Cool...I will call in a bit, I have a meeting at noon and will look for ya about 1:30pm my time..Thanks Oz

I have been reading this for a few days worrying about working up the courage to ask the hubby. Seeing I can't do the Worlds on Victoria Island this year him and I are in for the olympics.

It's going to be awesome!

ooooh, Deanna is going!!

-Leasure

Leasure,
The trip won't be complete unless your there! Miss you mate!

[ April 21, 2007, 10:09 PM: Message edited by: Deanna ]

DEE-ANN-AHH!!! Buddy!!! Is it true? Are you really going? No moose poop? Susan will love this!

[ April 21, 2007, 10:14 PM: Message edited by: Oz ]

Sounds like we are a go Bob. Looking soooo forward to seeing you and Susan again. It's going to be so cool watching the event unfold. This is what we dreamed about and I'm excited to be a part of it.

Miss you guys! Does anyone have the counter going yet? Tell Susan I said thank you so much for checking on the hotels and such. I am psyched.

No moose poop! I was planning on going to Az for the BBQ. Had the tickets and everything. Than I ran into some hard times with my father and father in law passing away within a week of eachother. It was crazy and I had to cancel. I was so looking forward to seeing everyone. You can bet I am NOT passing up this opportunity!

[ April 22, 2007, 01:16 AM: Message edited by: Deanna ]

SUMMARY OF THE BEST BEIJING HOTELS FOR THE OLYMPICS

The WANGFUJING HOTEL is a 5-star hotel. It costs 149 US Dollars per night for a standard room for two people during the Olympics IF YOU MAKE YOUR RESERVATION THROUGH THE ASIAROOMS WEBSITE. The hotel is located on Wangfujing Street, which is a famous shopping area in Beijing. It is about a half-mile walk to Tianamen Square and the Forbidden City from this hotel. Tianamen Square is the center of Beijing. The photograph of a standard room looks like a good room at a good Best Western Hotel in the US. The price of the room includes all taxes and service charges, but does not include breakfast. There are many reviews of this hotel and they are quite good generally .

The SCITECH HOTEL is a 4-star hotel. It costs 121 US Dollars per night for a standard room for two people during the Olympics if you reserve through the Asiarooms website. This includes taxes and service charges, but does not include breakfast. This hotel is considerably closer to Tianamen Square than is the WANFUJING HOTEL and maybe a ten-minute walk to Wangfujing Street. We found many reviews of this hotel and they are even better than the reviews of the WANGFUJING. A standard room appears in the photo to be about the same size and quality as a standard room at the WANGFUJING.

The XIXI FRIENDSHIP HOTEL is a 4-star hotel. The price per day during the Olympics for a standard room, using the Asiarooms website, is 107 US Dollars, including all taxes and service charges, and INCLUDING breakfast (breakfast at the WANGFUJING costs about $20 per person). The XIXI is about a mile-and-a-half from the Forbidden City and about a mile from Wangfujing Street. A standard room in the XIXI appears to be considerably larger than the two previous hotels and contains a couch/chair/coffee table sitting area. We found only two reviews for this hotel, but both were excellent. The hotel was built in 2004, so is essentially brand new.

The best website we have found for comparing hotels in Beijing, and the one we used for the above hotels, is: www.asiarooms.com/china/beijing.html

A few additional notes:

If you reserve a room using the above website, you will pay MUCH less than if you approach the hotel directly. In one case, the hotel charged THREE TIMES what Asiarooms charged. Also, taxes and service charges are included when you reserve a room through Asiarooms, but are added on if you go directly to a hotel.

Through Asiarooms, when your reservation is confirmed, the full cost of your room is deducted from your credit card. This means if the room is reserved for ten days and the total cost is $1000, that is the amount your credit card is charged.

If I understand the cancellation policy correctly, if you cancel more than seven days before your reservation, you will be charged a $15 cancellation fee and your money refunded. If you cancel within seven days, you will be charged the room rate for one night.

Susan and I will probably make our reservation next week, after we select the events we want to see, and figure out how many days we are going to spend in Beijing.

I'm working on my permission slip right now. I did not have the patience to read the whole thread. I made it to page 4. How many are going now?

Bob - Per your request, here is my $.02:

I'd go for the 5 Star and live a little if Breakfast is included. Add the $20 per day Breakfast charge and you are there.

Most of these hotels have a very extensive buffet with plently of eggs, rice, breads, meats - Things you are used to. It's not like there is a McDonalds everyhwere, so starting out full on food you know you can eat is good.

Plus 5 star likely has a good workout room. Get a run in (while watching CNN) when you can't sleep. Certainly a good chance they will have other services like arranging for a shuttle the the Great Wall as well.

Not a place you will go back to often, so enjoy it.

Thanks Ben. Aren't you in Belgium or somewhere like that?

"Not a place you are going back to often, so enjoy it."

Very good point.

I'm about 10 min's from leaving the office and setting down at a cafe with nice Leffe Blond beer!

Belgium has wonderful weather this week.

I have not had time to read all of this thread, but the architectural firm I work for is currently doing work in China and my boss just got back from there on Sunday. I asked how the trip was and mentioned that he was heading back over around olympic time I wanted to go.

Much to my surprise he is already making arrangments to get tickets for the Olympics through his China connections and there is a slim chance that I will be in attendance. Now I have to start saving my cash, so please buy lots of number plates from me, LOL.

What an opportunity if it falls my way. Hope to see you guys there.

Here is a quick, oversimplified, comparison of flight costs to Beijing...These are all United Arilines flights, all leaving from Bozeman, MT, all requiring three hops, and the price is for one person. Flights from LAX or SFO would be considerably less.

Economy, round-trip, non-upgradable: $1,000.
Economy, round-trip, upgradable: $2,000*.
Business class, round-trip: $8,000!!!

*If you pay the extra $1,000 for an Economy seat with the intention of upgrading with United Air-Miles, they charge you 30,000 Air-Miles each way, 60,000 total, per person!!!

More and more I'm coming to believe that United Air-Miles are a rip!

I need help with buying Olympic event tickets.

The International Olympic Committee has allowed a very unfair situation to occur relative to Olympic event ticket sales.

First, tickets to the various events are ALREADY on sale in China. But ONLY in China and ONLY to Chinese residents. The reason given for this is that China wants a large Chinese attendance at the Olympics. It has been stated in the press that 75 percent of the tickets to Olympic events will be sold in China.

My complaint here is that the International Olympic Committee is responsible for insuring that this most international of events is properly conducted. Allowing China to sell 75 percent of the tickets to Chinese nationals well before any other nation has a chance to buy tickets, is an absolute contradiction to the 'internationalness' of the event. The Olympic Committee should not be allowing this discrimination to occur.

Another complaint involves the entities that are authorized to sell the 25 percent remaining event tickets throughout the rest of the world. First, these tickets do not go on sale until well after the Chinese are through buying tickets. Secondly, these entities promote packages that usually include a hotel for 5 nights, transportation to and from events, maybe a few meals, and GUARANTEED event tickets. The cost for one of these packages is usually over $10,000 per person, double occupancy. That's over $20,000 for a couple for five or six days in a city where 4- and 5-star hotels can easily be found for $100 to $150 per night, and tickets to the various events average roughly $30 each. Add it up.

AFTER these entities sell their pricey packages, any remaining tickets are sold on a lottery basis...you request certain tickets, wait until late in 2007, and then, if your name happens to be drawn for a certain event, you get that ticket. And, of course, if your name is not drawn, you do not get the ticket.

These companies are being allowed by the International Olympic Committee to, in effect, extort huge sums of money from people who want to attend the Olympics and are willing to pay these outrageous amounts to be sure they get tickets to their selected events.

So first the Chinese get 75 percent of the tickets, then the people who are willing to pay gross amounts of money for the 'Olympic packages' get probably another 15 to 20 percent of the tickets, then the remaining 5 to 10 percent of the tickets have to be sold to the rest of the world by way of lottery because there are far more people who want to buy tickets than there are tickets remaining to sell.

So, if you are Chinese or very rich, you're in. And if you are neither, or object to being extorted, you are left to scrabble over the few remaining tickets.

The Olympics are supposed to be first and formost an international event. I believe the International Olympic Committee is doing a great disservice to the Olympics by allowing these inequities in ticket sales to exist.

This is why I need help. So far I have been unable to find a way around this unfairness. Does anybody here have any ideas that will help? Or does anybody want to join in on researching a better way to buy tickets?

Is there a Chineese Ebay?

Oz,

Carolyn and I are asking some acquaintances in China to see if they can round up the tickets for the specific events VBMXer's would like to see. If I can get that going then I see that being the best way as of now. Waiting to hear back if they feel comfortable doing that or not?

J.T.

I'm going to rename this thread. I'm going to call it:

IS ANYBODY HERE GOING TO SLEEP?

Think about it. You'll figure it out.

Sorry OZ

Save the money. I'll just throw a big party at my house and everone is invited.

I did that at the end of last year! Are you sure?

Zzzzzzzzzzzzz...

LOL Oz...Im waiting to hear from these people, just sent another e mail...I will let you know what I hear..Anyone else on board?

I think everybody else is snoozin', Greg.

Oz,
I was just talking to Charles Townsend about the olympics today. He has asked Grant White about tickets and I will keep bugging him to see if he turned up anything.

My brother in law is a higher up at Visa and they always get a huge amount of tickets for events like the olympics. I know we don't have any trouble getting Rugby World Cup Tickets and Superbowl tickets. I'll see what he can find out for me it may be a few weeks as his mind is on his first child born the other night. I'm a new Aunt!

I'll let you know what I find out.

Zzzzzzz

Oz,
Sorry I haven't been able to get back with you sooner. My wife and I have been trying to figure out a way for us to make the trip with you. We do not have enough "extra" money to do something as big as this trip right now.
I really hoped we could make it work, but with two small kids everything added up too quickly.
I know that this is a once in a lifetime trip;and to be able to travel with you and all of my heros from BITD would be incredible.
I hope you will continue to keep everyone updated on how your plans are coming together.
Thank you for the invitation.
Bryan Franklin

Oz -

Did you get that e mail from my brother last week? They USOC is aware about us wanting to trek out to the #08 Olympics. To see the inaugural event..

Eddy King

I forwarded to JJ to give to you.

Eddy,

Yes...thanks, J.J. forwarded it. I called Mike on Monday of this week and left a message. He hasn't called back yet...

...Well, that was five minutes ago. Mike just called and he's hooking me up with Steve Johnson of USA Cycling, who has been to the Olympics a few times. Should be able to get some good information.

I forgot to mention a very interesting thing that Mike King (I keep wanting to call him 'Mikey') told me. According to him, a fair amount of attention is going to be paid to BMX by the U.S. network (NBC?) that will be covering the Olympics. Olympic BMX is scheduled to air during prime time TV on the West Coast.

Very cool, huh?

OZ

Would Mike have any contact information I can use for someone at NBC.

I still think that would be the best way for some of you to get to the races.

Gary

He might very well. Mikey (I like that better) was well informed about things BMX and Olympic, and related TV.

OZ -

You can always refer to him as "Mikey". Some things never change....

EK

A problem of being a 12 year old superstar and the younger brother of another superstar, especially at a time when one of the more popular commercials on TV was, "Give it to Mikey...He'll try anything."

Mikey, Mikey, Mikey. I like it.

Eddy

Considering OZ's comments above I would like to get in touch with Mikey. Would you forward my # to him and ask him to give me a call when he has time.

I have been asked to put the word out to the media that some key historical riders would be available in the event any media chooses to show the Historical side of the sport now in the games. I have had some luck but a few other avenues would be great.

It would be a great way for some like Stu, Greg, OZ and yourself to be connected to the Biggest thing that has happend in the Sport since you guys started this whole thing.

GRH

Stu still has hours of 1970's Footage only scene by a very limited group of people. Maybe he needs to put together 1 hour of good stuff and release a Raw DVD next year. "BMX Before the Games"

I've been busy the last couple of weeks but my wife and I would still very much like to go if there is a way to guarantee BMX tickets. I have a few connections in China from sewing factories I've used over the years, which is the other half of why I want to go. If it comes to it I might be good for rounding up a few pairs from China. But with only 4000 seats and being one of the cheaper venues if they're already selling it seems like if it isn't already too late it will be real soon.

Each Olympic ticket sold contains a digital chip which identifies the purchaser and prevents resale. Tickets will be scanned at the events. 75 percent of the tickets sold to Olympic events will be sold in China, to proven residents of China and nobody else. Tickets are on sale NOW in China. Tickets will not be sold to the rest of the world until November of 2007.

It seems to me that the INTERNATIONAL Olympics, which are governed by the INTERNATIONAL Olympic Committee, have lost their INTERNATIONALNESS.

P.S. I SINCERELY hope I learn something soon that contradicts what I just posted. Because what I just posted is unconscionable.

You guys need to get some VIP tickets..if anyone deserves it..it's you guys..

Would you go if you only had a guaranteed BMX ticket? If I were going I'd like to see some track and field stuff, swimming.. you know the classics too.

sanjosebmx...My understanding is there are no VIP tickets.

I believe the question you posed goes right to the heart of a trip to the Beijing Olympics. Such a high percentage of tickets are being sold to the Chinese that the tickets available to the rest of the world will be monstrously over-subscribed, necessitating lotteries. In the United States, the ticket lotteries will not occur until November or December of this year.

You mentioned track-and-field and swimming. They are both very popular events. All things considered, what do you think the chances are of getting one of those tickets? From what I hear (from Mike King), BMX is also going to be a popular event.

Here is how I am looking at the 2008 Olympics, given everything I have learned so far...

If I am going, I should be booking hotels and flights right now. Most airline tickets are non-refundable and hotels in China charge a penalty if you cancel. Add to this 22 hours in airports and airplanes getting to Beijing.

United Airlines charges more than double the economy fare for an 'upgradeable' ticket, and then 30,000 air miles each way per person to upgrade. (Picture 22 hours in an economy seat each way.)

So, you make your airline and hotel reservations, put your name in for whatever events you would like to see (BMX for sure), and wait until the end of the year. It is conceivable that you will get no tickets at all, or a ticket or two to something, but no BMX tickets, or BMX tickets but nothing else.

This is not a situation I am finding attractive at the moment.

that sure doesn't sound fair, just think if the USA did that..what an uproar that would cause.


sorry..tickets for AMERICANS only..

hmm