OLYMPICS VIEWED DESPITE NO MEDALS

A lack of American medal winners at the Winter Olympics doesn't seem to frustrate local enthusiasts from enjoying the games.

Employees at a local ice skating rink and several sports bars said their customers aren't put off by the fact the national anthem isn't being played. Business is either steady or booming, they said, and patrons seem to be content with watching the best of the best compete.

Assistant manager Tamara Niedbalski said business has been brisk at The Ice skating rink in Plaza Galleria since the beginning of the Christmas season. Part of that increase -- especially the number of children signing up for ice skating lessons -- can be attributed to the Winter Olympics, she said.

"You see an increase in people wanting to take ice skating lessons," she said. "It's an interest-rouser, and they want to come in and try it out. Attendance during public skating times also increases."

Niedbalski said several classes have reached the 15-person capacity since the Olympics began, and overall some 30 new students are taking ice skating lessons this year. Although many parents sign up their children for lessons hoping to produce future Olympians, they quickly face reality, she said.

"That's what the parents think and that's what the kids think, too," she said. "Unfortunately, when they step out on the ice they find out it's a lot harder than they thought."

Spokesmen at Papa Bear's Daiquiris & Grill, Garfield's restaurant and Applebee's Neighborhood Bar & Grill said they are still tuning their sets to the Olympics despite lackluster American performances in the games. Customers dictate what programs are watched and they are still requesting the Olympics, they said.

"I guess we're giving it some coverage," said a Papa Bear's spokesman, who pointed out that several of the sports bar's six television sets are tuned in nightly. "Customers haven't said anything one way or the other about the U.S. not winning."

Garfield's restaurant has eight TV sets, most of which have been tuned to the Olympics since the opening ceremony. The customers, mostly men, want to view hockey games and skiing events there.

"Pretty much most of them want to know when the hockey's going to be on, men's or women's," said Craig Campbell, a bartender at Garfield's. "They also want to know about Pickabo Street, the skier."

Most of all, customers want to know when American hockey teams will go head-to-head with their northern rivals, Campbell said. "No question -- they want to know when the Canada-USA game, men's and women's hockey, is scheduled," he said.

Kelly Thompson, a manager at Applebee's, said business has remained stable both prior to and since the Winter Olympics began. Even so, all four of their sets are tuned to the Olympics nightly, he said, just as they were during the Summer Olympics. He said business was comparable to non-Olympic years for both the summer and winter games.

"We've got mostly men coming in, and a lot of what they want to see has been the speed skating and hockey," said Thompson. "We've had all four televisions on the Olympics.

"The only time it wasn't was last night during the (National Basketball Association) All-Star game."