Street Talk: What is Your Favorite Olympic Sport?

Every week, we’ll take a simple question out into the community and ask it to the people we meet along the way. No scripts, no experts, just real neighbors sharing quick, honest answers about everyday life. Think of it as a snapshot of our communities, one voice at a time.

This week, Sun Times News Reporter Sue Kelch visited Saline’s Carrigan Café to ask customers what their favorite Winter Olympic Sport is and why. The excitement for the Winter Olympics was clearly felt by all: from watching the ice art of figure skating to the thrill of seeing downhill skiers hitting 70 mph at 3G – don’t blink! Photos by Sue Kelch

Jim Peters

I have two favorites because they’re so different. I like the giant slalom downhill because they’re going 80 mph on skis. I also like curling because it’s a game of touch and finesse and the contrast between the two sports is interesting.

Marc

I would say my favorite to watch is the luge or bobsled. I enjoy watching that because it’s exciting and it makes sense to me. It’s a fast race to the bottom and whoever crosses the finish line first wins.

Will van Kampen

I like curling because it’s amazing. All of the physical accuracy and the mathematics of predicting where the stones are going to go, and just watching the teams work together.

Karen Carrigan

This year I’ve enjoyed watching the men’s cross-country snowboarding because of the personal connection I have with them. There’s a local man, Jack Vedder from Pinckney, who was on the same team as my nephew Robert back in high school. The other gentleman is Nick Baumgartner from Iron River, Michigan, and he just came in number 7. He is Bill Stolberg’s (Bill’s Barber Shop) cousin. The finals were this morning, and I got up early at 4:45 to watch them.

Mary Dettling

I have two favorites. Number one is figure skating – both singles and doubles. It is absolutely beautiful and so moving to watch people create art on ice. My other favorite is downhill skiing and watching them go 70 mph and hit 3G on the curves.

One final customer did not weigh in on his favorite Olympic sport, but he had a lot to say about the curling competition. He first expressed his disappointment that they no longer use the corn brooms because he liked to hear them whisk across the ice.

Next, he explained how unique the curling stones are, as the rocks carved to shape the stones come from only one of two places on the planet – either the Ailsa Craig island in Scotland or the Trefor granite quarry in Wales.

If you have any fun, light-hearted questions for Street Talk, or if you’d like to have Sue Kelch pop in to your establishment, drop her a line at [email protected]