At the age of 10, I attended those 1960 Winter Olympics with my mom. I had suffered a broken jaw in a car accident 2 months earlier and had my jaw wired shut, but since we already had our tickets we went ahead and attended. We weren’t wealthy so we had to rough it a bit to make it happen, but I still remember the experience. Since we lived in western Nevada County (Grass Valley,) we drove to Colfax and caught a train in the middle of the night to Truckee. There we joined a throng of others who, like us, had no accommodations and had to sleep on the floor in the lobby of the old Truckee Hotel for what remained of that night. Not long after daybreak, a bus arrived to take us over to Squaw Valley. We had tickets to get into the grounds, but none for specific events, so we took in what we could from the “cheap seats,” including some alpine skiing, an early round competition in ice hockey between teams representing two foreign countries I can no longer identify, and a lot of the ski jumping competition. We also climbed up a snowbank to peer into the ice-skating arena and got a look at several skaters practicing for their upcoming events. I also remember trying to warm up my frozen hands at the lodge and drinking a few cups of what seemed like the best hot chocolate I’ve ever had. A wonderful experience at the time, creating lasting memories and renewed interest every 4 years when another Winter Olympics rolls around.
My parents were there, before I was born. They only saw a couple of events, but many years later we went up to the Olympic Village and my dad showed me where some of the events were held. It's still a cool place to visit to this day, seeing the Olympic Rings, the eternal flame, and the village where the athletes stayed. It still looks a little like it did back then.
And only fifteen hours to boot. CBS carried just fifteen minutes a night most weeknights after the 11 P.M. local news. There were just two and a half hours in prime-time (30 minutes on the first night to show a tape of the opening ceremonies that had taken place a few hours earlier; an hour for the long program in men's figure skating and an hour for the long program in women's figure skating). The remaining eleven and a half hours of coverage was on the two weekends: Two and a half hours on each of the two Saturdays of the Olympiad and three hours of coverage on each of the two Sundays the Games were underway. I've also heard, but don't know if it's true, that CBS made a last minute change to their Olympic coverage schedule for the final day of the Games (Sunday, February 28th, 1960) and that instead of a three hour broadcast from 2 to 5 P.M. EST, the network instead carried Olympic coverage from 11 A.M. to 1:30 P.M. and again from 4:30 to 5 P.M. EST, supposedly to allow the final U.S.men's hockey game against Czechoslovakia to air live (starting at 11:05 A.M. EST) since a U.S.victory in that game would mean the gold medal (which they got). I suspect there may be at least one day during next February's (2022) Winter Olympics where NBC may carry at least 15 hours of coverage on their broadcast network in a single day!
I remember watching Olympic skiing in the late 60s early 70s. There was a commentator who was at most of the games and there was a saying that I’m trying to remember. Does anyone know?
I'm pretty sure that Lowell Thomas narrated this film. I do know he was a recreational skier; didn't he also serve as a commentator on alpine skiing on CBS's broadcast of the 1960 Winter Olympics?
Should have had Bobsleigh and sliding track, organizers refused because of only nine teams expressed willingness to compete ,could that have due to logistic difficulties on their part ? (due to remote location?) organizers and IOC should have compensated the teams so they can compete, Squaw valley claims pride, but was VERY POOR to achieve the first winter Olympics NOT to hold Sliding sports.
At the age of 10, I attended those 1960 Winter Olympics with my mom. I had suffered a broken jaw in a car accident 2 months earlier and had my jaw wired shut, but since we already had our tickets we went ahead and attended. We weren’t wealthy so we had to rough it a bit to make it happen, but I still remember the experience. Since we lived in western Nevada County (Grass Valley,) we drove to Colfax and caught a train in the middle of the night to Truckee. There we joined a throng of others who, like us, had no accommodations and had to sleep on the floor in the lobby of the old Truckee Hotel for what remained of that night. Not long after daybreak, a bus arrived to take us over to Squaw Valley. We had tickets to get into the grounds, but none for specific events, so we took in what we could from the “cheap seats,” including some alpine skiing, an early round competition in ice hockey between teams representing two foreign countries I can no longer identify, and a lot of the ski jumping competition. We also climbed up a snowbank to peer into the ice-skating arena and got a look at several skaters practicing for their upcoming events. I also remember trying to warm up my frozen hands at the lodge and drinking a few cups of what seemed like the best hot chocolate I’ve ever had. A wonderful experience at the time, creating lasting memories and renewed interest every 4 years when another Winter Olympics rolls around.
Squaw Vally right now looks exactly the same at Squaw Valley in 1960. Did they changed anything?
@@thegolderlock it has gone through some remodeling but the mountain looks the same and it's called palisades tahoe now.
The FIRST "Miracle On Ice"..... and arguably a bigger miracle than the more famous 1980 U.S.men's hockey team.
My parents were there, before I was born. They only saw a couple of events, but many years later we went up to the Olympic Village and my dad showed me where some of the events were held. It's still a cool place to visit to this day, seeing the Olympic Rings, the eternal flame, and the village where the athletes stayed. It still looks a little like it did back then.
I wish to thank you for sharing this awesome Historical video with me .
FYI, relative to the on-screen comment about instant replay, it was CBS (not NBC) that covered the 1960 Olympics and was involved in that innovation.
And only fifteen hours to boot.
CBS carried just fifteen minutes a night most weeknights after the 11 P.M. local news.
There were just two and a half hours in prime-time (30 minutes on the first night to show a tape of the opening ceremonies that had taken place a few hours earlier; an hour for the long program in men's figure skating and an hour for the long program in women's figure skating).
The remaining eleven and a half hours of coverage was on the two weekends: Two and a half hours on each of the two Saturdays of the Olympiad and three hours of coverage on each of the two Sundays the Games were underway.
I've also heard, but don't know if it's true, that CBS made a last minute change to their Olympic coverage schedule for the final day of the Games (Sunday, February 28th, 1960) and that instead of a three hour broadcast from 2 to 5 P.M. EST, the network instead carried Olympic coverage from 11 A.M. to 1:30 P.M. and again from 4:30 to 5 P.M. EST, supposedly to allow the final U.S.men's hockey game against Czechoslovakia to air live (starting at 11:05 A.M. EST) since a U.S.victory in that game would mean the gold medal (which they got).
I suspect there may be at least one day during next February's (2022) Winter Olympics where NBC may carry at least 15 hours of coverage on their broadcast network in a single day!
1:56 NBC didn't broadcast the games. CBS did.
Great video - would have loved to see the Athletes Olympic Village!
what a games
I remember watching Olympic skiing in the late 60s early 70s. There was a commentator who was at most of the games and there was a saying that I’m trying to remember. Does anyone know?
I'm pretty sure that Lowell Thomas narrated this film.
I do know he was a recreational skier; didn't he also serve as a commentator on alpine skiing on CBS's broadcast of the 1960 Winter Olympics?
Very cool.
I live near squaw valley
Where trukee or like Nevada city
They didn't have a bobsled event at this Olympics.
Should have had Bobsleigh and sliding track, organizers refused because of only nine teams expressed willingness to compete ,could that have due to logistic difficulties on their part ? (due to remote location?) organizers and IOC should have compensated the teams so they can compete, Squaw valley claims pride, but was VERY POOR to achieve the first winter Olympics NOT to hold Sliding sports.
yougoslavia
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