« June 30, 2002 - July 6, 2002 | Main | July 14, 2002 - July 20, 2002 »

July 13, 2002

Noelle and I are proud

Noelle and I are proud to present:

Posted by noelle at 1:27 PM | Comments (0)

Another ESPY shot, from anonymous

Another ESPY shot, from

Posted by noelle at 1:21 PM | Comments (0)

Katherine and June with Apolo

Posted by noelle at 1:19 PM | Comments (0)

July 12, 2002

Lyn returns to the fold

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Posted by noelle at 12:35 AM | Comments (0)

July 11, 2002

I've waited for this for

I've waited for this for months. Finally, photos that show clearly those green eyes!

Posted by noelle at 6:48 PM | Comments (0)

Posted by noelle at 6:46 PM | Comments (0)

Exciting news from Kimo!! Aloha!

Exciting news from

Aloha! Here is a NEWS FLASH!!!!!

Well Jan and I just got back from spending some time with Apolo and his agent Janey Miller tonight after the ESPY awards. How is this possible you say? Well both Apolo
and Janey were staying at one of Hollywood's chic-est hotels on Sunset Boulevard called the "Mondrian". On Wednesday, I contacted Janey at the hotel and introduced
myself. Apparently, she already knew who I was from speaking with Yuki.....she had been warned!!! Ha! Ha! We chatted for about a good 15 minutes regarding Apolo's
schedule for the day. She said that they were just about to leave for an interview (sorry! did not ask her with who). Talk about timing!!! After the interview, both Apolo and she would return to the hotel and put their "game faces" on and depart for the ESPY'S at 4:00.

I then proceeded to ask Janey again, the agenda for their evening and that we had some gifts for Apolo and would it be possible to "hook up" later in the evening. Well, to my surprise, she asks me for my cell number and tells me that she will call later that evening to set a time when we could meet and it would probably be around 11:00 pm. Well at this point, I just had to call my life partner, Jan, and spill the GOOD NEWS about "hooking up" with Apolo and Janey that evening. You can imagine her reaction when I told her. ....UNBELIEVABLE!!!!! She said she wanted to scream but she was working on a client (she is a hair stylist), so composure was in order....Hell, forget about composure girl! Let it out!!!

We headed up to Hollywood around 9:45 pm (we live about an hour away), got lucky with a parking spot right in front of the hotel and proceeded to check it out. The place was smoking with people. Keep in mind that it is about 10:45 and no call from Janey so Jan and I jumped into Plan B and just walked in to the lobby and waited for Apolo and Janey to show up. Remember I mentioned that "timing is everything". Just as we were returning from the restrooms, I spotted Apolo and Janey walking into the Private Party. I called out his name and he stepped out of line to greet us. I must say that he looked pleasantly surprised to see us and I will say fellow OZoners, the very first thing he did was raise his arm to show me his koa bracelet...How cool is that? We exchanged "da hood" handshake and he proceeded to give my Jan a big hug....she is still in a daze and has not snapped out of it yet. Ha! I mentioned that the OHNOZONE fans have purchased the koa bracelets and are wearing it in his honor. He thought that was cool!!! We introduced ourselves to Janey, presented her with a few gifts (it's an Aloha spirit thing) in appreciation for her suggestion to meet.

We hung out with them for about 25 minutes taking pictures and "talking story". (we will submit when we return from our vacation) We mentioned to Apolo that we would be
attending the Torchlight Parade and that he should look for our "Remember You Had Dinner With Us" sign....chuckle! chuckle! At one point, Janey asked us if we would
like to join them inside at the party..Do you need to ask????? Turns out, they were maxed out so....oh well. Thanks Janey for trying. I have to tell you, I have dealt with agents in the past but she is one of the nicest agents I have met....How refreshing.

While "chillin" in the lobby with Apolo and Janey and surrounded by a mass of people, I noticed that their attention was solely on Jan and I. What an awesome feeling!!!!! As time past on and out of respect for their time and moment, we decided to let them attend their party. We thanked the both of them for spending time with us and how we enjoyed it very much. Apolo turned to the both of us and thanked us for coming out to see him....Our pleasure my friend!!!!

Jan and I left the hotel for the drive home and we expressed to each other how lucky we were to spend time with Apolo. Like our dinner with him in Chicago in June, he
was pleasant, gracious and nothing but class.

Well OZ fans, that is our latest encounter with the APOLO. See you in Seattle!!!!

A Hui Hou (until we meet again)
Kimo

Posted by noelle at 6:42 PM | Comments (0)

Apolologic sends this series of

Posted by noelle at 6:36 PM | Comments (0)

Posted by noelle at 6:35 PM | Comments (0)

Posted by noelle at 6:34 PM | Comments (0)

More thumbnails from Chris and

More thumbnails from

Posted by noelle at 6:29 PM | Comments (0)

Posted by noelle at 6:29 PM | Comments (0)

Cool screengrabs from Gemini of

Cool screengrabs from

Posted by noelle at 5:53 PM | Comments (0)

Get your own "Apolo" koa

Get your own "Apolo" koa bracelet, as seen here

Posted by noelle at 4:53 PM | Comments (0)

Well, OZ fans... we have

Well, OZ fans... we have an embarrassment of riches for you today and will be posting them shortly. Just wanted to let you know we have some great ESPY-related stuff coming your way!

Posted by noelle at 4:27 PM | Comments (0)

Okay, ESPN did some kind

Okay, ESPN did some kind of

Posted by noelle at 12:29 PM | Comments (0)

From SoniaThe man's got taste:

From

Posted by noelle at 12:25 PM | Comments (0)

Whoa! Cognitive dissonance.From Brooke: Apolo

Whoa! Cognitive dissonance.

Posted by noelle at 1:00 AM | Comments (0)

Posted by noelle at 12:58 AM | Comments (0)

Chris the webmaster of AAO.com

Posted by noelle at 12:26 AM | Comments (0)

Here is the inside scoop

Here is the inside scoop from

Posted by noelle at 12:20 AM | Comments (0)

July 10, 2002

Oh my goodness... *thud*

Oh my goodness... *thud*

Posted by noelle at 11:26 PM | Comments (0)

I'm thinking he's waving to

I'm thinking he's waving to Molly, y'all

Posted by noelle at 10:45 PM | Comments (0)

Apolo on the red carpet,

Apolo on the red carpet, via Wireimage

Posted by noelle at 9:51 PM | Comments (0)

I heartily commend you all

I heartily commend you all to

Posted by noelle at 2:04 PM | Comments (0)

Joanna sends us this cool

Posted by noelle at 9:46 AM | Comments (0)

from Maureen Off to a

from

Posted by noelle at 9:42 AM | Comments (0)

There's that Gold Medal smile!

There's that Gold Medal smile! Thanks,

Posted by noelle at 9:35 AM | Comments (0)

Apolo in Seattle, from Lea

Apolo in Seattle, from

Posted by noelle at 9:32 AM | Comments (0)

from Lea Thursday February 28,

from Thursday February 28,
Apolo Anton Ohno (2L) of the United States tries to pass South Korea's Kim
Dong-sung in the final lap of the men's 1500 m short track final at the Salt
Lake 2002 Olympic Winter Games.

Posted by noelle at 9:31 AM | Comments (0)

funny link from Lea What's

funny link from

Posted by noelle at 9:27 AM | Comments (0)

from Emily

from

Posted by noelle at 9:20 AM | Comments (0)

And just to get in

And just to get in the ESPY spirit,

Posted by noelle at 9:09 AM | Comments (0)

Don't forget everyone! ESPY awards

Don't forget everyone! ESPY awards tonight. Let's cheer on Apolo with the collective ardor of the OZ as he goes up for the Best Olympian Award.

Posted by noelle at 9:06 AM | Comments (0)

Lydia has some exciting news

Posted by noelle at 9:02 AM | Comments (0)

This batch of pics is

This batch of pics is from

Posted by noelle at 8:59 AM | Comments (0)

Posted by noelle at 8:58 AM | Comments (0)

Posted by noelle at 8:58 AM | Comments (0)

Posted by noelle at 8:57 AM | Comments (0)

July 9, 2002

Update from JanThank you so

Update from

Posted by noelle at 6:16 PM | Comments (0)

July 8, 2002

**AN OHNO ZONE SPECIAL**eBay Winner

eBay Winner Shares Story of Dinner With Apolo

We are very pleased to announce that Jan, the lovely lady who won the ebay auction to have dinner with Apolo after SportsFest, has agreed to share her story with the Ohno Zone. Her story is below, followed by several more photos. From one fan to another, thank you Jan from the bottom of our hearts!

Posted by noelle at 6:22 PM | Comments (0)

Kimo, Apolo, Jan

Kimo, Apolo, Jan

Posted by noelle at 6:11 PM | Comments (0)

Jan's story

Hi Everyone! I'm finally writing to let you know about my unbelievable dinner with Apolo. At first I thought I wasn't going to bore you with all the details, but then I thought again - hey, how many people will get this chance of a lifetime experience that I was lucky enough to have? Not many. So, I decided to write something different. Here goes...

Dinner was at Gibson's in Chicago with Apolo, his dad, Yuki (it was Father's Day weekend), a very nice woman from Pennsylvania and her 11 yr. old son (who won the drawing at Sportsfest and who, by the way, did know who Apolo was), a representative from Mounted Memories (who brought Apolo there to do the autograph-signing), and my life partner and I (who flew there from southern California).

It was a night to remember! We had an unrushed 2 1/2 hrs. and had a wonderful meal and great conversation. Apolo had a filet mignon, medium-rare, with veggies, just water to drink and chocolate cake for dessert (the restaurant provided a gigantic wedge for the whole table), after appetizers of oysters, shrimp, crab and lobster. He also tried some of his dad's prime rib. Dinner was delicious and he went around asking us individually at some point how we liked our meals (how sweet!).

Apolo and his dad are both so gracious. They were relaxed and comfortable with us. Yuki is in awe of Apolo's popularity. When he was in New York doing hair for runway models, no one knew who he was when he'd be walking down the street. Now he said when he's walking with Apolo in the streets of New York, people come running up to him to tell him what a great job he did in the Olympics! Yuki says, "It's so fantastic!"

They told us how the Korean team in the Olympics were really frustrated because many skaters weren't qualifying to the finals, so by the time Kim Dong-Sung skated in the 1500m with Apolo and got disqualified, that was the last straw for them, and that was how the whole anti-USA sentiment got started. It still goes on and was carried over into the World Cup soccer game. After Korea played the U.S. in Korea and tied, 1 to 1, the whole Korean soccer team mocked Apolo by getting into the starting position for skating. We asked him about that and his response was, "Yeah, I saw that. Bad technique, too!" We all laughed. Another example of Apolo's great sense of humor was when my boyfriend asked him how old his dad was, and he said, "The last time I remember he was 39. Hey, Dad, are you still 39?"

We talked about the Super Stars competition in Jamaica. He said it took him 17 hrs. to get there and when he finally got there, they had already started and he had to just jump right in and get going. We commented about his cornrows and he said, "You gotta have cornrows when you're in Jamaica!" He also said that everyone went to bed so early, like 9pm, and he thought - hey, where is everyone? We're in Jamaica - aren't we supposed to be having fun? He also hurt his neck when he was practicing for the swimming. He hit a sandbar that he didn't know was there, but luckily he was okay. (If anyone saw it, Apolo did great and came in 4th! He was the youngest and smallest competitor and still managed to be one of the few to come home with some cash!)

The highlight of the night for me I guess was when I presented Apolo with a poem I wrote for him. There's a story to this poem. I wrote one over 30 yrs. ago for someone none of you have ever heard of - Bobby Sherman. He was my teen idol at age 15. Tiger Beat magazine printed it in their Sept. 1971 issue and I've never written another one since, until I was inspired by Apolo. I tried to fax the poem over to the Jay Leno Show when he was on in Feb. after the Olympics, but that failed. Then I tried to hand deliver it to him in Seattle at Apolo Ohno Day, but he didn't do autographs or meet anyone at that time afterall. So, here was my chance at last. It was great for me to see his reaction when he read it!

We also gave Apolo some gifts from Hawaii (where we're from originally). We gave him a koa bead bracelet and koa wood box, which he seemed to really like. To our surprise, he was wearing the bracelet at the ebay Live convention the next weekend (we saw Nyla's picture on your web site!). He must've really liked it - how awesome!

I must admit that I was disappointed when I heard that we had to share our evening with two other people, but as it turned out, Judy and AJ were really nice and they were a great addition to our evening afterall. (Judy said some young girls wanted to scratch her eyes out for winning the drawing since she was a housewife and not a teenager!) At one point AJ said to Apolo - "Apolo, chicks dig you, huh?" It was pretty funny.

The evening was priceless! I was very happy to know that my winning bid was going specifically to Apolo's massage therapist's son, Cody. It was a great feeling to know that I was helping someone like that. Apolo and his dad were so appreciative and Yuki videotaped us to show Cody who was helping him. They are a great team and have a great relationship. I'm a hair stylist as well, so Yuki and I talked a little "hair" and they never said, but I know that Yuki was there to do Apolo's hair that night after dinner, as well as spending time with him for Father's Day. He was doing Apolo's hair while Apolo was answering his fan mail!

I was especially impressed with how Apolo handled himself - relaxed, comfortable, fun and cordial. Afterall, he had to spend an evening with a few perfect strangers - not exactly an easy situation to be in. There is much more to him than I expected. He is appreciative, caring and so centered. He's a gorgeous person - both inside and out! Someone asked me what my first impression was of him and I clearly remember thinking to myself when he looked and smiled at me - wow! You can see his whole inner self shine thru! I hope you all get a chance to experience this one day because it's MAGICAL!

You must all be wondering why an older person of 46 would admire someone like Apolo who's only 20. Let me tell you that he has touched all of us of all ages, from children to grandparents, and his appeal is wide and universal. As a role model and someone to admire ( and dream about), Apolo has won the hearts of all of us. All I can say to all of you is - GOOD CHOICE! He takes nothing for granted about his fame and popularity. Keep it up everyone - you've picked a WINNER! He reads all of his fan mail, so don't give up, you will one day hear from him!

Apolo autographed a huge picture of him (at the Olympics when he got his gold medal) for us - "My Friends - Kimo and Jan - Wishing both of you much happiness in life!" What a special memory of our time with him this will be for us. He is such a special person. (He has a great signature, too!)

Good luck to everyone in your quest to meet and get to know Apolo! Don't be afraid to dream big because dreams can come true as this dream did for me.

Keep up the good work, Noelle and Todd - your web site is great!

An Apolo Fan Forever, Jan

Posted by noelle at 6:06 PM | Comments (0)

Apolo signs an autograph for AJ

Posted by noelle at 6:05 PM | Comments (0)

Apolo is presented with gifts

Posted by noelle at 5:53 PM | Comments (0)

The dinner party

Posted by noelle at 5:51 PM | Comments (0)

Yuki, Apolo, Jan, Kimo

Posted by noelle at 5:47 PM | Comments (0)

These next six courtesy of

These next six courtesy of

Posted by noelle at 5:41 PM | Comments (0)

Posted by noelle at 5:41 PM | Comments (0)

Posted by noelle at 5:40 PM | Comments (0)

This set is from the

This set is from the mayor of Seattle on AAO Day

Posted by noelle at 5:39 PM | Comments (0)

Posted by noelle at 5:39 PM | Comments (0)

Posted by noelle at 5:38 PM | Comments (0)

Hee hee heeee... a piccie!

Hee hee heeee... a piccie!

Posted by noelle at 5:34 PM | Comments (0)

OMG OMG OMG! I think

OMG OMG OMG! I think it's working again ::kicks tires::

Posted by noelle at 5:33 PM | Comments (0)

Next two links courtesy of

Next two links courtesy of

Posted by noelle at 1:00 PM | Comments (0)

Here's a repost of an

Here's a repost of an interesting article, via BeliefNet

Posted by noelle at 12:58 PM | Comments (0)

July 7, 2002

Candace comes through with the

Posted by noelle at 2:48 PM | Comments (0)

SI video clip (select your

SI video clip (select your media player from the dropdown menu)

Posted by noelle at 2:45 PM | Comments (0)

Here's a link to a

Here's a link to a humor article by Dave Barry

Posted by noelle at 2:44 PM | Comments (0)

Jill C sends this article,

SALT LAKE CITY Feb. 21, 2002 - Apolo Anton Ohno

The name is what draws us near. His first name sounds like the Greek god of music, poetry and vision, his surname explaining his last thought Saturday night before he went sliding into the wall.
Apolo Ohno. Many thought he would win four gold medals in short-track speedskating at the 2002 Olympics in Salt Lake City, but he met disaster on his way to the podium in the men’s 1,000 meters. He was in the lead, pushing through Turn Four on the final lap, some 15 meters from the finish. He was bumped. His skates became tangled. And his dream for four golds tumbled with him into the padding.
Apolo Ohno. He regained his feet and never gave up, accepting the silver in the 1,000 but vowing to return for the gold. We believed him. The gash in his left leg, closed with six stitches, was nothing. He had overcome many wounds over his 19 years, but he caught a break Wednesday night in the Salt Lake Ice Center. He had crossed the finish line second but was awarded the gold in the 1,500 meters after an official ruled Korean Kim Dong-sung had illegally cut into Ohno’s lane on the final lap.
Apolo Ohno. He’s young but experienced. He waited toward the back Wednesday, searching for a hole for 12 of the 14 laps. In less than two seconds, he darted through a crease and moved from fifth to second with two laps remaining. He needed to make one more move to raise his arms in victory. Instead, he raised his arms and alerted Australian referee James Hewish he was cut off, selling his case like a wide receiver exaggerating interference.
Apolo Ohno. He’s a tough kid from Seattle. His mother abandoned him when he was still in diapers, leaving Apolo to be raised by his father. Yuki Ohno worked long hours as a hair-dresser, and it wasn’t long before the boy would defy the father. He angered the old man with his long hair and poor grades, but being smart in his crowd meant being shunned by his crowd and, heaven forbid, a teenager would be exiled by his peers. So he bombed enough tests to get tossed from the honors program and spent his free time breakdancing. Why? Because breakdancing was cooler than good grades.
Apolo Ohno. He was an in-line skater with an X Games attitude, most likely headed for a boarding house with the other delinquents in his clique. Only his life would change, this time for the better, after watching the Winter Games on television in 1994. Short-track speedskating had grabbed him by each biceps and shook the marbles loose. The sport was trying to love him, but he had to love it back.
Apolo Ohno. He possessed every skill required for short-track. He had the instincts needed for position and the quick feet to follow them. He could break down a race in his head and find the quickest means to its end. He moved to the top of his age group at 13 and became the youngest national champion at any age group at 14. He was not quite 15 when he was invited to train at Lake Placid, only he never made the flight into Albany. He waved goodbye to Yuki and grabbed the pay phone, calling a friend to pick him up at the airport. He spent a week bumming around with the other hoodlums in Seattle before Yuki escorted him to the front door of the training center and prayed the kid wouldn’t mess up.
Apolo Ohno. He goofed off when he first arrived in Lake Placid and was nearly tossed. Predictably, he finished last in training tests among short-trackers, and the embarrassment provoked his competitive edge. He was only 14, but many had him pegged for gold in the 1998 Games in Nagano. He never went to Nagano. Instead, he finished dead last in the U.S. Olympic trials. It was a good thing. Looking back, he had too much success too soon, and he wasn’t ready to take on the world.
Apolo Ohno. He began dominating the World Cup in short track in 2000. He was first in the 1,000 meters, first in the 1,500 meters and first in the 500 meters, giving him the overall points title by a mile. He did not participate in the World Cup this year because the U.S. skaters feared for their safety following the terrorist attacks. It was a good thing for those abroad. International skaters feared Ohno attacks.
Apolo Ohno. He was the center of controversy after the U.S. Olympic trials last month. He had finished first in every heat but one, allowing best friend Shani Davis to secure a spot on the team with a victory. Ohno claimed he was merely skating conservatively to avoid injury, knowing his place on the U.S. team was secure. Tommy O’Hare, citing unfair play, considered filing a lawsuit before dropping the issue.
Apolo Ohno. Two months ago, America didn’t know him from Yoko Ono, but he now has the nation’s attention. He appeared on the cover of Sports Illustrated and traveled through the TV talk-show circuit. He knows when to smile and how to laugh at himself. Teenage girls are screaming, but it shouldn’t be long before everyone embraces him. He’s much cooler now, cooler than he thought he was. Respect for him skyrocketed when he fell down and pulled himself up Saturday, just like he had for 19 years and counting.
Apolo Ohno. He might have disappeared in the police blotter had short-track speedskating not saved him. The sport turned him into a man, and now he’s a rich one with a gold and two events remaining. He’ll be 23, still a year away from prime age in his sport, when the 2006 Games are held in Italy. Maybe then we’ll forget what the sport has done for him and measure what he has done for the sport. It needed a name. Why are so many people suddenly fascinated with short track?
Apolo Ohno.

Posted by noelle at 2:34 PM | Comments (0)

Technical DifficultiesHello Ohno Zoners. Hope

Posted by noelle at 12:13 PM | Comments (0)