Oxford life. Thirtysomething challenges. Music leanings. Anything really.

I love the winter Olympics. I like the predictable outcry from the media along the lines of "what's the point of the Winter Olympics when we're so crap".

Um, well if every "crap" team didn't send a team to the Winter or Summer Olympics, don't they realise that just three competitors in every race would really be a bit dull?

The other thing I do like is all the kit. All these sports have specialist kit, and someone somewhere has to make it. Behind the thousands of competitors, there are cottage companies round the world, enhancing and improving those vital pieces of equipment.

Curling brushes anyone? The Reactor2 is sweeping through the curling world.

Curling shoes? Olson's Strata, is for the competitve types.

And if you're desperate enough to load their ice equipment pdf, you can even discover the truth about how their stones are carved, and discover just how much stuff you need to make "good, honest, ice" - scrapers, brushes, ice paint, circle measurers. And I thought it was just like darts on ice.

How about a skeleton bob? Will you buy the cutting edge German Bobbahn Skeleton? Or stay Patriotic and go for the Brit's products?

And did you know the Dutch are world-leaders in ice skate manufacture? These things look scary.

Finally, where would you go to buy a bob sled? I couldn't find one on the internet - although Bo-dyn appears to be your man, but Amazon just isn't the place to go get one. Pah!