Google is taking its Street View function to a whole new level -- more than 2000 metres into the skies of British Columbia's Whistler Mountain.
Just in time for the 2010 Olympic Winter Games, the tech giant is launching mountaintop Street View, featuring images captured on top of Whistler Mountain just before Christmas.
The images were collected through a new Street View prototype that uses a specially designed snowmobile equipped with multiple, state-of-the-art cameras and GPS technology.
Users can track down their favourite runs atop Whistler Mountain, sashay across Olympic competition mogul and aerial venues, and mosey through Whistler Village and Whistler Creekside.
B.C. Premier Gordon Campbell said the new technology will bring the mountain to the people -- literally.
"I thought of the times I went skiing at Whistler and was coming down the chair lift said ‘Wow, this is incredible.'"
"We want to show people where we live."
Whistler Mayor Ken Melamed agrees.
"We're expecting three billion people to watch the Games so this is our time to shine."
Former US Olympic cyclist Dylan Casey said the application would have been perfect for times when he competed overseas to allow his family to have a first-hand look.
"For the grandma of someone ski competing to be able to see his experience looking down the gates is really going to change the experience. It's amazing," the ex-Olympian, who biked alongside Lance Armstrong for US Postal, said.
But if Whistler was a picturesque backdrop to capture images, the unique resort town posed unique challenges for producers. Images normally captured from cameras posted on top of a moving car were not possible because of the narrow pedestrian walkways weaving through Whistler Village.
Google used a "trike," a three-wheeled bicycle specially fitted with cameras, to cruise Whistler Village's cobblestone walkways and walking-only zones.
Whistler's Street View is proof that the application can be used for much more than just finding road directions – and will prove itself as a popular tourism tool in the region, team member Stephen Chau said
"People can look for hotels, competition venues, or just a really great cup of coffee," he said.
Expanding Street View
The rollout of mountaintop Street View coincides with new Google Maps functions to help visitors during the 2010 Games.
A feature called Favourite Places within Google Maps enlists the help of local experts, including former Olympians, to share their favourite haunts around Vancouver and Whistler.
Not sure where you'd like to have dinner? B.C. Premier Gordon Campbell recommends the popular chain restaurant Earl's. Top chef Rob Feenie says the North Shore is the best place to get sushi and go for a bike ride, if you're feeling inclined.
