World-class in-venue announcers, DJs and field talent to deliver the action,
inspire spectators as best winter athletes compete at 2010 Winter Games

VANCOUVER , Dec. 9 /CNW/ - A roster of some of the top Canadian and international sport production talent will take to the airwaves in venues at the Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games to entertain, educate, engage, and inspire fans in both official languages as they watch the world's best compete.

The crack roster of close to 70 producers, announcers, DJs, and field talent will ensure each competition venue, from cross-country skiing to curling and snowboarding, has its own unique feel based on the traditions of the sport. They will call scores and make announcements, spin tunes and select music, as well as interact with the audience to conduct interviews for broadcast on big screens in venue all to create a fun and welcoming atmosphere where new fans - as well as old - can follow and enjoy the on ice and snow action in both official languages of Canada and the Olympic Movement.

"Over the last 16 months, we've gathered together a remarkable collection of some of the best and most experienced Olympic and professional producers, sport announcers, DJs, and field talent from around the world. It's really a gold medal worthy group," explained Olympic and X Games' sport production veteran Christy Nicolay , vice president of sport production and Victory Ceremonies for the Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games (VANOC).

"We want all spectators at Canada's Games to have an awesome experience at our competition venues - an experience that not only excites them about being at the Games but also creates new lifelong fans of the winter sports showcased here," Nicolay continued. "This experience will start from the moment spectators enter a venue until they leave, several hours in all. What people can expect is a sport production experience on par with the largest sporting events in the world."

In an Olympic first, VANOC also confirmed today that it will be selling individual in-venue radios and headphones at venues where figure skating and curling competitions have no commentary, as well as ice sledge hockey matches. The sets will be available at Pacific Coliseum, the Vancouver Olympic Centre/Vancouver Paralympic Centre and University of British Columbia Thunderbird Arena, also known as the Doug Mitchell Thunderbird Sports Centre. Fans will be able to purchase the sets and listen to the play-by-play of the host announcers in either English or French. Spectators will be able to text in their questions and have them answered live "on air" by well-known guests and hosts from the figure skating world.

Last weekend, the 2010 Winter Games talent roster met in Vancouver , BC, to conduct training ahead of the Games and get to know one another and the venues they will be working in. The roster includes:

    
    -   Matt Coy (venue producer for ice hockey at Canada Hockey Place and
        during the Paralympic Winter Games at the University of British
        Columbia Thunderbird Arena, also known as the Doug Mitchell
        Thunderbird Sports Centre): Has an extensive producing and technical
        career encompassing three Olympic Games, four Super Bowls and many
        other international events. The resident of Cupertino, Calif., has
        also worked with professional sports teams such as the San Diego
        Padres, San Diego Chargers, Los Angeles Dodgers, and Oakland Raiders.

    -   John Ashbridge (announcer, ice hockey/Canada Hockey Place): Public
        address announcer for the NHL Vancouver Canucks since 1987, Ashbridge
        lives in New Westminster, BC.

    -   Randy Ferguson (announcer, cross-country skiing/Whistler Olympic
        Park): bilingual cycling race announcer and Vancouver 2010 Olympic
        Torch Relay master of ceremonies from Montreal, QC.

    -   Michael Villani (announcer, figure skating/Pacific Coliseum): Newport
        Beach, Calif.-based voiceover artist and actor who's starred in big
        budget Hollywood films Dreamgirls and Man on the Moon and TV series
        Criminal Minds and CSI.

    -   Josée Chouinard (field talent, figure skating and short track speed
        skating/Pacific Coliseum): Three-time Canadian figure skating champ
        and two-time Olympian from Newmarket, ON.

    -   Kevin Delaney (announcer, parallel giant slalom/Cypress Mountain):
        The resident of Watsonville, Calif., was the first ever International
        Snowboard Federation overall world champion and a former television
        analyst for ESPN.

    -   Terry Kent (announcer, bobsleigh and luge/The Whistler Sliding
        Centre): Three-time Olympian in kayaking and an announcer at Games in
        Salt Lake City, Athens and Beijing. Kent currently resides in Lake
        Placid, NY.

    -   Dieter Ruehle (music director, ice hockey/Canada Hockey Place):
        Veteran NHL music director from Los Angeles, Calif., who has worked
        for the past 14 years with the Los Angeles Kings and at four Olympic
        Games. Dieter is one of only two NHL music directors who can also
        play the organ.

    -   Scott Arkwell (music director/DJ, all sliding sports/ The Whistler
        Sliding Centre): Prominent West Coast DJ/producer, who is perhaps
        better known as Spun-K, Wicked Lester or Vinyl Ritchie, Arkwell
        currently lives in Vancouver and Whistler, BC.

    The roster of 2010 Winter Games' sport production creative team
    ---------------------------------------------------------------

    Core Team

    Christy Nicolay (vice president of sport production and Victory
    Ceremonies) of Long Beach, Calif.
    Karla Piper (lead producer/ice venues) of Calgary, AB
    Jenifer Wilson (lead producer/snow venues) of Horseshoe Bay, BC
    Derrick Salisbury (sport production/athlete transport) of Clearwater,
    Fla.
    Larry Ganson (technical production) of Dallas, Tex.
    David C. Jones (entertainment manager) of Vancouver, BC

    Canada Hockey Place

    Matt Coy (venue producer) of Cupertino, Calif.
    Cam Gourdeau (associate venue producer) Vancouver, BC
    Rebecca Grant (associate venue producer) of Vancouver, BC
    Peter Stewart (field producer) of Calgary, AB
    Kelly Burnam (announcer/ice hockey) of Denver, Colo.
    Christian Gauthier (French announcer/ice hockey) of Le Gardeur, QC
    John Ashbridge (announcer/ice hockey) of New Westminster, BC
    Kelly Burnham (announcer/ice hockey) of Littleton, Colo.
    Sebastien Goulet (French announcer/ice hockey) of Boucherville, QC
    Dave Levinson (music director/ice hockey) of Vancouver, BC
    Dieter Ruehle (music director/ice hockey) of Los Angeles, Calif.
    Marc Denis (field talent/ice hockey) of Chicoutimi, QC

    Cypress Mountain

    Rachel Rosengarten (venue producer) of Boulder, Colo.
    Maria McNulty (venue director-snowboarding) of Park City, Utah
    Jamie Kimball (venue director-freestyle) of Salt Lake City, Utah
    Erin Sills (associate venue producer) of Vancouver, BC
    Spence Volla (field producer) of Los Angeles, Calif.
    Alain Cyr (French host announcer/freestyle) of St-Sauveur, QC
    Brad J Lilley (host announcer, snowboard/freestyle) of Ventura, Calif.
    Chris Bauchman (French announcer/snowboard) of Feldmeilen, Switzerland
    Chris Ernst (announcer/freestyle) of Lake Forest, Calif.
    Kevin Delaney (announcer-field talent/parallel giant slalom) of
    Watsonville, Calif.
    Preston Strout (announcer/snowboard) of Portland, Ore.
    Mike (DJ Naka G) Nakagawa (music director-DJ/snowboard and freestyle) of
    Aspen, Colo.
    Joanna Majcherkiewicz (field talent/snowboard) of Calgary, AB

    Pacific Coliseum

    Amanda Greco (venue producer) of Cleveland, Ohio
    Brian Klavano (associate venue producer) of Sooke, BC
    Kate Richter (field producer) of Venice, Calif.
    Dany Lemay (French announcer/short track speed skating) of Montreal, QC
    Michael Villani (announcer/figure skating) of Newport Beach, Calif.
    PJ Kwong (French announcer/figure skating) of Scarborough, ON
    Robert Laurie (announcer/short track speed skating) of Hanwell, NB
    Patrick J (DJ Iree) Sweeney (music director/figure skating, short track
    speed skating and Team Welcome Ceremonies) of Studio City, Calif.
    Josée Chouinard (field talent/figure skating and short track speed
    skating) of Toronto, ON
    Ted Barton ("AXEL Radio" producer) of Vancouver, BC
    Sally Rehorick ("AXEL Radio" headset commentator) of Vancouver, BC

    Whistler Creekside

    Jeff Taloisi (venue producer) of Squamish, BC
    Tanya Lovrich (associate venue producer/alpine skiing) of Squamish, BC
    David Zeigler (field producer/alpine skiing) of San Diego, Calif.
    Chris Davenport (announcer/alpine skiing) of Snowmass, Colo.
    Douglas Lewis (announcer/alpine skiing) of Fayston, Vt.
    JP Daigneault (French announcer/alpine skiing) of Waitsfield, Vt.
    Jessie Lieberthal (music director-DJ/alpine skiing) of Campbellville, ON
    Jordan Whitley (field talent/alpine skiing) of Manhattan Beach, Calif.

    Whistler Olympic Park/Whistler Paralympic Park

    Rocky Bester (venue producer) of Cape Town, South Africa
    Kris Severson (venue producer) of Park City, Utah
    Johan Thoren (venue producer) of Falun, Sweden
    Nicole McKay (associate venue producer/biathlon) of Squamish, BC
    Kerry Hittinger (associate venue producer/cross-country skiing) of
    Vancouver, BC
    Christie Dilloway (associate venue producer) of Park City, Utah
    Mark Perez (field producer) of New York, NY, and Los Angeles, Calif.
    Kutcher Miller (field producer) of Carbondale, Colo.
    Chad Salmela (announcer/Paralympic Winter Games) of Duluth, Minn.
    Chris Hastings (announcer/ski jumping) of Norwich, Vt.
    Christophe Savessand (French announcer/biathlon) of La Chenat, France
    Jean Seguin (French announcer/ski jumping) of Gatineau, QC
    Jens Zimmermann (announcer/cross-country skiing and biathlon) of
    Filderstadt, Germany
    Kjell-Erik Kristiansen (announcer/biathlon) of Pennala, Finland
    Peter Graves (host announcer/cross-country skiing) of Bennington, Vt.
    Randy Ferguson (French announcer/cross-country skiing) of Lachine, QC
    Mike Dawson (music director-DJ/ski jumping) of Playa Del Rey, Calif.
    Troy Gimbel (music director-DJ/all sports) of Surrey, BC
    Robert Powers (field talent/all sports) of Clark, Colo.
    Steve Hainsworth (field talent/all sports) of Squamish, BC

    The Whistler Sliding Centre

    Peggy Katz (venue producer) of Chicago, Ill.
    Bettina Bigelow (associate venue producer) of Steamboat Springs, Colo.
    W. Robert (Fluffy) Millar (field producer) of Burnaby, BC
    Carl Roepke (announcer/luge and bobsleigh) of Kamas, Utah
    Dominique Clement (French announcer/all sliding sports) of Newburyport,
    Mass.
    Terry Kent (announcer/bobsleigh and skeleton) of Lake Placid, NY
    Scott (DJ Vinyl Ritchie) Arkwell (music director/DJ, all sliding sports)
    of Vancouver and Whistler, BC
    Richard (Caz) Cazeau (field talent/all sliding sports) of Toronto, ON

    Richmond Olympic Oval

    Katharine Lentini, (venue producer) of New York, NY
    Leah Allinger, (associate venue producer) of West Vancouver, BC
    Heather Salter (field producer) of San Diego, Calif.
    Francois Beaule (French announcer/speed skating) Quebec
    Matt Jordan (announcer/speed skating) of Calgary, AB
    Boone Rogers (music director/speed skating) San Diego, Calif.
    Cynthia Block (field talent/speed skating) of Saskatoon, SK

    UBC Thunderbird Arena (also known as the Doug Mitchell Thunderbird Sports
    Centre)

    Steve Maroni (venue producer/women's ice hockey) of San Jose, Calif.
    Matt Coy (venue producer/ice sledge hockey) of Cupertino, Calif.
    Cassandra Clark (associate venue producer/ice sledge hockey) of Glendale,
    Ariz.
    Jennifer Graham (field producer/ice sledge hockey) of Vancouver, BC
    Jean-Philippe Bertrand (French announcer/women's ice hockey and ice
    sledge hockey) of Montreal, QC
    Stuart Schwartz (announcer/ice sledge hockey) of Ottawa, ON
    Sean Bovelsky (music director/women's ice hockey and ice sledge hockey)
    of Lithia, Fla.
    Lindsay Kiloh (field talent/women's ice hockey and ice sledge hockey) of
    North Vancouver, BC
    Rob Snoek ("PUCK" Radio announcer) of Hampton, ON

    Vancouver Olympic Centre/Vancouver Paralympic Centre

    Kelly Brown (venue producer) of Calgary, AB
    Cindy Gilles (associate venue producer) of Calgary, AB
    Monique LaCoste (French announcer/curling and wheelchair curling) of
    Winnipeg, MB
    Russell Peake (announcer/curling and wheelchair curling) of Calgary, AB
    Luke Coley ("HACK" radio host and producer) of Edmonton, AB
    Trevor Steele (music director/curling and wheelchair curling) of Burnaby,
    BC
    Don Westphal ("HACK" radio commentator) of Gatineau, QC
    Joan McCusker ("HACK" radio commentator) of Regina, SK
    Jackie Rae Greening (radio headset announcer/curling) of St. Albert, AB
    

Note to Photo Editors:

High resolution images of the sport product team training in Vancouver are attached with this release, as well available at the media centre image gallery at http://www.vancouver2010.com/more-2010-information/media-centre/image-gallery/event-photos/event-photos_144050sl.html.

About VANOC

VANOC is responsible for the planning, organizing, financing and staging of the XXI Olympic Winter Games and the X Paralympic Winter Games in 2010. The 2010 Olympic Winter Games will be staged in Vancouver and Whistler from February 12 to 28, 2010. Vancouver and Whistler will host the Paralympic Winter Games from March 12 to 21, 2010. Visit www.vancouver2010.com.

/NOTE TO PHOTO EDITORS: A photo accompanying this release is available at http://photos.newswire.ca. Images are free to accredited members of the media/

For further information: Media Contact: VANOC Communications, Tel: [phone], E-mail: [email protected]