Elvis, Eric, Chris and Me First off, I hooked up with Chris Pronger and Eric. They were working out at Nike’s spa. So to help them replenish their energy, I took them to a Japanese restaurant, where, yes, we took off our shoes, just as Japanese tradition requires it. Turns out Kelly and Shayne Corson were there, though they were now headed for Canada House. Like every other nation represented at the Games , Canada has a place to hold social events for the athletes and their guests. Steak dinners have been held for both the women’s and the men’s teams. The beef: courtesy of the Alberta pastures. The lunch done, Eric, Chris and I drove to White Ring. That’s where Elvis Stojko was practicing – he and seven other skaters, all of them taking turns at doing their own routines to the music of their choice. (When you watch these athletes crisscross the rink you cringe at the thought that they might bounce off each other like bowling pins. They never do, of course.) When Elvis came onto the ice, he noticed Eric in the stands and gave him a wave. While we watched the skaters at work, a crew from TNT, a US cable station, conducted an interview with Eric and Chris. TNT thought their viewers would be interested to see Canadian hockey players supporting fellow athletes in different sports. With the short program competition less than six hours away, Elvis did not do his jumps when he ran through his program. Chris was especially inspired by the performances, joking that he might one day try doing a backflip after scoring a goal. At day’s end, with Chris and Eric back at the village, I left the confines of my luxurious suite to head out for dinner. It’s fun to walk around the busy streets looking for places to chow. Shabu-shabu turned out to be a good spot, serving a fondue-style dish into which you dip pieces of thinly sliced meat in boiling water. Closed out the evening with a nip of sake.
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