Olympic moments: Rev. Larry Lindmark of Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church in Deerfield, an avid Olympics pin collector, returned from Norway with 125 more for his collection, some he bought but most of which he traded for. (“I wouldn’t pay more than $5 for one,” he said.)
But he also came back with lots of observations about Lillehammer:
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– Despite the attention given to Norwegian conservation efforts, “We do more recycling here in Deerfield than they do there.”
– With the snow remaining all winter long, the Norwegians use sand to give them traction. “They had a lot of broken arms and legs with people falling, but the Norwegians did fine; they’re used to it. Even the elderly people just leaned on their sleds.”
– At least half the Norwegians watching the cross-country ski events had skied there themselves. “It’s a law in Norway that you have to leave fence openings in your fields so people can ski through.”
– The Norwegian-Swedish rivalry is “overblown.” (Keep in mind that Lindmark has Norwegian and Swedish blood.)
– The ticket scalpers were polite.
– The compactness of the game venues made the whole thing much cozier than the Calgary games he attended in 1988.
– Christianity in Scandinavia desperately needs prayers. Few people attend church, and most of them are elderly.