the electors of the region will vote for in the next elections. Personally, I get the feeling that people here are not dissatisfied with the performance of the current Conservative government, except maybe on the environmental issues.

I hesitate to make a prediction, but here goes: they will keep most of the ridings they gained during last election. Unless of course we learn about yet another scandal until then. Life is so full of surprises!

brem

Source: Poil.ca

Source: Poil.ca