Talk Without Speaking

In an effort to be a better Canadian, I am actually paying attention to the hockey playoffs this year. As a non-sport watcher I actually do enjoy watching the playoffs of (insert sport here) and the fact that this is Vancouver that I’m cheering for here just makes it that much more interesting.

So, as Ryan and i were skiing at Whistler on Sunday we decided to play a game. We would ask as many people as possible what time the game started tonight and evaluate as follows:

(+1) - knows what time the game starts
(-1) - does not know what time the game starts
(-5) - responses like, “What game?” or “There’s a game tonight?”
(+5) - someone asks US what time the game starts

At first we decided that we would take turns asking whoever was in the chair/gondola with us. As the day progressed we grew more bold and started asking pretty much everyone we could find, the lifties, skiers below us as we lifted up, Ryan even yelled the question off into the snowy forest (no answer was forthcoming).

We also decided we could adjust people’s score based on their confidence. Therefore a more assertive, definitive answer was worth more than a less confident guess-like answer.

The times that were given to us were, 4:00, 6:00, 6:30, 7:00 and 7:30.

Final tally? -8 (!!)

Conclusion? People skiing Easter Sunday @ Whistler don’t care about hockey.

Now I should point out that we found it very difficult to pose our question to any, *actual*, Canadians. If you’ve been to Whistler you know that everyone who works there is Australian. Chair and gondola sharers were Germans (I had to work up some nerve to ask them), Australians, Danes, and a very nice Belgian fellow who apologized for not knowing anything about “American” sport. Ryan was going to ask the couple who seemed to be working towards a high-altitude divorce at the Horstman’s Hut at the summit of Blackcomb Mtn but decided that it was best not to interfere and I think he made the right choice.

After all was said and done, those who answered with the most confidence said 4:00 (which was the time the game was on). After a needed post-ski nap I managed to pick up halfway through the 2nd period at the UBC ski lodge (awesome place!) where the Canucks ended up holding on to win 4-3.