Sting Take Europe Day 11

Day 11 is the trip home.  Finally.  It has been a great trip with many new friends and memories - but it is time to return to our own beds and families.


We had an early start to the day with breakfast at the Frankfurt hotel at 0600.  After breakfast a short shuttle bus ride to the airport, we were early and ready for any delays.  After our first experience at the Frankfurt airport - everyone was unsure what would happen this time.  Especially with it being a holiday.  As it turned out, there was nothing to worry about.  Everything went very smoothly and we were through security and waiting at our terminal with lots of time to relax, grab a coffee or shop.


The flight home was also uneventful.  Virtually no turbulance, and we arrived in Calgary on time - after the nine hour flight.  The trip through Canadian customs also went quickly.  There were no line ups and everyone proceeded through after answering the usual questions.  Even all of our baggage arrived on time. It could not have worked better.  Once we were at the airport doors, everyone quickly divided up their ringette gear that was packed in the team bags - and we said our goodbyes.  We all sperated, stretched their legs, took a long deep breath of prairie air and headed home on highway 2.


It is good to be home.  Safely!


This trip went perfectly without any major concerns or problems.  The only hiccup was loosing Meaghan Karas to injury early in the tournament, but together with Meagan Gabert they were a huge part of our success on the bench.  Thanks for the positive energy ladies!


I have spent considerable time on this blog thanking our Finnish hosts, but words cannot express our gratitude for everything that they did for us.  To all of them - a huge heart felt THANK-YOU.  The trip could not have been any better.  Everyone that we met in both Finland and Sweden was terrific and supportive.

• Thanks again to Jessica Kantee for initially getting us in touch with the Nurmijarvi program.  
• To Rob Corrigan for directing us to the Hotel Glo, and all of the Finnish travel advise - thanks.  
• To coach Greg for all of his usual support and assistance on everything - thanks.  Although most of his work on this trip was behind the scenes and not obvious, Jackie and I know how much he really did - Thanks buddy.
• To our parents for their trust and support.  We floated the idea and your trust in us made it happen.  Thanks.
• To the girls who were, as usual, responsible and respectful in all of their actions - Thanks.  
• To all of our sponsors and those who contributed to our trip - Thanks.  You created memories for two teams of great girls on both sides of the world that will last a lifetime.

Two special HUGE Thanks.

• The first is to Jackie Lunn for her work in lining up the tours, flights, hotels, and everything else that went off without one single glitch.  Though many of these booking she did through her Travel Only agency - everything was volunteered and free.  This included a lot of calls and bookings done overseas, at night on her own tab.  Thanks Jackie - you are the best! 
• The second is to my friend, and Nurmijarvi coach, Jari Kauppinen.  From the first day of planning he did everything he could do to make our experience a positive one.  Since my first conversation with him over two years ago, he was all about the positive ringette and cultural experience that our trip would offer both groups.  He really did see the big picture.  He organized our games.  He and his parents offered up the billeting assignments.  He offered guidance and advise on a million questions that I put to him (as silly as I am sure some of them seemed).  Ironically, he had already been to Canada with his girls two years ago - and he recognized the benefits of that trip.  Though he did not have to - he did work very, very hard to ensure our ladies could benefit as much from their ten days in Europe as he could provide them.  Thanks Jari!

Hopefully we can one day repay the hospitality shown to us by the Finns.  I suspect that whenever any of us watch international competition from now on - we will all be cheering for our new second favorite country in the world.  

My observations for the trip.

• For those that are wondering, the word on the bottom of our black jerseys is Pistääkö.  It is a question.  Roughly translated it means "Can you feel the Sting"
• The food in both Helsinki and Stockholm is awesome.  We had been warned before we left that maybe the food was bland or not to our liking - but I'd be surprised if over the ten days anyone had a complaint.
• Anyone planning a trip abroad should book through Travel Only.
• If on a long flight you are going to select a "thriller" movie, ensure that the flight does not end 10 minutes before the scheduled conclusion to your movie.  Ugh!
• An entire lounge full of Finns are probably all on YouTube watching Grover's "Near and Far" routine and trying to figure out why it is so darned funny.  Silly Canadians!
• Though the Finns and Swedes both told us how long their winters were this year - don't believe them.  It is our experience that both countries generally always bask in near perfect 15 -20 degree weather.
• Once his work visa is approved, Jari Lindstrom is to be named the new Sting Program Equipment Manager and Director of European Relations.
• The atmosphere in our Swedish hotel's bar was very unique and one that our Dads will not soon forget.  Not that there is anything wrong with that..............  

Thanks for following everyone!

C.K.

Sting Take Europe Day 10

Sorry for the delay.  Blogging and international travel sometimes don't work well on a time line.

Day 10 was game day.  Playoffs.  First a semi then a medal game.

The parents were up early for breakfast at the hotel and a quick coffee.  We finally had to check out of our "home away from home" the Helsinki Glo Hotel.  I would suspect that our endorsement of this hotel would be unanimous amongst all of the parents.  Everything from service, the rooms, the location, and the bar were awesome.  Short ride to the rink where we met the girls who had all arrived already with their hosts.

Our first irst game was against the Swedes.  This was a different team than either of those we had seen in Stockholm - so we were not sure what we were getting into.  It was a close game with teams exchanging goals until the Sting finally started to pull away.  Final score was Sting 7 and Sweden 3.  Now we were off to the final against our host team from Nurmijarvi who had won a close semi final against their younger 1996 team.  (Those 96 girls will certainly be a force next season - they are very good).

We had a three (3) hour break between games and everyone went outside to bask in the sun.  It was +21 and felt sooooo good.  Lying on the grass.  The girls again migrated to the closest boys soccer game in the nearby soccer pitch.  The tournament organizers had once again cooked a nice lunch (lasagne this time) and we did a short walk to the community hall to eat.  Our new buddy Jari Lindstrom again sharpened skates at the rink (with Greg's assistance) for the handful of girls who wanted them done before the Gold Medal Final.

Then it was finally game time.  This is what we had looked forward to for a long time.  Not so much the gold final - but an opportunity to play against our friends and hosts.  We knew that both teams were strong, and that regardless of the outcome that it would be a good game.  After warm-up when Coaches Greg, Darcy and I stepped into our locker room - we had a good feeling.  Perhaps something that you have to experience first hand - but the girls were singing together - no stereo and the team energy was very good.  Anyone who has ever coached knows how important this energy can be before a big game.  Song selection was Eminem's "Lose Yourself" - very fitting and darned if the girls didn't nail it.

Then it was game time.  A big crowd and everyone was loud and cheering for both us and the Finns.  It had been a few games, but the national anthems were played prior to the start of the game again.  The girls sang this time, loud and proud, joined by the coaches on the bench and the parents.  It made the hair stand up on your neck being there.  The Finns also sang to their national anthem and though I didn't understand - it was very nice.  Both line-ups were introduced.  The stage was set for a great game.

Sting opened the scoring on a Classic Iron fist.  We had been saving it.  Our girls quickly seized on their momentum and we were up 3-0 early.  There was no way that the Finns were going to give up though, and after a quick goal to make it 3-1, they decided to run with the momentum for a bit and suddenly we had a 3-3 game.  (It was awesome!)  Our girls went ahead to stay making it 5-3.  Teams then exchanged goals, but in the end the Sting won 8-6.  It was a very good game with two very different styles of ringette.  As a coach, I would love to play a best of seven series against that team.  Both teams were very good skaters and passers with strong goaltenders.  The differing styles however would make strategy a key element in a series.  Maybe one day.

After the game it was very, very emotional on the ice.  The teams lined up to shake hands, but it quickly turned into hugs between all of the players.  The Bronze team came on the ice and all three teams were introduced and medals awarded.  Cheyenne Coon was named our team's MVP for the tournament.  Great job all week Chey!  Afterwards the girls all gathered for a big group picture - and then the emotions began to show as the realization hit that we would be leaving very soon.  Girls gravitated to their new friends and many tears flowed.  I am proud to say that although Greg, Darcy and myself also made many new friends - we were brave and did not cry.  I think Jari Lindstrom did though!

After a short goodbye amongst players and parents outside the rink - we were wisked away to the Helsinki airport.  We had to say goodbye to Meaghan Karas' Grandma and Grandpa - Wayne Mary Anne Hovdebo.  They had been with us for the entire trip - but were now off to visit Norway for a couple weeks.  We were all sad to see them leave.

A two hour flight and we were safely in Frankfurt, Germany.  Despite our exhaustion, most everyone wanted to see some of the city, but considering that it was after 9:00 pm on Easter Sunday - there was not an opportunity to see any of Frankfurt.  Outside everything was lush and green, green, green.  It has been quite warm there - mid 20's for weeks and it does feel like summer time.  The flowers and lilac bushes were in bloom and it smelled so nice outside.  Naturally a german beer or two was consumed by the parents, then it was off to bed as we had an early departure in the morning.

My observations for Day 10:

• The Finnish announcers for all of our games have been very good.  Every goal and assist is announced and they do a good job trying to pronounce names.  Suprisingly, Cassidy Lemasurier is the one they seen to pronounce the best.  They also make a point prior the the final minute of each half to say "The final minute of the first (or second) half will be arriving soon".  It is a hoot.
• We would very much like to return the hospitality to the Finns and have them come here one day. The reality is that with girls in High School, cost and distance - such a trip may be difficult.  If any of the Nurmijarvi girls every wish to travel to Western Canada however - we would ensure they had a great trip.
• Sadly, the final game was also our last game as a team.  Next year some of the girls will be elsewhere.  It has been an awesome group
• On a positive note, the special collectors edition third black Sting jerseys are now retired a perfect 7-0 record.  Bitter!  Back to the traditional White and Gold jerseys next season.

C.K.

Sting Take Europe Day 9

Day number nine began with another great complimentary breakfast at the hotel in Helsinki.  The food is very good, with lots of cheese and bread.  Again the coffee is very good here.  The parents then loaded the bus and travelled out to the Tuusula arena to see the girls and get ready for our second game of the tournament.

At the rink, the girls were all happy to see us and again shared stories from their second night with the host Finnish families.  Everyone is still excited and having fun, but starting to look a little tired.  I think the group is unanimous in our love for this country and the friends we have made - but we miss home.  It feels like months that we have been away.

Before we played, our host team had a presentation for us.  They had been in contact with the RingJet stick factory here in Finland, and when the sales rep came today - he brought 20 origional, one of a kind gifts for our girls.  RingJet 500's in custom Sting colours with the Canadian and Finnish flags on them.  They are beautiful.  The company did not have our yellow, but they mixed and created it.  Very, very nice.  The host Finn's generosity never stops.  We are spoiled.

Our first game of the day was against a team from Heinola, Finland.  They had some very good skaters, but our girls were ready and played hard.  It took us a while to get going, but once the ball started to roll.........Final score was Sting 10 and Heinola 1.  We did not have the national anthem today.  Warm up and then we played the game.  The games here are officiated very similar to in Canada, but we have noticed that the goalies can bring the ring back into the crease without a penalty.  They simply loose possession.  Also, after goals, girls here are allowed to raise their sticks in the air.  We won't change the way we do anything - but a couple of interesting observations.  Also, like in Sweden, the player's bench only has one gate - so it is organized chaos at times to change entire lines.  So far so good.

Briefly in the locker room after the game we had a visit from Jessica Kantee.  She is a lady that I met with over two years ago in St. Albert when we begn planning this trip.  At the time she was attending the University of Alberta and playing for the Edmonton WAM.  She is a two time world champion ringette player from here in Finland.  I had spoken with her after we arrived in Helsinki to thank her for her help in the initial stages of planning this trip - and to let her know we are here.  She wanted to come watch a game and was very impressed.  She spoke to the girls briefly in the locker room.  A very, very nice young lady.  We presented her with a special Sting jersey.  It was very emotional.

After our first game, the tournament held both an Allstar game and a skills competition.  CA Sting were well represented in both events.  For the Allstar game - Shenyce  and Cainer represented us on Team Red.  Guse and Kensey represented us on Team Black.  It was a great game and all of our girls played very well.  After the game, each team awarded a player of the game.  Team Red choose Cainer.  Good job girl!!!  Then, each of the eight tournament teams participated in a skills competition (speed).  Three players per team.  They each had to skate a lap with a ring and then give it to their next team mate.  (Three laps in total).  Each winning team moved on and the defeated team was eliminated.  Sting was represented by Cheyenne, Meg Kelly, and Cassidy.  They systematically defeated all of their opponents.  Ya Baby!  All of the Sting team and parents were great supporters and we had the loudest cheers.

We then had a short two hour break and everyone headed outdoors.  It was beautiful and very warm here today.  Not a cloud in the sky.  Many of us gathered on the grass and soaked up the rays.  The girls wasted little time in finding a soccer game of teenage boys to sit and watch.  I think I burnt my head in the sun.

Our second game of the day was against some of our new friends.  It was a great game and very close.  Sting won 4-1 but it was a tight contest.  The games here are running time except for the last two minutes.  That includes injury time.  Their goalie was injured in the second half and they played their second goalie - but it took almost 2:00 off of the clock that helped us.  We need to be careful.  After the game they presnted our girls with a small package of stuff.  We will soon all need extra bagage for all of the gifts from our finnish friends.

The girls then left the rink with their host families for one last night.  Many of the parents returned to the hotel, but some were also off to the host families homes for dinner with their girls.  We are truly being treated like royalty here.  Everyone will be sad to say goodbye to our hosts tomorrow.

My observations for day 9:

• The only photo better than a team picture is a team picture after a mysterious methane gas leak.  Hope everyone is OK.
• Mad, Susan, and Super Hot Sexy Barbara were a great additions to Final 8.  (European rules).
• Keeping the Iron Fist a secret here is tough.  All eyes are watching.  Maybe tomorrow afternoon if we have the opportunity.
• I have never met a Jari I didn't like.  They are all awesome.
• Meagan Gabert and Meahgan Karas are great on the bench.  They love their sisters and though due to injury they can not play - their contributions are huge.  Best half-time talks all year.  Thanks ladies.
• Greg, Darcy and I were actually invited into the girl's team circle today at warm-up and it was awesome.
• Our fans have been loud, proud and totally Canadian.  Great job.  From the boys and Bryn to our Saskatchewan contigent - everyone here knows that Sting is in the house.
• We will be hard pressed to bring home all of our new stuff.  Not the shopping loot, or the Finnish gifts, but the bar glasses Jackie keeps hiding on everyone.  Ugh!  Fuzzy Duck!

C.K.

Sting Take Europe Day 8

Good Friday in Helsinki started with rain for most of the morning.  The temperature was a little cooler than the last few days, but still warm enough for a light jacket.  We are right in the middle of Helsinki - so protected from the wind.  The rain was quite nice actually.  Being the holiday, virtually all of the stores were closed here today.  The girls were all at their host families homes - so it was a relaxing morning.  Parents either went walking to see the quiet downtown area, hit the hotel spa, or simply took it easy and recovered at the hotel for a few hours.

At 3:00 pm we left the hotel on the bus for the trip to Tuusula for the first game.  The girls were already there and had many stories to tell us once we arrived.  Of particular interest was the flying of the Canadian flag outside of the Arena along with the Swedish and Finnish flags.  The hospitality here is amazing!  We are being treated sooooo well.  After talking with the girls, it seems that everyone is enjoying their time with the hosts.

There was a small table set up at the front that sold some Finland and 2010 World Ringette Championships items.  The concession was open and the coffee was very good.  We watched much of the game before us which involved our host team.  They ended up defeating another Finnish team from the Espoo EKS club.  Many of our parents were invited during this game to visit the homes of the host families for supper after we were done playing.

The Sting girls hit the ice against a team one year younger than our own (1996) playing at their home rink at Tuusula at 5:15 pm.  Again, the girls lined up at center ice for the singing of the Canadian and Finnish national anthems.  There were many Canadian flags around the ice surface.  The girls played very well and dominated the younger team from the opening to the closing whistles.  Final score was 13-1 Sting.  Shenyce played very well in net and the only goal scored on her was on a penalty shot.  As big as the goal margin was - the girls continued to work on doing the little things right and did not get lazy as can often happen in a one sided game.  It was nice to see.  The opposing Finnish coach was very respectful and nice.  I'm sure that their team will be very good next season.  The ringette rules here are the same as back home, but seem to be more closely called here.  Unfortunately we spent too much time in the penalty box.  Hopefully that changes before we see some of the stronger teams.

After the game all of the girls returned to their host family's homes.  Some of our parents also went to visit the hosts, and some parents brought the bus back to the hotel.  We have a big day tomorrow with our final two round-robin games.  The first is against a Finnish team from the Heinola Ringette club and the second is againt the younger (1996) club from our host Nurmijarvi Club.  Some of these girls we know and had met in Sweden.

Only a few observations on Day 8:

•  The Finns have been amazing hosts and seem to want to accomidate us with everything.  They have given us a room at the rink to store our equipment rather than carrying it around.  They have organized lunch for the next two days.  And tomorrow morning, one of our new friends Jari Lindstrom of the 1996 Nurmijarvi team will sharpen our skates together with Greg and myself.  They also made a banner for us (see below) with all of our names on it including Watson and Bell.
• The difference in time zone changes has finally caught up with me.  I was doing an amazing job for 7 days at being early for everything.  Really.  Euopean C.K. is much more punctual than North American Chris.  I think the nine hours helped.  Until today.  Five minutes late for the bus.  Sorry gang.  I am re-focused and ready to capture that magic one more time before we return to the world of late C.K.
• It is a pretty amazing experience to stand on the bench prior to a game in Europe and hear the girls sing along with the national anthem while lined up on the blue line.  Very nice.
• Finally, It is ironic to note that many of our new friends are proudly wearing clothing with Canada or the maple leaf on them, while we are busy shopping for anything with Finland or Suomi on it.

C.K.

Sting Take Europe Day 7

Another beautiful day in Helsinki.  I am enjoying and appreciating this city more and more each day.  The weather has been clear and sunny and the people are very polite and friendly.  It is actually very "Canadian" here.  Even the countryside is the same as Alberta's.  Birch, spruce, pine, larch and mostly poplar trees are everywhere.  It is like the Drayton Valley/RMH area without all of the oil activity, or view of the Rocky Mountains.


We started the day early at Senate Square in downtown Helsinki.  This is in front of the beautiful white domed building that I photographed and included on the blog  couple of days ago.  The building itself is actually Helsinki Cathedral and was built between 1818 and 1852.  The sky was clear, the crowds minimal, and the lighting perfect for some team pictures.  Several Moms also came along for a few quick snap shots.  It is our hope to provide one of these photos to each of our faithful sponsors when we return.  One challenge that we did not foresee were the Cathedral work crews preparing on the steps for Good Friday events tommorrow.


After the "photoshoot" we  returned to the hotel.  Here the group split up again.  Some of the girls went for breakfast and one final shopping trip, while the rest of the girls jumped on a bus to visit their host girls at Finnish school.  The nine "school girls" and I left the Helsinki area and after a short detour (OK the driver was lost), delivered the girls at Finnish high school.  We tried to keep the girls with their hosts - but of course like us, not everyone attends the same High School - so the nine that went were divided up.  After school, they then went home with their hosts and met us at the rink for our 6:00pm practice ice with the Finns.  Those seven girls who did not go to school and enjoyed the opportunity to shop a little more - then went to practice with our coaches and many of our parents.


Practice was in Tuusula - a suburb of Helsinki.  The rink is a little older, but is situated amongst a very busy soccer complex and athletics area.  It was several miles from the closest town however.


I think everyone was happy to see our hosts again.  The Finns came on the ice wearing their new Sting practice jerseys, and our girls wore their new black game jerseys.  A highlight for everyone was Meagan Gabert joining the team on the ice for the first time since fracturing her ankle at provincials in February.  It has been a long frustrating journey for her.  Though she was tentative and still restricted in what she could do - it made my trip seeing her out there again.  Like everyone else she has worked hard and earned her spot on this trip - but has been unable to skate with her Sisters.  This was awesome!!!!!!


Prior to practice, Greg and I watched and learned as the Finns sharpened skates.  Their club has two (2) skate sharpening machines.  They are very nice, but are very different from both Greg's and my (Lee's) machines.  They are very specific and concise in regards to grove and rocker for each player's specifications.  Very interesting.


Practice was run as usual, but with a lot more players.  Greg put everyone through their paces, but it was difficult to keep any flow with 30+ players on the ice.  The Finns are great skaters and can also shoot and pass well.  Their goalie is very strong.  We let our girls pick the drills that we ran.  After a warmup we ran the CR drill, back ice drill, compete drill, coqahauala drill and 3v0 drill.  We finished with a short scrimmage Yellow vs. Black at 2v2, 3v3, 4v4 and 5v5.  It was fun, and surprisingly not very competative.  That was nice.  Both teams really seem to like one another.  The stands were intermingled with Moms from both teams laughing, talking and watching.  The Finnish coaches watched from the bench.


After practice the girls all departed with their host families.  The goodbyes certainly appeared to be harder on our Moms than the girls.  We look forward to seeing them all again tommorrow for our first game of the tournament versus Tusuula at 1745hours.  I am sure the girls will have many stories.


The parents left the rink on the bus and returned to the hotel.  After a quick briefing in the lounge - we separated for dinner.  Another quick debrief also occured in the lounge area after supper.  Yes Lee, Mad was held to under three drinks.


Tommorrow we begin our tournament and everyone is excited.  As we have seen many times over the last week, our Finnish hosts have been very nice to us.  They have stored our gear, driven our girls to the rink, offered to sharpen skates, feed and housed the girls, provided the practice ice, and have organized the tournament.  They have been awesome!  Their girls are good ringette players and though we are in different pools - I think everyone hopes that the two teams will meet.  It will be a good game.


My observations for Day 7:

• Mad Caine is the undesputed Snipe Champion of Europe.  Though she fought valiently to avoid the crown, the decision of judges was unanimous.  Should another Sting parent ever leave a fuller glass of fruit juice on the table before retiring to bed - then I'm sure she'll gladly relinquish her title.
• If you are ever in Helsinki, Finland - the California rolls at the Japanese restaraunt are awesome.
• There is beer and chololate every few feet here.  Please don't love us any less if we return much larger than when we left.
• Ringette Central needs a new skate sharpening machine.  I even know the two awesome Finnish guys that can come over to teach us how to operate it.
• In teenage vernacular, the words "sweet", and "cool" are out in Europe.  The new word is "bitter".  Everything over here is "bitter".  Cool!
• Ringette coaches are all the same.  My second favorite part of practice tonight (after the surprise early return of Beaker) was being with, and watching the Finnish coaches.  Great guys, but quietly competative.  Just like us.  They often made the same grunting sound watching practice when things on the ice did not follow what has been taught.  Bitter.

C.K.

A big thanks to Gord Taylor for todays pictures.

Sting Take Europe Day 6

Day 6 was a very busy day.


Everyone was up early for a quick breakfast in the hotel lobby.  The staff here were kind enough to organize and set up the breakfast prior to our 6:00 am departure.  We are really spoiled here.  The staff did not have to do that for us, as their regular buffet breakfast starts at 7:00 am.


After breakfast and coffee (the Finns love their coffee), we loaded up the bus and all 42 of us headed down to the ferry terminal for the two hour trip across the Baltic Sea to Tallinn, Estonia.  The sea was relatively calm and the trip went smoothly.  The ferry was much smaller than the cruise ship we had taken from Stockholm, but was much larger than a typical Vancouver Island, B.C ferry.  Most of the team gathered indoors on the seventh deck at the bow and watched as we crossed the water.


As we arrived in Tallinn, it was easy to make out the Old Town, the newly developing glass skyscrappers, and much of the former USSR era housing.  These three styles contrasted greatly with one another.  We had no formal plans as a group, and again historical sight-seeing and/or shopping were the activities for the day.


As a brief overview, Tallinn is the capital city of Estonia.  It has about 400, 000 residents.  It was chosen the "European Capital of Culture 2011" and signs were posted everywhere to advertise this fact.  It is, and has been a key trading center between Western Europe and Northern Europe/Russia for a thousand years.  On the hill top, a fort was first built in 1050, and later controlled and rebuilt by the Tuetonic Knights.  I believe most of the buildings and fortifications we visited today at the Old Town were built between 1200 and 1600.  Really neat stuff.  Tallinn also has a palace that once belonged to Peter the Great from Russia.  More recently, the area was held by the Germans during WWII and was heavily bombed.  This was evident on many of the buildings near downtown.  It was later annexed by the USSR after WWII until 1991 when Estonia became an independant nation.  What is interesting is the huge Soviet influence in much of the town and it's archetecture.  Many buildings with Soviet emblems or statues are seen away from the crowded tourist areas.


The shopping was excellent.  Newer parts of the city are very commercial (outlet malls).  The shopping in the Old Town for crafts, jewlery and other stuff was really good too.


Many of the girls, and parents ventured up onto the bell tower of the Oleviste Church built in 1267.  The platform that they were on was 60 meters up.  Prior to 1625 it was the tallest building in the world.  To reach the top, we had to climb a tall narrow, winding, stone staircase.  Up top there was a narrow wooden plank to walk along.  Yikes.  I chickened out.  Watching the video taken by the girls was scary enough for me.  A book up top for registering visitors now proudly proclaims that The Sting was there!  Way to go girls!


Everyone returned to the ferry terminal with lots of stories, photos, shopping bags and memories.  The return trip was relatively quiet as most of the girls slept.  I am sure that our adults entertained our section of the boat however, with much laughter and many stories.


Returning to Helsinki (like coming home), we rode the bus back to the hotel and after unloading our goods, seperated for dinner at the many restaraunts around the hotel.


Tomorrow some of the girls are going to spend a day at school with their hosts, while others will be making one last shopping trip.  Early tomorrow evening we have a practice north of the city, and we have invited our Finnish friends to join us on the ice.  We hope to share some Canadian drills with them, and hopefully learn some Finnish ones too.  Back to ringette again!


My observations for Day 6:

• Anti-persperant is not universal, but should be.
• The Estonian people that we met seemed nice, but more reserved than the Swedes and Finns.  They appeared to be equally fluent in english as well.
• No matter how odd a person may seem - if he is over 40 and carrying a Bert doll in one hand - no one wants to mess with him.  Infact people will actually cross the street to avoid him.
• The girls are all really looking forward to meeting up with their hosts again.  I think they already miss their new friends.
• Finally, and this still amazes me, but despite the differences in language, culture, income, etc - kids are kids.  I ended up amongst a group of elementary kids getting out of school today, in a poorer section of Tallinn, and it was the closest I felt like home since leaving.  Pretty neat.  (Bert was put away by this time).

C.K.

Sting Take Europe Day 5

Helsinki is a truly beautiful city.

The sun was out today and it felt so nice. Closer to the sea, it was windy, but in the city it was soooo nice. At Senate Square I decided to sit for a while like the locals do. Not sure what the attraction was until I sat down. It was warm, comfortable, and a great place to people-watch. I was at the top and the view was awesome. Didn't bring suntan lotion - so couldn't stay long.
Everyone seperated today and went diferent directions - so it is hard to do a summary. Basically everyone did at least one of three things. Everyone went shopping. Some took photos of the incredible architecture. And many of us went to the islands that comprise the Suomenlinna Fortess at the entrance to Helsinki's harbour.

Though the day was exhaustive (nine + hours on cobblestone streets), everyone was smiling in the evening. The shopping here is amazing. It never ends. I think it would be fair to speculate that there is more shopping available within 10 blocks of our hotel than most of Alberta combined. Seriously. All of the malls are built up, not out, and tunnels under the streets connect many of them. Stockmans is the big department store here and it is over 600,000 square feet over many levels. There are also many stores along the main streets, and window shopping is fun.

It is expensive here. The regular tourist trappings are everywhere - but the girls are pretty focused on what they want. Several of our Finnish friends the other day were sporting very nice Adidas jackets that we cannot get in North America - so that was a popular item. After that, personal tastes and gifts for folks at home seemed to dictate where everyone ended up. Occasionally Meg and I would see other Sting members, but everyone just went their own way and did their own thing. This is good as tomorrow we are all together again for our big day in Tallinn, Estonia.

I have included a few photos from around Helsinki - but they are not nessessarily representative of where everyone went. Just where I was. A lot of statues - I have included only a few. The big white building is Senate Square. The statue in front is Czar Alexander II. The statue with the man on the horse is Karl Mannerheim - the hero of Finland's Winter war with the mighty USSR in 1939/40. He seems to be very revered here - perhaps more than anyone. One final statue picture is of three crazy nude iron workers. Don't know what the statue means, but all of us cringed when we passed it.

The streets are clean and I think we all feel safe walking around. Everyone is careful, but relaxed. At roughly 6:00 pm many of the parents gathered in the lounge at the hotel for a much deserved rest (and drink). A late supper and relatively early to bed for our big day tomorrow.

The store clerks helped me with directions many times and their english is excellent. One interesting tidbit that I noticed all over town was that members of the Finnish army, in camo fatigues, are on many street corners with blue vests collecting donations for their veterans. I mention this simply because it is something we do not see at home.

Late this afternoon I also recieved an email from a member of Finland's National Ringette team that I had met 2 1/2 years ago in Edmonton when planning for this trip began. She is excited that we are finally here and will come visit the girls on Saturday. She has been very helpful and was actually the one who directed us to our Finnish host team. She is a two time (and current) World Ringette Champion and I am excited to see her again.

We miss everyone, but we are all doing very well.

My observations for Day 5:

• Going seperate ways today was a great idea. Though we are all very close - everyone needs their space. I just couldn't understand why everyone else was still together and they avoided me???
• A major department store in Helsinki had a small crisis today. Seems several (20+) manicans fell liked dominoes after being bumped by a foriegner. I hear the wanted posters are being pirnted as we speak. (Not me this time).
• Mad has met a new man and they are getting very close. I have attached a photo. I have heard that he is really nice. Sorry Lee. After looking at the pictures though - you can't blame him.

C.K.

Sting Take Europe Day 4

A much slower pace today.  I think everyone is recovering from a great night partying on the high seas with our new friends.  We landed this morning in Helsinki at roughly 10:00 after a fun 16 hour overnight cruise.  It is noticably winder and cooler in Helsinki, but still nice spring weather.  Some of us were brave enough to stand outside as we came into Helsinki harbour.  It was very neat going past the old stone fortress (1748) at Suominlinna.

After docking, everyone made our way outside and said good-bye to our hosts for a few days as we prepare to shop and tour - and they return to life at school and work.  We will see them again in a few days for a joint practice, then our big tournament this weekend.

Last night Finland elected a new Parliment.  I doubt much has made the news back home - but it is very big news here.  It appears that a new Nationalistic party may hold the power or at least considerable influence over Finland's continued presence (or withdrawal) from the EU.  There seems to be a fear here that should Finland pull out of the EU, it could start a chain reaction throughout Europe.  Heavy stuff for our blog - but I'm just disappointed that we weren't the biggest thing rolling into Finland last night.  Darned politicians!

After landing, we had a short bus tour of Helsinki, then travelled 50 kilometers to the town of Porvoo.  Our tour guide Anne explained that many of the origional buildings of Helsinki were made of wood and through the centuries had all been burnt down in one of the many conflicts.  She was apologetic that the beautiful stone buildings that comprise the city center are only 200 years old.  Ironically, our entire country is only 150 years old - but we didn't share that with her.  At the town of Porovoo are many buildings, still functional and well kept, from the early 1600's.  It was very interesting.  They had nice little restaurants, clothing and chocolate shops.  There seemed to be a very strong Russian influence in this town.  We noticed several pictures of old Czars in many of the shops.

Returning to Helsinki, we contnued our bus tour before reaching the hotel.  It is very nice!  The lobby is small, but the rooms are spacious, clean and very modern.  We are within a couple of blocks of many of the main sight seeing attractions, are in the absolute center of the Helsinki shopping district, and are on the transit system line.  There is a nice "high end" 3 story mall attached to the rear of our hotel.  I think the girls are happy.

That is about it.  A slower day - but that is good.  We have gone non-stop since leaving home.  Tomorrow is a relaxation day and everyone is going their own way for a bit of a break.  I have a sneaky suspicion that our girls will be far more stylish when we meet again on Wednesday.

Only three observations today:

• To my dear wife who answered the phone at 6 am on Sunday morning from the Finnish coach who was unable to locate me -  Thanks.  Chocolates are on the way.  And he really is a great guy.
• To those who wondered if "Final Four" would ever go international - or just stay a North American game - I have included a photo from late the other night.  Coach Darcy may dispute the final results, but I don't think he was in any condition to accurately interperete the rules.
• And finally - what are the odds of getting directions from the hotel bartender to a restaraunt in a strange part of Helsinki, then upon arriving to be lead to a room in the back for a private meal, and there find a world renowned ringette sculpture of the most revered coaching signal in the game.  Uncanny!

C.K.

Sting Take Europe Day 3

Sorry for the delay.  Internet was hit and miss at sea, and it is hard to type in a Kareoke Bar......  But I am getting ahead of myself.

We had a great supper to round our day 2 with our Finnish guests.  It is fun to see that 15 and 16 year old girls really are the same everywhere regardless of nationality or language.  Girls are girls.  They all looked their best, and laughed lots.  We presented our Finnish friends a new set of Sting practice jerseys, and some Canadian Olympic mittens.  They looked awesome in them.

Day 3 started off with another great breakfast at the hotel.  Lots of the usual North American food, and also lots of fresh bread and many cheeses.  Nice!  Many of us took another short stroll around the hotel and enjoyed the warm, fresh air.  The Swedes also enjoyed the beginning of spring and many were walking or jogging in the park near our hotel.  A wide variety of strange birds, but they were all singing which is nice since many of our songbirds have not returned to Central Alberta yet.

We boarded the bus again for the short trip to the rink.  Ulf our driver is very nice and friendly.  At the rink we caught the tail end of a game between the Swedish team that we had played the day before and our Finnish friends.  The Finns won by a wide margin.  I hope that we will get to play them in Finland.  It will be a very good game.  Their girls also skate well and make great passes.

Our game this time was a little longer.  Four (4) 15 minutes stop time quarters.  Flood at half time.  National anthems to start the game again.  It feels like we are in the big leagues now!  The game started slow and was 0-0 after the first quarter.  3-0 Sting at half.  8-2 Sting after three and a 12-3 final score.  Now we know for sure - Sting Rocks the House in Sweden!  Players of the game were Kelsey Guse and Kirsten MacGregor.  It is tough when you want to win, and want to remain respectful of your hosts.  Ringette is certainly not as popular in Sweden as it is in Finland and Canada.  They are still trying to grow their game at the grassroots level and we realize that for the game to grow, we must be good ambassadors.  Our girls were awesome!  Respectful and good sportsmanship throughout both games.  Lots of eyes are on the Canadians here!!!!!

One interesting thing that I forgot yesterday was their "souvenier"table in the lobby.  The usual stuff: rings, hockey tape, programs, ringette trinkets, waffles with berries.  I think everyone had to look twice - then the orders started.  Not a bad idea I guess.

After our game we jumped on the bus again and made the trip to the ferry terminal.  Ulf used our time well and gave us an extended round-about way to the ferries.  Stockholm is made of of thirteen (13) islands.  I think we saw them all, as well as a 3 km tunnel under the city.  After many tears and promises to write - we finally bid adieu to Ulf and boarded the ferry to Helsinki.

What a boat!  Thirteen (13) levels.  Shopping mall on the promenade deck and lots of lounges.  Something for girls, moms and dads!  The cabins were tight but comfy.  Private bathrooms - great for an overnight cruise.  We had a portion of the buffet restaurant reserved for us and our Finnish friends.  Good supper and a self-serve beer tap.  Again the girls are awesome.  Alcohol is easily accessable to them on the boat - but they all stayed out of trouble and again did us proud.  After dinner many of the girls and their new friends seperated and explored the cruise ship (in groups of four or more!).  The adults also had fun and visited with many of their new Finnish friends, but both groups of parents were always watching the girls.  Then the kareoke.  Top floor under the stars as we crossed the Baltic sea until 1:00ish.  What a time!  The girls had a blast singing together and with their new friends.  Parents joined in as well.  Who knew Barb could sing?  In Finnish?  I guess we'll never know if it was just the Finlanii vodka.

As much as the girls are similar - so are the parents.  The Finns are very nice and though they seem shy about their english - it is actually very good.  They are all easy to understand.  They also offered to store all of our equipment (18 bags) in one of their garages to dry out rather than have us carry them onto and off of the boat - then stink up our hotel rooms.  We joked that they would remove the blades from our skates.  They are really very nice - and I'm not just saying that because they are following our blog too.

Only a few observations after day 3.

• Dwayne kindly offered to assist and ref a few games while in Sweden with us.  I think we all agree that his hand signals are as awesome in Swedish and Finnish as they are in English.  Way to go Westy!
• If I am ever on a cruise again - I'm looking for some Finns.  They are a lot of fun.
• If I ever need to recommend someone to look after teenage girls - again the Finns.  They knew how to have a great time but never lost track of their kids.
• That when you try out your limited Finnish vocabulary, Finns are very polite and don't mock your attempt like 15 year old Canadian girls do.
• Finally, I learned the word "Sisu".  It is not in an English-Finnish dictionary, but it is a special Finnish word that seems to embrace the strong national pride they all have.  As best as I understand it means "guts" or "grit".  It's roots trace to the Winter War with USSR in 1939. They seem to be a very proud people.

C.K.