Good Luck, Nagano Lillehammer Wishes Its Successor Well, But Civic Pride Says Not Too Well

There’s a hint of angst in these parts as the Winter Olympics nears.

“What if the Nagano Games are so good that everyone forgets Lillehammer?” asks Mayor Audun Tron.

The 1994 Games are regarded by athletes and spectators as the best Winter Olympics ever. That puts Norwegians in a bind: They want the Nagano Games to be good, but not too good.

For 16 days in February 1994, this town of 25,000 people, about 110 miles north of Oslo, showed the world perfect weather, stunning venues and friendly crowds.

Since then, Nagano delegations searching for the secret touch have been part of Lillehammer’s landscape. Tron said he kept repeating the same advice: “Don’t try to copy Lillehammer. You would fail. Show the world the Japanese way.”

After the Olympics, Lillehammer resumed its life as a quiet haven for artists, writers and winter sports enthusiasts. But it hasn’t stopped thinking about the Olympics: Some stores are still selling Lillehammer ‘94 souvenirs.

But merchandise is the least of it. The people of Lillehammer, seen as reserved, even dour, before the Games, are now open and congenial.

“The feeling people are left with is that they succeeded in doing something this big, which really built up their confidence,” Tron said.

So confident, in fact, they’re ready to do it again. Lillehammer and the Finnish capital of Helsinki are jointly bidding for the 2006 Winter Games. Lillehammer would hold the alpine and bobsled events, with the other competitions in Finland.

After the 1994 Olympics, a range of organizations were set up to promote Lillehammer and the region, often working at cross-purposes. Now that is streamlined.

There were expected failures, such as restaurants unable to survive after the Games. Hotels, which doubled capacity, complain about being underbooked during the off-season.

One grand scheme, the Lillehammer Olympic Experience museum, was a colossal flop. It went under last year, costing the city hundreds of thousands of dollars.

While summer tourism dipped about 10 percent last year, the winter season has increased by about 40 percent since before the Games, said Geir Kollstroem, head of the city tourism office.

“The winter traffic has stabilized at a much higher level than before the Olympics,” Kollstroem said.

After the Olympics, local governments were left with a pot of about $64 million to help with costs. Lillehammer has used about $5 million of its $21 million share, while Hedmark and Oppland counties have used half their $20 million.

Only Hamar, south of Lillehammer, has kept things running without dipping into the fund. Hamar has the spectacular Viking Ship Hall, and the Olympic figure skating hall, where Nancy Kerrigan and Tonya Harding waged their good vs. evil showdown.

“Here in Hamar, things are going very well,” venue manager Hans Erik Stadshaug said. “But the Games were the pinnacle. We absolutely and definitely want them back.”

This year, Lillehammer’s annual Winter Festival is timed to end when the Nagano Olympics open on Feb. 7. At about 3 a.m., crowds will gather on the town’s main street to watch the ceremony live on a big television screen.

And amid feelings of envy and pride, will be genuine good wishes.

“I just want to say, ‘Good luck, Nagano,”’ Tron said.