Winning Isn't Everything

Samantha Albert will make history this summer as the sole member of Jamaica’s first Olympic equestrian team.

Like the famous Jamaican bobsleigh team of the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary, Albert and horse Before I Do It will be raising the profile of a sport few people know about on her home island.

She probably hasn’t got a shot at the Gold, but she does have heart.

Living in a city that thrives on success and results, we often lose sight of the fact that the fight is sometimes worth more than the prize. Albert’s story reminds us that winning isn’t everything. Her passion, commitment and determination capture the Olympic spirit more than any medal.

And if she’s lucky, maybe Disney will use her story for an equine-iteration on Cool Runnings.

Albert to be a Cool Runner in Olympics

Ride or Die

Our pony tossed us off his back yesterday. In the few midair seconds, flying out over his neck before we thudded onto the bridle path, we were thinking about those bad-ass Olympic equestrians. More than any other athletes, these riders risk it all.

When Michael Phelps hits the water for the 200-meter freestyle, he's out there, flanked by competition, racing against the clock. He probably gets water up his nose; maybe scrapes his knuckles against the side of the pool. We do not mean to undermine his athleticism. Certainly he risks injury. He works damn hard. But we want to point out a difference. A missed stroke in the swimming pool might sacrifice a few seconds on his time. With horses, a misstep could be the difference between life and death.

Equestrian sports can be like Russian roulette. Horses are unpredictable. They will spook at almost anything. Unlike tennis partners, they are non-verbal, and therefore unable to let their riders know that they might not make it over that 2.2-meter high triple bar. No matter how much a rider prepares, no matter how well he knows his mount, there are never any guarantees. Previous successes have no impact on game day performance and there are always at least two lives on the line.

Yesterday we walked away with skinned elbows and some bruises. Dutch showjumper, Albert Zoer, and U.S. Olympic eventing horse, Teddy, weren't quite so lucky.

Ride or Die

Country vs. Country

We know. It's hard. Corn prices are up. Gas is up. Our political future is in flux. Things that seemed important four years ago (swimming, throwing things, jumping) just seem childish in comparison to the crumbling global condition. But over here at CFW, no matter what happens, we won't forget that our national identity is on the line this August in China.

So they got the biggest building in the world.
So they got a swimming complex realized as a glow-in-the-dark blue cube.
So they built a stadium designed for birds to nest in.
So they're a country on the rise and we're on the decline.
So the new kid wants to fight.

We say, let's do this thing!

In a world where nation states have blurred boundaries across digital lines and cultural influence holds as much sway as a nuclear bomb, CFW also says ain't no way we're gonna fold over.

Place-Making

I love buildings and what they do for communities. So much so that I read about them, study them, and even write papers about them…LONG ones. Imagine my glee when I came across this –

Beijing airport’s new Terminal 3 — twice the size of the Pentagon — is the largest building in the world.

Now, I don’t get excited about how large a building is – Urban Renewal has proved that bigger is not always better. I’m more excited as to what this building represents for China – a chance to showcase its architectural prowess and rich cultural history in the wake of protests, human rights violations, and pollution. Sometimes even the smallest, or really the largest in the world, things can impact the way a person views nationalism and pride. The terminal, designed by British architect Norman Foster, is decorated with the colors of Imperial China and its roof mimics the scales of a dragon.

I call this kind of construction “building for events.” It happens across the world for big events like the Olympics, World Cup, and even the Super Bowl. Are these developments sustainable? Not always. Will South Africa’s Gautrain really be able to transport the most impoverished South Africans throughout the country AFTER the 2010 World Cup is over? We’ll just have to wait and see. Atlanta’s Olympic Village, constructed for the 1996 Summer Olympics, is considered the catalyst for Atlanta’s emergence as one of the United States’ premier cities. It’s one of Richard Florida’s cool cities, which means everything to some people.

China, however, has built a useful, functional, and beautiful building that will be used by billions of people in the years to come. Even the littlest details are carefully crafted by a Feng Shui master while the teahouse is adorned with Imperial colors. The terminal was commissioned for the Olympics - which can sometimes be a good thing and sometimes be a very bad thing. Architects and planners, however, made sure everyone feels like they are walking into something special – even if it is just an airport terminal. What if everyone thought about buildings that way?

I guess I would have nothing to argue about.

Airports as Art