Ice. The Equalizer.

There is one underlying force in this world which is the great equalizer. No matter how cool you are, how adroit you may be, how handsome or beautiful, smart, or talented, it has the power to embarrass you, frustrate you, and potentially disable you. 

What is this force?

Ice.

Humans were not meant to function upon it naturally. We are not equipped with spikes, blades, slats, treads, or any other means to travel safely and effectively over ice. Yet since we are curious creatures, we must try. We tried to fly for many many years and eventually figured it out with the help of various devices designed to harness air currents. We really have no business being in water other than perhaps while taking a bath. Yet we persisted in breaching the world of fish by producing scuba gear, diving bells, boats, and submarines. And so it is with skates, skis, boards, crampons, and various rubber compounds that we willingly struggle to navigate ice since we feel we must.

I have come to the conclusion that I enjoy the Winter Olympics more than the summer games but I struggled with the reason. Yes, that's it - ice!

Maybe it's obvious to you, but ice is precisely the single biggest factor that makes the Winter Olympics so compelling. An entire two-week-long (give or take) spectacular circus devoted to sliding. Sliding down a hill, around an oval, over terrain, or in an arena. Sliding, sliding, sliding with varied attempts to either control it or use it.

The Summer Olympics are triumphant with feats that stretch the bounds of human physiology, amazing athletes all taking part in their respective activities on solid non-slippery ground. Ok, except for the water sports, but water itself isn’t much for slipperiness. I don't mean to denigrate the Summer Olympics, but there is a little something lacking in thrill factor. Yes, there’s speed, strength, skill, tactics, artistic interpretation, and drama….but not much in the way of an ever-present feeling that someone’s gonna just totally eat it at full speed.

In the Winter Olympics, you can pretty much guarantee that with every single event, someone will without fail end up sprawled and flailing, skimming across a shimmering frozen surface. It’s a huge risk! It’s dangerous! It's absolutely thrilling! Of course, we never wish to see anyone seriously hurt (or killed, as we sadly witnessed in Vancouver) but it is an undeniable part of our twisted nature to sort of - yes I'll say it - want to see someone fall, or try very hard to avoid it. Admit it - that's what makes all the action. Often in the Winter Olympics, the very difference between winning and losing is not so much who can go the fastest, farthest, or highest, but simply who in the end has avoided face-planting into frosty shame. Ice has no favorites based on nationality, grace, or popularity. Ice doesn't care and it will take anyone down at any time.

Perhaps it is not the desire to see someone fail so much as it is the hope to see them persevere in the face of adversity. Perhaps it is inspiring to witness a competitor falter but live to fight again, and the next time conquer. We love the unlikely hero, the underdog, the one who shows human vulnerability. In one part of the brain it is wildly entertaining to see someone take a digger in spectacular fashion. In a very different part of the brain, we want to give that person a big hug, dust them off and say, "It's ok -- you tried and it's amazing you came this far. Well done."

Thank you, Winter Olympics, for the treacherous, slippery, and speedy journey on ice. I will miss you while you are gone for four long years.