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The Reno/Tahoe 2022 winter bid


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And speaking of "small-time hucksters," per their webpage http://renotahoewintergames.org/index.php , here's a history of the Reno-Tahoe Area's Olympic efforts. I guess "small-time hucksters" for 50 years+ indeed!! :blink:

The Reno-Tahoe region has been involved in a number of bid efforts including the 1955 bid developed by Alex Cushing of Squaw Valley USA, a bid that resulted in Squaw Valley hosting the 1960 Winter Olympic Games. The award was considered a major upset defeating Innsbruck, Austria in one of the closest votes in IOC history. For the first time since 1932, an Olympic Winter Games was to be staged in the United States. The Reno-Tahoe Olympic legacy had begun.

Fifty years later, the legacy of those Squaw Valley Games still burns brightly throughout our region and the international Olympic community. Numerous celebrations are taking place throughout this winter season to commemorate one of the most intimate and successful Winter games in history.

Ensuing Reno-Tahoe Olympic Winter Games bid efforts began in the 1980's with the development of the Reno Tahoe Winter Games Organizing Committee, Inc. Incorporated as a Nevada non-profit corporation by Bruce Bogaert, a Nevada assemblyman, and Brad Littlefield, a South Lake Tahoe casino executive, the RTWGOC spearheaded the efforts to build a regional interest in returning the Olympics to the Sierras. During the same period of time, Bogaert wrote the enabling legislation to establish the Nevada Commission on Sports, incorporating the mandates of a governor's council on physical fitness and sports and a statewide sport tourism commission. The Nevada Commission on Sports was officially established as a state commission in the legislative session of 1989.

Going up against the formidable and omnipresent efforts of Salt Lake City, and the upstart efforts of Anchorage, Reno was defeated for the U.S. Candidate City designation in both 1987 and 1989 with Anchorage getting the nod. Reno-Tahoe stayed in the Olympic Winter bid competition in the early 1990’s. That effort was led by Dick Reynolds, a Vice President and Investment Officer at Wachovia Securities. Enlisting a veritable who's who of Reno businesspeople and government officials, Reynolds had built a team capable of taking Reno-Tahoe to the Bid City level. Unfortunately, the efforts to win the U.S. Candidate City designation fell short when the USOC chose Salt Lake City over both Anchorage and Reno for both 1998 and 2002.

In 1999, Jim Vanden Heuvel, Al Kramer and David Youngberg met with Nevada's newly elected governor Kenny Guinn in an effort to reactivate the Nevada Commission on Sports. Guinn made new appointments to the NCOS in 2000 and discussions ensued concerning a new bid effort supported by the NCOS. In 2001, the Reno Tahoe Winter Games Coalition was established as a separate non-profit corporation spearheading the bid efforts independent of - but with the full support of - the NCOS. The Reno Tahoe Winter Games Coalition is the current organization responsible for developing the bid strategy and the support team capable of effectively competing for a 2022 Winter Olympic Games award. Nevada Lieutenant Governor Brian K. Krolicki is the chairman of a board consisting of public and private sector community leaders representing both California and Nevada. After Vanden Heuvel’s untimely passing in March of 2008, Jon Killoran was appointed the new Chief executive Officer of the coalition. He handles day-to-day operations and is a thirty year Reno resident, spending most of that time as a broadcast television executive in Reno.

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  • 3 weeks later...
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Reno could definitely use the economic boost. I can't believe how many hotels closed down within the last 10 years there. I miss the Sundowner, that was the place to go for strong drink. :lol: The latest to shut down was the Fitzgerald's in Nov '08. The town's lookin' a little like a ghosttown these days.

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Just curious, which ski area or areas would host the alpine events? Mt. Rose? Heavenly? Diamond Peak? Or would some of the events be on some of the hills on the California side? A Squaw Valley repeat?

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Just curious, which ski area or areas would host the alpine events? Mt. Rose? Heavenly? Diamond Peak? Or would some of the events be on some of the hills on the California side? A Squaw Valley repeat?

With an embarrassment of riches I'd imagine it'd be split up. Snowboarding and alpine skiing would probably be at different sites.

Such a glamorous venue.... I guess it doesn't really matter, though.

Sarcasm?

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I hope nothing is at Hevenly, although gunbarel would make and increadible bump run facing the lake. I'd love to see somthing at Kirkwood but it's too far, Squaw would be required (I hope), I love boarding at Alpine and Sierra. Mt Rose is not my favorite but might be in a good spot.

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I sorta don't think the US should bid for many many years, but I will support any US city and Reno could benefit big from the development. This region is probably the 2nd all around best ski region in the US. Salt Lake is 1st, I guess Denver would be 3rd due to distances from airport/city to hills, plus Denver is Way more expensive to get in and out.

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I hope nothing is at Hevenly, although gunbarel would make and increadible bump run facing the lake. I'd love to see somthing at Kirkwood but it's too far, Squaw would be required (I hope), I love boarding at Alpine and Sierra. Mt Rose is not my favorite but might be in a good spot.

I guess Nordic events could be held at Royal Gorge. So many trails there, got lost there once :lol::rolleyes: . The big question is, which casino would be voted best for sports betting? ;):P

Just don't hang around at 2:00 am at the Cal Neva playing slots or a guy will aproach you with an offer to buy a watch... <_<:rolleyes:

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With the hotel closures and conversion to condos in the downtown core, maybe they could use the Mustang Ranch if there's a room and board shortage. :P:lol:

I'm gonna guess that an athletes' village would be built at the University and serve as dorm rooms after the games, or would they go for something different?

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I'm gonna guess that an athletes' village would be built at the University and serve as dorm rooms after the games, or would they go for something different?

That sounds like the most logical plan for the Village. It shows there are presently 2,094 dorm spaces. So probably upgrade those and build for 1,800 more.

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  • 4 weeks later...

I totally agree. I think the best case scenario would be for the U.S. to lie low until 2028. I doubt it's going to happen though....

I agree in principle. The US certainly isn't entitled to another Olympic Games anytime soon. I understand there has been some friction between the USOC and the IOC recently. That aside, the US has hosted the most Olympiads of any nation. And in the past 30 years, the US has hosted four times. Only Canada has hosted more than one Olympics in that same time frame.

A Reno/Tahoe bid would be interesting. But the bid would have to probably be condensed to a single place name - say just Reno or Just Lake Tahoe - the IOC doesn't seem to like hyphenated bid names. Does Reno have the rep to pull off a bid?

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I agree in principle. The US certainly isn't entitled to another Olympic Games anytime soon. I understand there has been some friction between the USOC and the IOC recently. That aside, the US has hosted the most Olympiads of any nation. And in the past 30 years, the US has hosted four times. Only Canada has hosted more than one Olympics in that same time frame.

A Reno/Tahoe bid would be interesting. But the bid would have to probably be condensed to a single place name - say just Reno or Just Lake Tahoe - the IOC doesn't seem to like hyphenated bid names. Does Reno have the rep to pull off a bid?

All the questions you raise have been quite thoroughly discussed in other threads -- most notably "What Next USA?"

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Hmm...unless the IOC still hates us by 2015, this bid can definitely be a pretty good contender. Lake Tahoe has plenty of adequate venues and experience in their hands and while though Reno is not the best of U.S. cities, especially when compared to Vegas, but the games can give Reno a better image and development.

Personally, living in California, this is the most likely of the four potential bids that i can go to these games in person pending that i still live here by then, that i have enough money for tickets by the time (and possibly as well as a World Cup game or two if the U.S. gets it) and of course if the IOC and the USOC have solved their issues by the election and all.

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Here's a clip from the 50th anniversary pre-celebrations at Squaw last January.

http://www.youtube.com/watch#!v=k3RFWze-VJ0&feature=related (that Google ad is placed very oddly.)

Damn, I missed it!!

That would've been a neat event to see. I've been to Squaw Valley and walked around the village but haven't skied there yet.

Calgary put on a good 20th anniversary celebration two years ago. They had a bunch of the athletes back including the Jamaicans and Eddie the Eagle.

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That would've been a neat event to see. I've been to Squaw Valley and walked around the village but haven't skied there yet.

Lovely place, Squaw and the whole Tahoe region. And I hav skied there! (the only winter games site I've actually hit the slopes on).

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